Black Mirror

Author: Charlie Brooker

What happens when The Twilight Zone grows up in a post-Sapranos world? The answer is Black Mirror, an anthology show that has managed to look at the impact of technology on life, love, loss, and longing. It's also one of the best dang shows ever to come out of the UK. With the stories being unconnected, they explore different themes and ideas. Some of the most moving use science fiction somewhat lightly, such as when the Prime Minister of England is blackmailed into performing 'certain acts' with a pig to save the life of a Princess. Others are so science fictional that they could have come straight from the mind of Isaac Asimov, such as a story of a troubled young man who teaches himself to dance to teach the rest of the world a lesson. There's so many incredible stories, the deepest of which deal with what it means to be alive. The 2016 episode San Junipero was a heart-breaking, life-affirming, deeply-troubling story of life and love, and the dark aspects of what it means to keep them both going after their expiration dates. It's such a great story, and it was nominated for the Hugo award. Why it's on the list: The best anthology show since The Twilight Zone, and one of the most effective pieces of television of the last decade.