The National Anthem (Black Mirror)
1st episode of the 1st series of Black Mirror
1st episode of the 1st series of Black Mirror
"The National Anthem" is the series premiere of the British science fiction anthology series Black Mirror. Written by series creator and showrunner Charlie Brooker, it was directed by Otto Bathurst and first aired on Channel 4 on 4 December 2011. In the episode, a member of the British royal family is kidnapped and will only be released if the British prime minister Michael Callow (Rory Kinnear) has sexual intercourse with a pig on live television. Scenes follow government attempts to track the kidnapper, news coverage of the unfolding events and public reaction. "The National Anthem" had several inspirations, the idea originally conceived by Brooker years previous, with broadcaster Terry Wogan in place of a prime minister. It had a deliberately serious tone. Reviewers identified themes including the spread of information across social media, the relationship between politicians and the public, and the role of news media. The episode garnered seven-day ratings of 2.07 million viewers, alongside...
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