Black Mirror director reacts to revelation that his episode inspired Severance
He's thrown his hat in the ring for a potential season 3!
As the world waits for the Severance season 2 finale, it's been revealed that one chilling episode of Black Mirror inspired the Apple TV+ hit - and, now, the director of that episode has responded to the unexpected news.
In an unearthed interview from 2022, Severance creator Dan Erickson told The New York Times that Black Mirror's only ever Christmas special, White Christmas, gave him the idea for the show - particularly the characters, played by Rafe Spall and Jon Hamm, being trapped in an eternal loop with no way of leaving.
Erickson said: "I remember feeling so cold and afraid after seeing that, this devastating idea of having to experience this endless solitude."
He added that he directly connected the episode with a moment in season 1 that saw Helly (Britt Lower) attempt to escape the severed floor, saying: "It's this nightmare of running out a door and then you're just running back in, and you realise you're truly stuck in this liminal space with this kind of nightmare logic."
Carl Tibbetts, who directed White Christmas, has shared his response, exclusively telling RadioTimes.com: "I’m a huge fan of the show and have especially loved this season.
"Season 2 episode 7 is one of the best episodes of television I’ve ever seen, so it’s an honour to have White Christmas mentioned in the same breath.
"I can definitely see what Dan Erickson means regarding the tone and the loop element – now I know why I like it so much! Also, Dan, I’m available for season 3!"
Season 3 of the show has not yet been confirmed by Apple TV+, but executive producer Ben Stiller has revealed a writers' room is in place for it - so fingers crossed!
Tibbetts recently looked back on White Christmas for the 10th anniversary of Black Mirror's only ever Christmas special, telling RadioTimes.com: "I'd done another episode of Black Mirror called White Bear, which was a pretty dark episode - very similar themes to White Christmas, actually, crime and punishment.
"They came to me with another episode, a Christmas episode, which I was really surprised that they were going to do. I was thinking, 'How is Black Mirror going to smash into Christmas?!' But actually, obviously, it does quite well."
"It was a great script - [although] it wasn't really a script at the time," he added. "What it was at the time was four stories that were going to spin off one central idea...
"I guess [series creator Charlie Brooker] had lots of other ideas for episodes, lots of other ideas for what could have been full episodes but, I don't know how and why, they ended up being slammed into one episode."
Tibbetts added: "I just thought it was absurd, funny and a great thing to take on because it was a bit of a crazy idea. It was always a no-brainer in terms of doing it."
The next season of Black Mirror recently had its release date confirmed (10th April), with a trailer giving fans a glimpse of what's to come.
Severance season 2 is available to stream on Apple TV+, with new episodes airing weekly. Black Mirror season 7 will be released on Netflix on 10th April. Seasons 1-6 are available to stream now.
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Authors
Louise Griffin is the Sci-Fi & Fantasy Editor for Radio Times, covering everything from Doctor Who, Star Wars and Marvel to House of the Dragon and Good Omens. She previously worked at Metro as a Senior Entertainment Reporter and has a degree in English Literature.
