Black Mirror creator Charlie Brooker explains why he 'can't complain' about negative reviews
'Black Mirror' writer Charlie Brooker feels like he cannot complain at critical comments about his shows on social media because of his past role as The Guardian Guide's TV reviewer.
Charlie Brooker "can't complain" about any negativity surrounding 'Black Mirror' because he used to be a TV critic.
The 54-year-old writer used to be a television reviewer for Guardian Guide, and now he is set to release the new series of the hit Netflix drama, he has admitted that poor reviews only "really hurt" him in certain circumstances.
He told the Daily Star newspaper: "People are entitled to their opinions.
"I can't really complain because I used to write really critical reviews of things as a critic years ago.
"But sometimes, I read a comment and I think, 'Oh, put your f****** back into it ... call that a slagging!'
"It would only really hurt me if it was a criticism that made me think, 'I know what they mean, and I couldn't fix that.'"
The seventh series of the British anthology show - which sees seven people get to grips with cutting-edge technology in a dystopian future - will premiere on the streaming giant from April 10, and the writer has teased it will be tense and emotional.
He added: "There's quite a lot of emotion in this series. There's some sadness.
"But, there are some laughs, too. It's a mix of tones and styles.
"There are some stories that are quite serious and some that are romps, and some that are quite exciting.
"The viewer will be the ultimate judge of whether it's any good or not.
"That's what is so terrifying about this job!"
The award-winning show first hit screens in 2011, and Charlie thinks the change in the world for 14 years has made 'Black Mirror' easier to write.
Speaking to BANG Showbiz and other media at the Royal Television Society Programme Awards on March 25, Charlie said: "I don't know if you've looked out the window recently, but it's quite dystopian out there.
"It has moved on a lot and there are lots of things that we did in early episodes that are now almost commonplace or have kind of become true.
"I think as technology becomes more sophisticated, the average person's everyday experience of technology is more sophisticated so it probably means you can tell slightly more complicated stories. You don't have to explain the technology so much to the viewer anymore. It throws up constant new ideas all the time.
"We've got a (new) season coming out and there are quite a few ideas in that that I wouldn't have thought of 10 years ago."
