The story
Every episode is a self-contained story with its own cast, set in a world pushed a few steps beyond our own by some new piece of technology: an app that scores every social interaction, an implant that replays memories, a dating service run by algorithm. The question is always what happens when ordinary human wants meet the gadget, and the tone ranges from pitch-black satire to horror, romance and even space opera.
Why it matters
Black Mirror is the landmark case of a streamer taking a British series away from a broadcaster that still wanted it. Netflix's deal marked the first time a streaming service had won the rights to a series whose original network wanted to renew it. Its Netflix-era episodes then won the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Television Movie three years running.
How it was rescued
Black Mirror made two series and a Christmas special for Channel 4 between 2011 and 2014. Netflix commissioned 12 episodes in September 2015 and in March 2016 outbid Channel 4 for the UK rights with a US$40 million bid, even though Channel 4 said it had offered to recommission the show. The first Netflix series launched worldwide on 21 October 2016.
Filed under: Moved from TV to a streamer
Notable facts
- Netflix outbid Channel 4 for the UK rights to the third series in March 2016 with a bid of US$40 million. (source)
- "San Junipero" was the first episode written for Netflix, and Charlie Brooker deliberately experimented with the show's tone. (source)
- Netflix reported 60 million hours of viewing for series six in its release week in 2023. (source)
- Series seven includes a sequel to "USS Callister", the first Black Mirror story to get a continuation. (source)