We’ve just found out why the show Black Mirror is actually called Black Mirror

And it’s blowing our minds...

black mirror
(Image credit: Rex)

And it’s blowing our minds...

You will definitely have heard of the satirical British TV series Black Mirror, with the Emmy award-winning show, written and directed by Charlie Brooker, gaining a band of loyal followers over the years.

Set in a twisted high-tech world and exploring techno-paranoia, the show has gone viral for highlighting the relatable uneasiness of modern life, reflected in the sinister-sounding name, Black Mirror.

Fans of the show have been trying to decipher the meaning behind the show’s name for as long as we can remember, with one theory believing that it stemmed from a passage from The Bible. Spoiler alert: it doesn't.

It turns out that it’s actually a lot more simple than we thought, with the name in fact just referencing the reflection that we see in our devices when we turn them off.

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While Twitter users have been reacting dramatically to the ‘shocking’ news, it turns out it isn’t really new news at all - with Charlie Brooker actually revealing the meaning behind the title back in 2014.

‘What I took it to mean was that when a screen is off - when a screen is off it looks like a black mirror,’ he explained to Channel 4. ‘Because any TV, any LCD, any iPhone, any iPad - something like that - if you just stare at it, it looks like a black mirror, and there’s something cold and horrifying about that, and it was such a fitting title for the show.’

He continued: ‘I mean, I don’t know what else we would’ve called it - Spooky Technology Time?! It would’ve been rubbish.’

‘I quite like the fact that people are watching it on their TV or on their laptop, or their smartphone or whatever, and then as the end credits start running and the screen cuts to black, they see themselves reflected.’

Our minds are blown. Now, if you’ll excuse us we’re off to binge-watch Black Mirror.

Jenny Proudfoot
Features Editor

Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. She has worked at Marie Claire UK for seven years, rising from intern to Features Editor and is now the most published Marie Claire writer of all time. She was made a 30 under 30 award-winner last year and named a rising star in journalism by the Professional Publishers Association.