Charlie Brooker's BLACK MIRROR

but i see what you mean - arguably the story could have been told in the 60s with a guy in a bungle outfit, yeah.

DL I thought it might be partly autobiographical too- guy achieves sort-of fame by sneering at everything, realises he doesn't use it for good, I dunno

http://www.ashleyhames.tv/sites/default/files/images/news%20bunny%20flyer.jpg

It's also a comment on how a very fluffy, lovable fascia can be used to manipulate public opinion, from politics to brand packaging. "How can you hate on Ronald McDonald or Mickey Mouse when they bring joy to millions of children?" etc.. when it's really just a marketing team using the character as a mouthpiece. I thought the TV exec guy was perfectly cast too - so many of these big bollock jack-the-lad media types walking around.

dl: i really hope it's the former (boris johnson) because the latter (autobiographical) would be wanky enough to eclipse everything he has ever done

re marketing team with a mouthpiece: it felt to me like that was completely derailed by the whole comedian-can't-control-his-emotions scene. i get why that had to happen, but it still looked quite pathetic; at that point i lost any personal investment i might have had in the character.

what was the deal with the cia agent? i did not understand his agenda at all.

another interesting premise with zero idea of how to end it :(

That's been the problem with all of these. Every single episode sounds good as part of a capsule-form rant but they feel vastly overstretched as TV episodes. It's as though he either didn't have enough ideas to fill a 45 minute show while simultaneously not having enough time to fully explore them.

I haven't actually seen any of these, but from what's been said, they sound like "Demos"..

.. like, "Take them to the "band" to put more flesh on them and fill them out, properly"

A film that somehow incorporated a few of these ideas might not be a bad idea. Think Brooker's definitely got an eye for good ideas but he needs a collaborator to optimise them properly. That Dead Set thing from a few years ago is the prime example.

ideas

DL'ed this; I really liked most of these. Merits and Blue Bear I thought were the obvious low points, so it's interesting to see the different opinions; The Entire HIstory of You was by far the best, not surprising it's been optioned but I don't know what another hour of the story would actually add, it was just about perfect as it was.

that's only series one... there are 3 more.

I thought there were only 2 series and six episodes?

yes, 3 more episodes.

i'm not sure what you mean. I've seen all six.

another interesting premise with zero idea of how to end it

super true. lot of these seem to limp towards a conclusion. was constantly expecting a big flashy twist/pay-off, but it rarely came - or if it did it was rushed and heavy-handed (cf merits). pig fucker one was worst for a dribble of an ending, no real revelation other than CB had a neat idea and failed to run far enough with it. having said that, s2e2 with the justice park had a strong ending but the whole spittle-flecked MAKES YOU THINK aspect tainted it

thought entire history of you was best, beautifully filmed/acted/plotted though i was left wanting a more substantial ending.

hated merits, such a snobby pompous premise (like gervais's toe-curling 'soaring' monologue in that final ep of extras), smugly acted and directed. too much graphic design, not enough heart - and what was the deal with the 'ordinary' looking girl who taught strong silent hero guy to pinch apples? baffled by what purpose she served. interesting to see konnie helped co-write that, wonder what exactly she did. also noteworthy that by far the best one was written by jesse armstrong, not brooker. someone said above that sam bain was involved in that one too, is that correct?

still though, great to see a uk twilight zone style series that is mostly great. if this becomes a regular series and brooker hands over the writing reins to his peers & betters more often, then we could end up with something truly astounding.

^^^ hair-era Brooker's lazy stench is all over this show. He needs to be promoted to exec producer pronto.

really enjoy this program.

watched season one. 'The Entire History Of You' is instant classic science fiction, filled with so many horrifying details. Most films running with the scenario would build the plot around the totalitarian aspects, and I basically assumed this was going to follow the lead of a film like Gattica, opening with scenes of an annual performance review hinging on managers rescreening his last year's worth of life, or going to the airport & getting his last week of life ffwded through on a tiny screen by a stranger at customs, but instead they get all of that out of the way in the first five minutes and move on to relationships. the density of the script, the number of scenarios they play out in the way a couple's arguments will progress given instant access to recordings of every second of each other's lives -- replaying micro-clips, edited to make their points, forcing people to watch things, demanding to see the other's memories. definitely needs to get mentioned in conversations with things like Coming Apart / The Conversation / Brainstorm.

the other two episodes I was far less impressed with, just as brutal but with far less insight or detail. but even though this thread doesn't make it seem like season two picks up the slack, still worth watching.

interesting that was the only one brooker didn't write. it was jesse armstrong from peep show (being made into a robert downy jr film iirc)

but yeah, classic science fiction. like i said above, would be so great if the uk produced a series to rival 50s twilight zone - quite possible off the back of TEHOY, but not so much the rest

Watched the first two last night - the first is good, audacious, etc.; but the second is goddamned draining and exhausting. Can't wait to watch the third tonight.

'The Entire History of You' is the high point of the series. even though it's a living nightmare, anyone who uses a computer should watch it.

I like the second one because I like that song that sounds a bit like the flamingos.

finally broke down and T0RR3nt333333333DDDDdddd
v v curious

i mean as much web love as this got in 2013 it is amazing it has pretty much no US distribution

It is weird that Netflix US couldn't make this deal happen. Mirror, Shadow Line, Utopia ... I mean if they can get Engrenages they should have been able to get this going

I kind wish Brooker would intro each ep on the DVD with cig in hand Rod Serling-style

Maybe it'll show up on Youtube complete. The 2013 Wipe and 25 Games specials are both on there, which is how I got to watch them from over here without torrenting.

yeah not sure why neither this nor utopia have wound up in the US. I t0rr3nt3d too. they were great.

could have something to do with the film option on the one episode that Robert Downey Jr has maybe

iron man shagging a pig

would watch

jesus christ the pig fucking episode

what in the fuck

White Christmas, 16th December, ch4

That was pretty good.

Yeah, nice format, unusual for TV.

Not mind blowing but, you know, a decent hour and a half of television.

can't wait to see this, just rewatched the first 2 series over the weekend.

this was pompous sophomoric trenchant social commentary bullshit just like the one episode of this I endured a few years back (and nearly everything the nearly useless charlie brooker produces) but it's improved slightly in terms of watchability

Not avail legally in the U.S.?

netflix streaming.

can't find the new thing on there tho

it only aired here last night.

From the bits of half-watching I did it seemed to be the usual 1984 type bollocks.

jeez do you guys hate fun? this was like a solid mid-level episode of the Twilight Zone, i.e. fun, except with an extra layer of Brooker's pointless cruelty which i could have easily done without

I like fun but I especially like being accused of hating it because that is the last refuge of someone who knows they're defending something shit & it's nice to get reassurance

"It's like mid-level something old, but much worse!"

ooh fun

the prosecution rests you ornery old git