Back when everyday life wasn’t a waking apocalyptic nightmare, fictional depictions of dystopian society were fun. But now that we’re all living in our very own daily dystopia, there doesn’t seem to be as much demand for fictional representations of what that might look like.
Out of respect for the actual dystopia, anthology series Black Mirror is pressing pause on plans for future installments, with series creator Charlie Brooker explaining that the world seems to have plenty of real-life fodder for existential dread at the moment without the help of post-apocalyptic narratives.
“At the moment, I don’t know what stomach there would be for stories about societies falling apart,” Brooker said in a recent interview with Radio Times. “So I’m not working away on one of those,” he added, suggesting viewers shouldn’t expect Black Mirror season six anytime soon.
Black Mirror isn’t the only dystopian drama to bow out in the face of our current societal upheaval. Back in March, Tinder called off the global launch of its in-app apocalyptic web series after taking a beat to read the room and deciding it would be “difficult to launch it in the right spirit” during a pandemic.
So while new forms of dystopian entertainment might be off the streaming menu for the time being, might we suggest waiting out the end times with some trashy reality TV or nonsensical sketch shows? And if you find yourself missing fictional dystopias, don’t despair! Remember, you’ve got a front row seat to the real thing, coming at you live 24/7.
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