MAN IN THE MIRROR

CHARLIE BROOKER IS 45 minutes late for our phone interview, and I’m starting to feel like a desperate adolescent. Then again, fans of Black Mirror, Brooker’s smart, Twilight Zone-esque TV series, have waited years for the six new episodes that hit Netflix this fall (with six more to come). For American viewers, the closest comparison to the 45-year-old Brooker might be our two Jo(h)ns—Stewart and Oliver. Over the years, on Britain’s Channel 4 and in a Guardian newspaper column, Brooker has wittily skewered politicos, celebrities, TV hosts, and culture in general—his satirical shows (Newswipe, Screenwipe, Charlie Brooker’s Weekly Wipe, etc.) pair current events with snarky sofa commentary.

But