American TV is getting invaded by stuffy, paranoid Britons who rail against the innovations of the modern era and drink endless cups of tea. No, we’re not talking about the increasingly hysterically overwrought Downton Abbey – heroin! diaphragms! Following the news that David Fincher is adapting the cult conspiracy thriller Utopia for HBO comes word that another cult British TV series Black Mirror – often described as a Twilight Zone for the Digital Age – is about to get an American makeover. Flavorwire is reporting that the show’s makers Endemol are considering a remake. Nothing has been confirmed.
A remake, though, seems inevitable. The satirical, technophobic drama quickly found a loyal fanbase when it was broadcast in the United States, and was a hit with critics too. It won an International Emmy. Robert Downey Jr. has apparently optioned one episode as a possible vehicle for himself. Jon Hamm said he was a fan and was quickly scooped by series creator Charlie Brooker to appear in the Christmas special. It’s doubtful an American version would simply make “Americanized” versions of the anthology’s episodes; part of the show’s appeal seems to lie in a very British bleak sensibility. That said, you can assume that characters in a U.S. Black Mirror will probably drink a lot of coffee, not tea.
