Black Mirror to be Americanized

After sitting down for the first episode of Black Mirror on Netflix, I immediately watched all available episodes. The show was dark, at times disturbing, and always thought-provoking. What’s more, I couldn’t stop talking about it with my friends and co-workers, and I couldn’t stop thinking about the questions each episode raised. Now, a US adaptation is in the works from the production company Endomol Shine, who is responsible for shows like Hell on Wheels, American Idol, and Big Brother.

Black Mirror can best be described as a modernized Twilight Zone, a sci-fi anthology show where characters and settings are unique to each episode. The series focuses on the roles technology has taken in the modern world, with episodes focusing on the 24 hour news cycle, social media, and our growing dependency on our devices. It asks interesting questions, has unique observations, and is compelling as hell. The titular “black mirror” refers to the reflective surface of one of the many electronic devices we stare at every day.

How audiences will be able to view this series is still up in the air. Endomol Shine has plenty of experience with TV Networks, but according to Variety, the production company may release the show via various digital channels. The firm plans to use their own platform, Endomol Beyond, to compete with Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon, while working alongside them. This is a real “Hail Mary” play for the company, and depends upon the success of Black Mirror.

While this means the series will hopefully be given some freedom, there is still the very real chance that the Americanized Black Mirror will be missing the dark perspective of the British original. If it’s afraid to ask similar questions, we may end up with a watered down show that will fail to capture our imaginations and arrest our attention.

See what all the buzz is about by watching Black Mirror on Netflix.