Black Mirror Creator Says Netflix Had No Notes About Streamer Getting Roasted in New Episode

Throughout the history of Black Mirror, creator Charlie Brooker has lampooned all corners of pop culture and technology, but for the upcoming Season 6 of the series, one episode specifically is meant to feature a surrogate streaming service that parodies Netflix. The in-world streaming service “Streamberry” directly borrows the look of Netflix’s interface and, even though Black Mirror is a Netflix original, Brooker claims that Netflix didn’t have any notes about how the episode “Joan Is Awful” represents the satirical service. Brooker even joked that he felt somewhat disappointed that their representation of the service wasn’t controversial enough to earn any pushback. Black Mirror Season 6 premieres on Netflix on June 15th.

“We just said, ‘We’ve got this streaming platform called “Streamberry” in this episode… can we make it look like Netflix?’” Brooker revealed to Empire Magazine. “They went away and came back quite quickly — weirdly quickly — and said, ‘Yeah, okay.’ There wasn’t any resistance to it, that I could tell. Which is a bit disappointing, because it would be good to be able to say, ‘I just did it anyway, because I’m an anarchist!’ But no.”

Even though the series embraced a look similar to that of Netflix for comprehension purposes, Brooker admits that adopting the look of the platform will add an additional layer of commentary to the episode.

“That episode is quite meta and weird anyway,” the writer pointed out. “It’s one thing me watching it in the edit, but the thought that people are going to be watching it on the Netflix platform itself? That’s quite bonkers.”

Season 6 is described, “Expect the unexpected. The long-awaited return of Charlie Brooker’s dark, satirical anthology series which reinvents itself with each new episode. The sixth season of Black Mirror is the most unpredictable, unclassifiable, and unexpected yet. The series is created and written by Charlie Brooker.”

“Joan Is Awful” is described, “An average woman is stunned to discover a global streaming platform has launched a prestige TV drama adaptation of her life — in which she is portrayed by Hollywood A-lister Salma Hayek.”

The episode also stars Annie Murphy, Ben Barnes, Himesh Patel, Michael Cera, and Rob Delaney.

In addition to the series offering satirical interpretations of technology, another constant has been the A-list talent recruited for the anthology. Brooker revealed that, unlike some other episodes in which casting doesn’t enter his mind while writing, he was quick to imagine Murphy in the lead role.

“Sometimes you write things and you have someone in mind,” the writer admitted. “Annie Murphy was quite quickly in my head as Joan because I’d watched Schitt’s Creek during the pandemic, like everyone else, and she’s so naturally funny, and likable.”

Black Mirror Season 6 premieres on Netflix on June 15th.  

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