While Black Mirror rose to worldwide prominence on Netflix, subscribers might not want to hold their breath for the arrival of season 6. Black Mirror premiered on Channel 4 in the UK back in 2011, and aired two seasons - plus a Christmas special - on that network. While the show was well-regarded, it was the arrival of its episodes to Netflix that really got it noticed. Black Mirror's first two seasons proved so popular on the service that Netflix opted to scoop up future seasons of the show for itself.
Since then, Black Mirror has produced three great, albeit far too brief seasons, as well as an odd "choose your own adventure" movie called Bandersnatch. Each has seen a long break in between, but the quality has been so consistent that most fans seem very willing to forgive the torturous waits for new content. Season 5 launched on June 5, 2019, and it's now well over a year later with no season 6 currently in the works.
Fans have joked that 2020 might itself be a Black Mirror season, but progress on an actual season 6 remains elusive. Creator Charlie Brooker has wondered publicly if the current societal mood would support a new season of Black Mirror, but fans clearly want one eventually. Unfortunately, making one isn't as simple as Brooker wanting to.
Why Black Mirror Season 6 Might Not Release On Netflix
Since 2014, Charlie Brooker and Black Mirror's co-showrunner Annabel Jones have been in charge of the production company House of Tomorrow, a division of the larger company Endemol Shine. In January 2020 though, Brooker and Jones exited House of Tomorrow, wanting to pursue an overall deal of their own with Netflix. However, there's a major snag that's occurred as a result: Endemol Shine still owns and controls the rights to Black Mirror. This past summer, Endemol Shine was purchased by Banijay Group. For their part Banijay executive Cathy Payne says the company is open to continuing a relationship with Netflix for further seasons of Black Mirror.
The thing is though, for Brooker and Jones to continue to serve as showrunners for Black Mirror now that they no longer have direct control over the property, Netflix would need to work out a deal with their new Broke and Bones company, then make another deal to license the Black Mirror IP from Banijay, and that isn't expected to come cheap. Some reports have suggested Netflix would like to buy Black Mirror's IP outright, but Banijay doesn't look to be interested in giving up such a big asset. While Black Mirror season 6 could certainly one day happen at Netflix, these wrinkles will need to be ironed out first.