Charlie Brooker , creator of Black Mirror
Black Mirror is a British science fiction anthology series created by Charlie Brooker . The programme was inspired by The Twilight Zone and explores technology and its side-effects.[ 1] It began on the British television network Channel 4 before moving to the American streaming platform Netflix and has run for six series between 2011 and 2023. There are 27 episodes and one interactive film , Black Mirror: Bandersnatch . Episodes vary in length between 40 and 89 minutes and can be watched in any order.[ 2] [ 3] [ 4] [ 5] Actors rarely appear in more than one episode, though many instalments make small references known as "Easter eggs " to previous episodes, such as through in-universe news channels and briefly-seen text.[ 6] [ 7] [ 8]
The first two series comprised three episodes each and ran on Channel 4 in December 2011 and February 2013. After discussions for a third series fell through, a special entitled "White Christmas " was commissioned and aired in December 2014. The following year, Netflix commissioned twelve episodes, later splitting this into two series of six episodes that were released on 21 October 2016 and 29 December 2017.[ 10] [ 11] The interactive film Bandersnatch was spun out from the fifth series due to its complexity, debuting on 28 December 2018, and the delayed fifth series of three episodes premiered on 5 June 2019.[ 12] [ 13] The sixth series was released on 15 June 2023 and consists of five episodes.[ 14] [ 15] [ 16] A seventh series was announced in November 2023.[ 17]
Episodes are usually dystopian, often with unhappy endings, and many are set in a futuristic world with advanced technology.[ 18] [ 19] The instalments have spanned a variety of genres including drama , psychological horror , political satire , and romantic comedy .[ 1] [ 20] [ 21] [ 22] Black Mirror has been met with positive reception from critics[ a] and has received numerous awards and nominations , including three consecutive wins of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie .[ b]
^ a b Brooker, Charlie (1 December 2011). "Charlie Brooker: the dark side of our gadget addiction" . The Guardian . Archived from the original on 5 October 2013. Retrieved 4 August 2018 .
^ Turchiano, Danielle (29 December 2017). " 'Black Mirror' Co-Creator Breaks Down Season 4: 'We Want to Be Surprising and Unpredictable' " . Variety . Archived from the original on 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018 .
^ "The Best Black Mirror Episodes, Ranked From Worst to Best" . WIRED . 3 May 2022. Archived from the original on 12 November 2022. Retrieved 19 February 2023 .
^ Venn, Lydia (15 June 2023). "Netflix's Black Mirror: Mazey Day episode explained" . Cosmopolitan . Archived from the original on 21 June 2023. Retrieved 16 June 2023 .
^ Thomas, Leah (29 December 2017). "Watch The 'Black Mirror' Season 4 Episodes In This Order For The Best Viewing Experience" . Bustle . Archived from the original on 2 September 2018. Retrieved 2 September 2018 .
^ Knight, Rich (28 May 2020). "Black Mirror Season 6: 5 Big Questions We Have About The Netflix Series" . Cinema Blend . Archived from the original on 1 August 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2021 .
^ Nguyen, Hanh (1 January 2018). " 'Black Mirror' Easter Eggs: How All the Episodes Connect in Charlie Brooker's Dark Universe" . IndieWire . Archived from the original on 6 January 2021. Retrieved 10 May 2021 .
^ Ling, Thomas (25 June 2019). "Black Mirror season five's Easter eggs show how every series is connected in one shared universe" . Radio Times . Archived from the original on 10 May 2021. Retrieved 10 May 2021 .
^ Birnbaum, Debra (25 September 2015). " 'Black Mirror' Lands at Netflix" . Variety . Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2017 .
^ Sandberg, Bryn (19 October 2016). "Jodie Foster to Direct Rosemarie DeWitt in 'Black Mirror' Episode" . The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on 11 February 2021. Retrieved 5 March 2021 .
^ Strause, Jackie (29 December 2018). " 'Black Mirror's' Interactive Film: How to Navigate 'Bandersnatch' " . The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on 29 December 2018. Retrieved 29 December 2018 .
^ Strause, Jackie (2 January 2019). " 'Black Mirror' Creator Charlie Brooker Shares Season 5 Update" . The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on 2 January 2019. Retrieved 2 January 2019 .
^ Strause, Jackie (31 May 2023). " 'Black Mirror' Season 6 Reveals Release Date, Episode Descriptions" . The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on 22 June 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2023 .
^ Ravindran, Manori (26 April 2023). " 'Black Mirror' Season 6 Teaser Confirms June Release; First Looks at Salma Hayek Pinault, Aaron Paul and More Revealed" . Variety . Archived from the original on 16 June 2023. Retrieved 27 April 2023 .
^ Franklin, McKinley (11 May 2023). " 'Black Mirror' Season 6 Unveils Titles and Plot Synopses for New Episodes Starring Salma Hayek, Aaron Paul and More" . Variety . Archived from the original on 3 June 2023. Retrieved 11 May 2023 .
^ Yossman, K.J. (21 November 2023). " 'Black Mirror' Renewed for Season 7 (Exclusive)" . Variety . Archived from the original on 21 November 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2023 .
^ Chaney, Jen (21 December 2017). "Black Mirror ' s New Season Is a Little Light, Until It Gets Darker Than Ever" . Vulture . Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2021 .
^ Poniewozik, James (20 October 2016). "Review: 'Black Mirror' Finds Terror, and Soul, in the Machine" . The New York Times . Archived from the original on 13 August 2017. Retrieved 12 August 2017 .
^ Lambie, Ryan (26 February 2013). "Black Mirror series 2 episode 3: The Waldo Moment spoiler-filled review" . Den of Geek . Archived from the original on 21 September 2019. Retrieved 21 September 2019 .
^ Sims, David (21 October 2016). "Black Mirror's 'Playtest' Brings Fear to Life" . The Atlantic . Archived from the original on 30 September 2020. Retrieved 31 October 2020 .
^ Epstein, Adam (6 December 2017). "The best new 'Black Mirror' episodes are a rom-com and a cheesy space opera" . Quartz . Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2021 .
^ "Black Mirror : Season 1" . Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Archived from the original on 8 May 2021. Retrieved 8 May 2021 .
^ "Black Mirror : Season 2" . Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Archived from the original on 8 May 2021. Retrieved 8 May 2021 .
^ "Black Mirror: White Christmas " . Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Archived from the original on 8 May 2021. Retrieved 8 May 2021 .
^ "Black Mirror : Season 3" . Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Archived from the original on 8 May 2021. Retrieved 8 May 2021 .
^ "Black Mirror : Season 3" . Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Archived from the original on 8 May 2021. Retrieved 8 May 2021 .
^ "Black Mirror : Season 4" . Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Archived from the original on 8 May 2021. Retrieved 8 May 2021 .
^ "Black Mirror : Season 4" . Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Archived from the original on 8 May 2021. Retrieved 8 May 2021 .
^ "Black Mirror: Bandersnatch " . Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Archived from the original on 8 May 2021. Retrieved 8 May 2021 .
^ "Black Mirror: Bandersnatch " . Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Archived from the original on 8 May 2021. Retrieved 8 May 2021 .
^ "Black Mirror : Season 5" . Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Archived from the original on 8 May 2021. Retrieved 8 May 2021 .
^ "Black Mirror : Season 5" . Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Archived from the original on 8 May 2021. Retrieved 8 May 2021 .
^ "Black Mirror : Season 6" . Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved 27 August 2023 .
^ "Black Mirorr : Season 6" . Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Retrieved 27 August 2023 .
^ "69th Emmy Award Winners" . Academy of Television Arts & Sciences . Archived from the original on 19 September 2017. Retrieved 20 September 2017 .
^ "USS Callister (Black Mirror)" . Academy of Television Arts & Sciences . Archived from the original on 12 July 2018. Retrieved 18 September 2018 .
^ Hussey, Allison (23 September 2019). "Emmys 2019: Black Mirror: Bandersnatch Wins Outstanding TV Movie" . Pitchfork . Archived from the original on 23 September 2019. Retrieved 23 September 2019 .
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