Since we've been living in the world of streaming for well over a decade at this point, any attempt to list out the most influential or memorable shows that each of the best streaming services has made can get pretty labyrinthine. Still, when you look at Netflix's output with a longer-term view, there's no doubt that Black Mirror stands out as some of its best work.
Originally a Channel 4 show here in the UK, Netflix took things over and upped the budget in a big way, roping in more recognisable stars and letting creator Charlie Brooker run wild imaginatively. Now it's multiple seasons later, and for a while it looked like the show might be finished for good – until word broke out of a seventh season on the way.
As you can see above, the seventh run is now just a few weeks away – it'll hit Netflix on 10 April all at once, offering up six new stories. Just like Black Mirror seasons of old, each of these will be completely disconnected from the others, telling a discrete story that basically revolves around a massive "what if?" question.
From the looks of things, we'll get some very different tones, too. One story seems to involve the crew of a Star Trek-esque spaceship (a mode that the show has used before for satire), while another revolves around an idea of people being able to go into their memories and view them as almost immersive art installations.
In another story, meanwhile, get glimpses of Will Poulter as a game developer in crisis mode – and it looks a lot like he could be reprising his character from the viewer-choice adventure Bandersnatch from a few years ago. That would be a fascinating twist if it's true, although there's no suggestion that we'll be able to choose our own path this time around.
There will doubtless be plenty of discussion about which episodes feel the most timely or prescient when the show arrives, but then we'll all have to strap in for another few years of wondering whether it's coming back again. Still, enjoy this new run while you can – it's likely to have some really fun dark moments.
