# The UK show "Black Mirror" is available on Netflix streaming. Holy Crap! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 1, 2014, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-show-black-mirror-is-available-on-netflix-streaming-holy-crap/706074 "2014-12-01T22:00:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2014, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-show-black-mirror-is-available-on-netflix-streaming-holy-crap/706074/1 "2014-12-01T22:00:57Z")
I just saw the first episode. It’s very disturbing, especially considering that such a thing is entirely possible in our new connected world. I won’t post any spoilers but I’ll warn that it’s not a family show, and it’s very intense and disturbing. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2014, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-show-black-mirror-is-available-on-netflix-streaming-holy-crap/706074/2 "2014-12-01T22:14:58Z")
In case anybody is wondering what Black Mirror is all about: [QUOTE=Wiki] Black Mirror is a British television anthology series created by Charlie Brooker that shows the dark side of life and technology. The series is produced by Zeppotron for Endemol. Regarding the programme’s content and structure, Brooker noted, “each episode has a different cast, a different setting, even a different reality. But they’re all about the way we live now – and the way we might be living in 10 minutes’ time if we’re clumsy.”[1] An Endemol press release describes the series as “a hybrid of The Twilight Zone and Tales of the Unexpected which taps into our contemporary unease about our modern world”, with the stories having a “techno-paranoia” feel.[2] Channel 4 describes the first episode as “a twisted parable for the Twitter age”.[3] Black Mirror Series 1 was released on DVD on 27 February 2012.[4] In November 2012, Black Mirror won the Best TV movie/mini-series award at the International Emmys.[5] [/QUOTE] Sounds interesting, I’ll have to give it a shot. Thanks for sharing. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2014, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-show-black-mirror-is-available-on-netflix-streaming-holy-crap/706074/3 "2014-12-01T22:15:31Z")
Hah, yes, Black Mirror is Charlie Brooker going to some very dark places. I can’t remember exactly (there’s no over-arching narrative, it’s just a collection of near-future stories), but isn’t the first one the one where the Prime Minister is blackmailed into fucking a pig on live TV? ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2014, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-show-black-mirror-is-available-on-netflix-streaming-holy-crap/706074/4 "2014-12-01T22:22:23Z")
**Baron Greenback** , I don’t want to open your spoiler in case you’re thinking of one that I haven’t seen yet. If you’ve seen them all then you can check my spoiler and tell me if we’re talking about the same thing. A princess is kidnapped and the kidnappers demand that the prime minister has intercourse with a pig on live TV. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2014, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-show-black-mirror-is-available-on-netflix-streaming-holy-crap/706074/5 "2014-12-01T22:25:42Z")
That’s the one **davidm**. I put it a bit more bluntly 😉 It’s quite the concept… ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Shine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr_shine/32/464_2.png) [@Mr\_Shine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Shine)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2014, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-show-black-mirror-is-available-on-netflix-streaming-holy-crap/706074/6 "2014-12-01T23:28:05Z")
The second episode of the second series “White Bear” is a masterpiece. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2014, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-show-black-mirror-is-available-on-netflix-streaming-holy-crap/706074/7 "2014-12-01T23:34:08Z")
Hrm. From the bit spoiled in a couple of posts above, the show sounds fairly over-the-top considering its comparisons to Twilight Zone. (Which, of course, being a product of 50’s TV, wasn’t exactly subtle, but still when I hear the show evoked I expect something more quiet and creepy and make-you-think-y than what I saw described above.) Inaccurate snap judgment on my part? ---
**Author:** ![Made\_in\_Macau](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eada6e/32.png) [@Made\_in\_Macau](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Made_in_Macau)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2014, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-show-black-mirror-is-available-on-netflix-streaming-holy-crap/706074/8 "2014-12-01T23:37:23Z")
Without searching for a cite, but didn’t Jon Hamm specifically ask to meet Charlie Brooker on a recent uk visit and has since filmed the Black Mirror Christmas Special? ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2014, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-show-black-mirror-is-available-on-netflix-streaming-holy-crap/706074/9 "2014-12-01T23:44:39Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > Inaccurate snap judgment on my part? I think so. Black Mirror uses some grotesque imagery and concepts to make its points, but it is actually fairly thoughtful and astute (I know this sounds unlikely, given the spoiled plot synopsis) Around the turn of the century, Brooker did a thing called TV Go Home which skewered in bitter and biting fashion then-current trends in programme production, by just taking it a little further. Now that TV has caught up with his nightmarish vision, Black Mirror is the same sort of idea, just with the networking technology added into the mix. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2014, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-show-black-mirror-is-available-on-netflix-streaming-holy-crap/706074/10 "2014-12-01T23:55:17Z")
Anyone know if it’s on Hulu? ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-show-black-mirror-is-available-on-netflix-streaming-holy-crap/706074/11 "2014-12-02T00:10:06Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > > [@Frylock](#): > > > > Inaccurate snap judgment on my part? > > I think so. Black Mirror uses some grotesque imagery and concepts to make its points, but it is actually fairly thoughtful and astute (I know this sounds unlikely, given the spoiled plot synopsis) I would agree. The spoilers were intended to indicate to each other that we were in fact discussing the same episode. They weren’t meant as a full description or critique. They don’t really do it justice. While grotesque, it does have a point and it does make you think. It’s disturbing rather than disgusting, at least to me. It’s kind of a shame though that you read the spoilers, knowing about it kind of ruins a shocking moment. I would recommend to anyone else that you don’t read the spoilers if you’re intending to watch it, although it’s still worth watching even if you have. What’s revealed in the spoilers comes out early in the show. They don’t give away a twist ending or anything like that. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-show-black-mirror-is-available-on-netflix-streaming-holy-crap/706074/12 "2014-12-02T03:20:44Z")
> [@Made\_in\_Macau](#): > > Without searching for a cite, but didn’t Jon Hamm specifically ask to meet Charlie Brooker on a recent uk visit and has since filmed the Black Mirror Christmas Special? Yes. This series is gut-wrenching and fantastic. Be sure to check it out! ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-show-black-mirror-is-available-on-netflix-streaming-holy-crap/706074/13 "2014-12-02T03:32:06Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > I would agree. The spoilers were intended to indicate to each other that we were in fact discussing the same episode. They weren’t meant as a full description or critique. They don’t really do it justice. > While grotesque, it does have a point and it does make you think. It’s disturbing rather than disgusting, at least to me. It’s kind of a shame though that you read the spoilers, knowing about it kind of ruins a shocking moment. I would recommend to anyone else that you don’t read the spoilers if you’re intending to watch it, although it’s still worth watching even if you have. What’s revealed in the spoilers comes out early in the show. They don’t give away a twist ending or anything like that. Thanks for the further clarification. We’ll give it a whirl. Concerning spoilers, I’m a big fan of reading all of them every chance I get. 😉 Turns out there’s research to indicate this _enhances_ the enjoyment rather than detracting from it, though I’d be lying if I said that this research is the reason I read spoilers. I just like readin’ em. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-show-black-mirror-is-available-on-netflix-streaming-holy-crap/706074/14 "2014-12-02T04:30:48Z")
I’m skeptical of that research in general, and I’m not so sure that it’s applicable in this particular case. The moment when the Prime Minister is told the kidnappers’ demand is quite shocking. I was not expecting anything remotely like it. The shock was largely realizing that in the age of Youtube and Twitter kidnappers can make outrageous demands in such a manner that authorities can’t possibly hide the demands from the public, try as they might, and that public figures could suddenly find themselves feeling pressure from the public to humiliate themselves in ways that objectively cause little harm, but are emotionally devastating, in order to prevent some horrible act such as the murder of a beloved princess. In retrospect it seems obvious that someone could attempt this, but I at least never considered the possibility. It’s a rather frightening realization. I find myself hoping that it doesn’t inspire some maniac. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-show-black-mirror-is-available-on-netflix-streaming-holy-crap/706074/15 "2014-12-02T05:08:53Z")
I’ve added this to my list. It sounds right up my alley and Netflix predicts 4.6 stars for me, so we’ll see! ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-show-black-mirror-is-available-on-netflix-streaming-holy-crap/706074/16 "2014-12-02T07:33:54Z")
Just added - thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-show-black-mirror-is-available-on-netflix-streaming-holy-crap/706074/17 "2014-12-02T10:37:03Z")
I do love Charlie Brooker’s take on things and Black Mirror has some masterpiece episodes. “The entire history of you” is one the most haunting near-vision futures I’ve seen. The tech involved is\* just _close enough to possible and the evolved behaviours of the protagonists are_ just\* about familiar enough to us to be unnerving. I particularly like the fact that he doesn’t really offer any solutions or happy endings. It is very much, “this is where we may be going…make of it what you will” ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-show-black-mirror-is-available-on-netflix-streaming-holy-crap/706074/18 "2014-12-02T11:47:38Z")
This show is an absolute masterpiece. I can’t think of any other show I’ve seen in recent years that has stuck with me and made me think like Black Mirror has. It’s often disturbing and very dark, but incredibly well-done. Some episodes are, of course, slightly better than others. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-show-black-mirror-is-available-on-netflix-streaming-holy-crap/706074/19 "2014-12-02T12:28:38Z")
The most interesting thing about _Black Mirror_ is that, I started following Charlie Brooker many years ago because he is a very, very funny guy. Check out any of his [stuff](http://www.theguardian.com/profile/charliebrooker) via Google. [Here](http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/nov/24/christmas-2014-john-lewis-sainsbury-ads-top-christmas-products) is this week’s rant about consumerism. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-show-black-mirror-is-available-on-netflix-streaming-holy-crap/706074/20 "2014-12-02T12:55:16Z")
> [@](#): > > The series is produced by Zeppotron for Endemol. I’m sorry, but I can’t take this seriously. It sounds like the series is being produced by the decapitated and artificially-life-supported head of a Marx Brother on behalf of a high blood pressure drug. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-uk-show-black-mirror-is-available-on-netflix-streaming-holy-crap/706074.md?page=2)