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If you ask a fan of Netflix's Black Mirror what inspired the show, chances are they'd use both hands to indicate, uh, the world. But if you wanted a more specific answer, you could probably go to creator Charlie Brooker, who fist developed the bleak science fiction anthology for Britain's Channel 4 back in 2011. Even before that, though, the show's origins can be traced back to a reality show spoof that would fit right in with the premises on the Netflix hit.

Although to be fair, the idea of 'Big Brother during the zombie apocalypse' was a little funnier than your typical Black Mirror logline.

Let's go back to the Edinburgh TV Festival in 2025, when Brooker was brought on stage to discuss his TV origins. Flipping back through his proverbial career photo album, Brooker recalled the story of Dead Set, a show that would take his love for zombie fiction and combine it with the world of realoty TV he felt was so ripe for parody.

"Dead Set was an idea," said Brooker, "It was a zombie show that took a comic premise. There's a series of Big Brother going out, and there's a zombie apocalypse, and the only people in Britain who don't know are the group of housemates who are in a fortified house. [...]  We played it straight, and I think we did I think we did a good job."

"We could have I could have made a complete pig's ear of it," he continued, "Luckily, there was a talented group of people around me to to prevent that from happening, then that became Black Mirror. As as a result of that, Channel 4 sort of said, 'What else have you got? What other ideas have you got?' Have you got any other ideas?'  And I went, 'Yes, there's this idea called The Twilight Zone. Maybe you've heard of it.'"

Black Mirror is streaming now on Netflix.  

Ey up, it's British Week here at Popverse. From what's at the cinema to what's on the telly, and even a bit of comics and games for you, here is the highlights so far:

• Star Wars is especially British, despite what it may claim about a galaxy far, far away
• What Zainab Akhtar learned from taking a year away from ShortBox Comics Fair, and why she's excited for 2027's return
• Black Mirror's Charlie Brooker recalls challenging himself to dive into new territory: a positive ending