Black Mirror Season 6 - Everything You Need To Know

It's been a long time since fans had new episodes of "Black Mirror" to enjoy. Season 5 of the thought-provoking anthology series hit screens in 2019, and fans have been enduring a long drought of content ever since. It could be worse, of course: "Black Mirror" is immensely rewatchable. In fact, the tech-centric series pretty much demands a certain amount of rewatching, discussion, and careful consideration. There's a reason it's earned a plethora of awards, massive critical acclaim, and scads of devotees, after all — it's pretty much the epitome of a show that makes you think.

But even the most obsessive fans can only debate the moral and technological complexities of episodes like "Striking Vipers" and "White Bear" so many times — to say nothing of replaying "Bandersnatch," the series' interactive film. Years passed, other TV shows came and went, and still, "Black Mirror" fans waited for Season 6. Finally, their wait is about to come to an end. Season 6 of "Black Mirror" is on its way to a screen near you, and it promises to be just as full of sci-fi intrigue, ethical quandaries, and out-there worldbuilding as ever. This is everything you need to know about this upcoming slate of episodes.

"Black Mirror" fans were spooked when show creator Charlie Brooker revealed he was taking a break from writing new episodes of their beloved anthology series. It's hard to blame him, however disappointing you might have found this news — this revelation came just months after the COVID-19 pandemic descended upon the world. "At the moment, I don't know what stomach there would be for stories about societies falling apart, so I'm not working away on one of those," Brooker remarked to Radio Times. "I'm sort of keen to revisit my comic skill set, so I've been writing scripts aimed at making myself laugh." Who can blame him for wanting to take a break from tales of tech-driven darkness as the planet trudged through a once-in-a-generation crisis? Many of us spent 2020 looking for reasons to smile.

But as 2020 receded in the rearview, Brooker got back to work. In April 2023, fans were overjoyed to learn that "Black Mirror" Season 6 wasn't just happening — it was speeding towards a screen near them. The hotly anticipated season will hit Netflix on June 15, 2023, and it will consist of five episodes. 

"Black Mirror" has a reputation for tackling the darkest corners of tech obsession in fascinating new ways. As Charlie Brooker revealed to Tudum in April 2023, Season 6 will go places no season of "Black Mirror" has gone before. "Partly as a challenge, and partly to keep things fresh for both me and the viewer, I began this season by deliberately upending some of my own core assumptions about what to expect," the series creator remarked. "Consequently, this time, alongside some of the more familiar 'Black Mirror' tropes we've also got a few new elements, including some I've previously sworn blind the show would never do." 

What elements are we talking about, exactly? This season's episode titles and summaries offer certain clues. Episode 1, "Joan is Awful," centers around an everyday woman whose life is adapted into a prestige TV show. Episode 2, "Loch Henry," takes place in bucolic Scotland, where a pair of documentarians are drawn into a complex and shadowy chapter of local history. Episode 3, "Beyond the Sea," is currently one of the most enigmatic installments: It follows two men (who appear to wear spacesuits at one point) as they balance a high-stakes mission and absolute calamity. Episode 4, "Mazey Day," delves into the paparazzi-laden aftermath of a hit-and-run involving a young star. Episode 5, "Demon 79," sees a helpless woman become convinced she must do awful things to prevent something even worse.

"Black Mirror" has earned acclaim for many things, but its cast is one of its most dazzling facets. Fresh faces, cinematic idols, pop icons, and long-respected thespians of all stripes have made their mark on the anthology series, including Letitia Wright, Cristin Milioti, Bryce Dallas Howard, Jon Hamm, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Anthony Mackie, and Miley Cyrus. This impressive list will grow even longer and more luminous with the addition of Season 6.

As Charlie Brooker revealed to Tudum, Season 6's cast is especially excellent, even by "Black Mirror" standards. "Bringing it all to life we've got an incredible roster of disgustingly skillful, smart directors working with a cast of actors so talented they frankly have no right to exist," the series creator remarked. Who are these talented actors? Some of the most sought-after names of the modern day. Bonafide movie stars Salma Hayek Pinault, Michael Cera, Josh Hartnett, Kate Mara, Himesh Patel, and Zazie Beetz are poised to bring their big screen chops to the cast. Season 6 will also boast some of the prestige TV's brightest stars, including Aaron Paul, Ben Barnes, Annie Murphy, and Paapa Essiedu. They'll play a broad range of characters, from in-world actors to sales assistants to 1960s officials.

While the scintillating cast of "Black Mirror" is hard to look away from, the people working behind the scenes are just as critical to the show's success — especially the directors. Previous directors run the gamut from Hollywood legends to TV journeymen. Owen Harris, for example, who directed "Be Right Back," "Striking Vipers," and "San Junipero," has also helmed episodes of "Mrs. Davis" and "Misfits." Toby Haynes, who directed "USS Callister," recently tackled multiple episodes of "Andor." Cinema icon Jodie Foster directed "Arkangel." And that's just for starters.

Season 6 will be helmed by another impressive group of pros. Ally Pankiw directed "Joan is Awful," Sam Miller directed "Loch Henry," John Crowley directed "Beyond the Sea," Uta Briesewitz directed "Mazey Day," and "Black Mirror" veteran Toby Haynes directed "Demon 79." All of these episodes were entirely written by Charlie Brooker, save "Demon 79," which was co-written by "Ms. Marvel" and "Loki" scribe Bisha K. Ali. These directors have an impressive range of projects to their name: Pankiw helmed two episodes of irreverent historical comedy "The Great" in 2021; Briesewitz has directed episodes of "Stranger Things," "Westworld," "The Wheel of Time," and "Orange is the New Black"; Sam Miller directed or co-directed every episode of the stunning "I May Destroy You" — and that's just for starters. In short, "Black Mirror" fans are in expert hands.

On April 26, Netflix dropped the official teaser trailer for "Black Mirror" Season 6. It's chock-full of the series' characteristic eeriness: Blank-faced women peer through gaps in curtains, seemingly mundane retail employees suddenly fly into shocking bouts of violence, and distressed starlets walk through crowds bristling with camera lenses. All the while, a woman warbles through a somber version of pop standard "I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire."

Then, on May 31, the official trailer hit the internet and blew fans' minds. It's creepy, comical, and 100% "Black Mirror." Each episode gets its own spotlight, but Joan is Awful" takes center stage. What seems to be a clip from this installment opens the trailer: In it, Joan and her significant other settle in for some Netflix — oh, pardon us, we mean Streamberry and chill time. To their shock, they discover "Joan is Awful," an apparent adaptation of Joan's life starring Salma Hayek, who seems to be playing a fictionalized version of herself in this episode. This surreal nod to the streaming era "Black Mirror" has come to emblematize is perfectly in keeping with the show's ethos. Further glimpses of the season are just as tantalizing.

"Black Mirror" has had an interesting broadcast history. It originally debuted on the UK's Channel 4, where it stayed until 2015. Then, in September of that year, Netflix purchased it and promptly approved a slew of new episodes. It's stayed with the big-name streaming platform ever since: Those looking to binge "Black Mirror" for the very first time or revisit its best and brightest moments before Season 6 drops can watch the entire series on Netflix on all manner of devices.

In many ways, it feel appropriate that "Black Mirror" ended up with the flagship of the streaming revolution, rather than a conventional TV network. No series is more devoted to exploring the social change (and outright dysfunction) caused by ever-accelerating tech, after all. Finding a home at Netflix has also allowed "Black Mirror" to explore new dimensions of storytelling, with interactive movie "Bandersnatch" being the most prominent example. You simply can't pull something like that off on an everyday TV channel.

"Black Mirror" explores all facets of society, which means it tells stories about people of all ages. Kids' experiences with rapidly-changing technology are chronicled in episodes like "Arkangel." Teens' relationship to A.I. and social media form the basis of "Rachel, Jack and Ashely Too." Adult concerns take the stage in "Smithereens," "Nosedive," and "Hang the DJ," among many others. In an age where everyone from toddlers to grandparents has a screen in their pocket, a show that seeks to examine tech's impact must explore all stages of life. But that definitely doesn't mean that "Black Mirror" is an all-ages experiences — quite the opposite, in fact.

"Black Mirror" is rated TV-MA, and there's no reason to believe Season 6 won't be as well. The hard-hitting series glories in some of the most shadowy alleys of the human psyche, a tradition that the Season 6 teaser trailer indicates won't be ending any time soon. Violence, sexuality, and outright murder are all fair game here, and fans wouldn't want it any other way. Just be sure the kids are asleep before you put any new episodes on.