Although his hit Netflix show has built a reputation for its worrying depictions of the future, Charlie Brooker admits he is 'not writing stories about societies falling apart at the moment.'
- May 14, 2020
AceShowbiz - Charlie Brooker won't be using the coronavirus pandemic as inspiration for an episode of his dystopian drama "Black Mirror" - as he's been heartened by people's response.
Over five seasons, the British screenwriter's hit Netflix show has built a reputation for its worrying depictions of the future, but he has been focusing on comedy writing while in lockdown at his home in London.
And Charlie says that when he does get round to writing season six, fans should not expect many references to COVID-19 as he feels people have responded admirably to the public health crisis by caring for their neighbours rather than behaving like they're in a nightmarish "Black Mirror" plot.
"I'm not writing stories about societies falling apart at the moment, so read into that what you will," he tells The Guardian. "If you look at classic dystopian stories, it becomes every man for himself immediately."
"Actually, in this crisis, what's happened is you're more likely to be sitting indoors watching 'Tiger King' and worrying that your neighbour's OK and asking to see if they need you to bring in a bag of potatoes or whatever. What's actually happening at the moment is much more cohesive and heartening."
In fact, he worries that if he did write a "Black Mirror" plot that drew heavily on the effect COVID-19 has had on the world, viewers would dismiss it as inauthentic.
"At the moment, if you were trying to write a story about a pandemic sweeping the world and everyone immediately turning on each other, plenty of people would look at that and go: 'Well, that isn't what's happened.' So there's plenty of room for bleak stories and horror movies - it's just I think you've got to approach it slightly differently," the 49-year-old explains.
Charlie returns to British TV screens with "Antiviral Wipe", his satirical take on life in lockdown, which airs on Thursday (May 14) at 9 P.M. on BBC Two.
