Could this be the year “Black Mirror” finally reflects gold?
After more than a decade of tales of morality and dystopian nightmares, “Black Mirror” from Netflix could finally be about to reach an important step: an appointment to Emmy for exceptional limited or anthological series.
Although the anthology has long been hailed by criticism – and an Emmy magnet when it was eligible in the TV category – the change in television rule, which moved anthologies alongside the mini -series, made more difficult for programs like “Black Mirror” to compete with the foot of equality. However, the seventh season, which fell on April 10, attracts some of its most important praise. And with a thinner landscape of submission than usual, it could be the best blow of creator Charlie Brooker at one of the best prices.
Launched for the first time in 2011 by Brooker, “Black Mirror” took its clues of classics like “The Twilight Zone”, with each autonomous episode telling a different story – generally extinct, frightening and always thematic in the digital age (and a terrifying future). At the beginning, the ACADEMY TV was struggling to know where to place it, but this was the case for many programs which “do not necessarily integrate into a box” originally created for distribution networks.
The anthologies had almost disappeared from the regular television programming, and the idea of a series without recurring characters or arcs of history does not integrate perfectly into the standard categories.
An early bypass solution allowed specific episodes to enter as a TV movies. In this context, Netflix and “Black Mirror” dominated, winning an exceptional TV movie three consecutive years for the episodes “San Junipero” (2017), “USS Callister” (2018) and “Bandersnatch” (2019), as well as multiple words of editorial staff, modification, sound and categories. In fact, “USS Callister” alone won four victories, including writing (Brooker and William Bridges) and the TV movie, a rare feat for gender television.
After the complaints and the petition behind the scenes of the rival studios, the Academy TV designed new borders: the anthology series were no longer eligible as a telefilms and should rather compete as a limited series or exceptional anthology. The change came just when the limited series category entered a golden age, fueled by prestige tubes like “Mare of Easttown” by HBO and “The Queen’s Gambit” from Netflix. Since then, no anthology series has struck the appointment range.
It could change this year because “Black Mirror” may have found the perfect storm to set up a return.
Emma Corrin in “Black Mirror”
Netflix
The elegant programming of six episodes of season 7 draws some of its best criticisms to date, with criticisms praising emotional complexity, the tonal range and clear narration. Strong Buzz surrounds episodes like “Common People”, starring the exceptional performance of Chris O’Dowd, Rashida Jones and Tracee Ellis Ross in a world where health care depend on the signal of your mobile phone; And the dark and psychological “black bane”, led by a frightening performance by Siena Kelly, who powerfully addresses the micro-aggressions in the workplace.
A program like “Black Mirror” inevitably triggers the debate on which episode stands out as the favorite of a spectator. For many, including this writer, this distinction can belong to “Eulogy”, the fifth episode of season 7 with the nomine for the Oscars Paul Giamatti. A poignant parable on memory and lost love, he evokes the same emotional resonance as “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” (2004) and is likely to make comparisons with the beloved episode “Black Mirror”, “San Junipero”. We can finally remember not only as a highlight of the season, but as one of the strongest episodes in the history of the series, in addition to being one of the best actor performance of Giamatti never (a powerful feat).
Giamatti plays Phillip, living alone in a CAPE COD field inherited from his parents when he is interrupted by a telephone call informing him of the death of an old girlfriend Carol. Although unable to go to London for funerals, Phillip is able to participate in its memorial thanks to the services of a technological company and an AI guide (Patsy Ferran) which uses their technology so that users contribute to its “celebration of life”. Tears flow fairly regularly for its 46 -minute episode.
The other notable names reinforce the power of the stars of the season include Emma Corrin in “Hotel Reverie”, Peter Capaldi in “Playyinghing” and Cristin Milioti – Already a favorite in the main actress (Limited) for her other mini -series, “The Penguin” – which returns to the meta sequence “USS Callister: In Infinity”. With this type of overall strength, season 7 can be “Black Mirror” to date.
In particular, the official investments in the distribution category have not yet been finalized, but we will follow and update accordingly.
Another crucial factor: the domain is shrinking. According to Variety Current follow-up, the EMMY 2024-2025 cycle should only see 33 submissions in the limited series of series. It is a stable drop and down compared to previous years (49 in 2023, 51 in 2022 and 61 in 2021). In fact, the last time the figures dropped this weak was during the pandemic in 2020, when there were only 37.
Fewer entries mean greater chance for high quality aberrant values. And “Black Mirror” is not an ordinary aberrant value: it is a world recognized brand (hello, IP!) With a strong resonance of social networks, a solid history of Emmy, a pedigree of elite production and a season which feels simultaneously appropriate and timeless.
However, fewer entries also mean fewer candidacy slots. Unlike the races on dramatic and comedy series, which are guaranteed eight nominated, regardless of the number of submission, the category of limited series uses a proportional system. According to Emmy Rules, so that eight limited series are recognized, more than 240 programs should submit. As indicated above, we are at 33 years old. The next submission threshold to authorize six nominees is 80.
Addition to complexity: Netflix already juggles two other major contenders. The thriller of the British mystery “adolescence”, with Stephen Graham, and the biographical criminal drama of Ryan Murphy “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez” should both be strong players. If “Black Mirror” was cutting, he would have marked the first time since 2022 that a single network has won three appointments in the category, a feat obtained by Hulu with “Dopesick”, “The Dropout” and “Pam & Tommy”. Ironically, all three were finally beaten by “The White Lotus” by HBO, which then moved to the dramatic series category for its second season.
However, the idea of ”Black Mirror” finally breaking is not Also wacky. Many forget that the series won a major appointment last year for writing (“Joan Is Shul”) and won the edition of images and the mix of its mixing of sound for “Beyond the Sea”. Its sustainable relevance, its strange foresight in technology and humanity, and now a season filled with resonant and high -level performance have been making season 7 its best competitor Emmy for years.
The anthology series are intrinsically difficult to place. But “Black Mirror” has always been to fold genres, break up the standards and difficult expectations. Now, in a changing Emmy landscape, he can finally find the recognition that she deserves, not only for individual episodes, but as a truly exceptional anthology series.
Imagine a category really reflecting its type of shows? Your move, scripted variety.
