Dynamo is Dead reminds us why TV magic is difficult to trust

What Did You Miss?

Dynamo's newest TV spectacle, Dynamo is Dead, aired on Sky Max yesterday (14 December).

The magician - real name Steven Frayne - kicked things off with a heartfelt angle, embarking on a transformative road that saw him investigating mental health and wellbeing. He sought answers from inspirational celebrities, including champion boxer Tyson Fury, skateboarder Tony Hawk, and actresses Cara Delevingne and Kate Beckinsale, in order to "bury his past and find a new beginning".

As you'd expect, these candid conversations also involved unbelievable, magical flourishes from the guy behind series Estate of Mind and Magician Impossible.

But it was the two-hour special's big climax that captured the most attention, with Dynamo burying himself alive on live TV in the most dangerous stunt of his career so far. Ultimately, he escaped intact, but the very nature of entertainment production - with its multiple cameras and editing - pierced the veil of amazement for some social media users.

What, how and why?

Having witnessed a digger dumping mounds of soil on top of the lay-down magician, a number of fans were taken out of the pulse-pounding moment by convenient camera cuts. "The camera cut away as the tipper drove to the hole totally discredited this," wrote one individual, before arguing with another: "The only thing you saw was the initial shovels of soil going in after he was in the hole. You are making an assumption he was in the hole when the soil was being tipped in... the cutaway places [huge] doubt on that surely."

A second person added: "[Panning] away like that on so-called Live tv has made it crazy hard for anyone to believe he climbed out of that which I don't believe," while a third concurred: "Some of those tricks were quality but not [believable that] he's buried when the camera moves away nonsense".

Alluding to Harry Houdini's own struggles with this historically difficult stunt, another viewer went on to share: "So literally the only person to have successfully done it in 110 years has 20 people watching (live in person), a slightly dirty white jumper, no wife standing nearby crying with relief? I'm expecting this to be front page news on every paper... or was it fake?"

It wasn't all doom and gloom on social media, though, with a defiant X user responding to this discussion: "Everyone complaining about this have completely missed the point?? he's talking about killing off his old self to renew and showing the journey of it?? and bringing illness and grief to the forefront of tv and showing how it can affect everyone no matter your status."

What else was happening on social media?

Ecstatic to welcome back their favourite magician into their living rooms, plenty more Dynamo is Dead watchers poured in with complimentary reactions on X, with a focus on the mental health aspect of the programme.

Read more:

• Dynamo reveals TV comeback contains 'best reaction ever' to a trick: 'It's almost uncomfortable'

• Dynamo: Health battles have set me up to be the perfect person to live in self-isolation (exclusive)

• Indian magician Wizard Mandrake found dead after drowning in Houdini river escape stunt

Watch: Dynamo achieves feat 'Houdini failed to do' after being buried alive in TV stunt

This article originally appeared on Yahoo TV UK at https://uk.news.yahoo.com/dynamo-is-dead-fan-reaction-135726414.html