7 shows to watch while waiting for Black Mirror season 7
Black Mirror is a science fiction Netflix anthology created by Charlie Brooker. The series takes inspiration from another series called The Twilight Zone, which involves technology and media to comment on modern issues. Black Mirror uses similar themes, where each episode is set in a dystopian environment that uses advanced, speculative technology.
The series was released in 2011 and renewed for six seasons. A seventh season is set to release in 2025, however, there is no specific date yet. The latest season was released in 2023, hence fans of the show are waiting eagerly for what's next.
The following list includes shows with similar themes as Black Mirror for viewers to enjoy till they finally get to watch the seventh season.
Disclaimer: This list mentioned in the article is based purely on the author's opinions.
Love, Death and Robots, Altered Carbon, and five more sci-fi shows to watch before Black Mirror season 7
1) Love, Death and Robots - Netflix, Apple TV
Based on similar themes as Black Mirror, but entirely animated digitally, Love, Death and Robots is another adult anthology. The episodes in this series have elements of science fantasy, horror, dark comedy, and dystopian settings. Created by Tim Miller, the series was renewed for three seasons with 35 episodes.
The episodes have no common storyline, and the cast and crew are different for each different episode. Released first in March 2019, Love, Death and Robots presented mature themes, and each episode was presented as a short film, unlike Black Mirror. Fans, however, will love this series and should put this on their list.
2) Altered Carbon - Netflix
Altered Carbon is a cyberpunk show inspired by the 2002 book written by Richard K. Morgan. Released in February 2018, the series ran for two seasons before being canceled by Netflix. The series revolves around Takeshi Kovacs, a mercenary killed hundreds of years before the series starts. However, his 'cortical stack', which is a data drive of all his memories is found by a wealthy man.
He offers life back to Takeshi in a different cyborg body, in exchange for committing a murder. Fans of Black Mirror will love this story for its unique angle around immortality using the cortical stacks, and Takeshi's life story.
3) Inside No.9 - Prime Video, Apple TV
Another black comedy in this list, Inside No. 9 is an anthology that also has elements of horror in it. With nine seasons written and directed by Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton, this British show has a total of 55 episodes. Just like Black Mirror, each episode is a different story, however with the recurring mention of the number 9, alluding to different objects or even places to show that.
Typically addressing darker topics, and running a theme of twist endings. Each episode stars Shearsmith and Pemberton in different roles. Released in February 2014, the final and ninth season, as per the theme, was aired in June 2024. Fans will love this show for its unique numerical angle.
4) Bad Internet - Youtube Premium
Bad Internet was a YouTube Red production, released in May 2016, consisting of 10 episodes. The show was inspired by Black Mirror and consists of episodes that are individual stories that portray slacker humor. Produced by CollegeHumor, their work primarily consists of sketch comedy, and Bad Internet stars their main cast along with other mainstream comedians like Will Arnett, Oscar Nunez and more.
This short watch will prove to be entertaining for viewers and fans will appreciate the parallels drawn to Black Mirror episodes.
5) The Twilight Zone (2019) - Paramount+, Apple TV
The Twilight Zone is a science fiction anthology developed by Jordan Peele, Marco Ramirez, and Simon Kinberg. This series is the third reiteration of the original show released in 1959. The episodes are narrated by Jordan Peele and cover a wide range of topics from alien invasions to social issues like racism. The show was renewed for two seasons, totaling 20 episodes.
Most of the episode titles pay homage to the original series and build onto the narrative. Fans of Black Mirror and the genre must watch The Twilight Zone to get an idea of the origins of the Charlie Brooker series.
6) Room 104 - HBO, Prime Video, Apple TV
Another anthology covering horror, comedy, and thriller episodes, Room 104 is a four-season show based on an American roadside motel. The show is focused on one room of the motel and all its temporary residents. Created by Mark and Jay Duplass, the series ran from July 2017 to October 2020.
According to IndieWire, the creators maintained a fast and loose approach, producing episodes for "a quarter" of the cost typically expected for HBO shows. Viewers who are waiting for the latest season of Black Mirror will love going down the rabbit hole of Room 104.
7) Humans - Prime Video, Apple TV
Released in June 2015, Humans is a science fiction series written by Jonathan Brackley and Sam Vincent. The show is inspired by a similar Swedish show called Real Humans by Lars Lundstrom. Humans focus on anthropomorphic robots named 'synths'. It explores artificial intelligence, robotics, and the social and cultural effects of new technologies on household relationships.
The series was renewed for three seasons, totaling 24 episodes. The show maintains an approval rating of 85% on Rotten Tomatoes. Fans of Black Mirror will find this series memorable for its views on artificial intelligence and robots.
Apart from these, some more shows in the same vein as Black Mirror are The X-files, Dead Set, and The Outer Limits.
