'Black Mirror': 'Hang The DJ' Inspired By Spotify, Says Charlie Brooker

We didn't see this one coming.

‘Black Mirror’ creator Charlie Brooker has revealed the unlikely inspiration behind ‘Hang The DJ’, the romantic comedy-themed episode which debuted at the tail-end of last year.

The episode focuses on a futuristic dating app which sets you up with someone and tells you right at the beginning of the relationship how long you’ll be with them for (there’s also a twist at the end but we’ll not spoil that for you, just in case).

And while there are plenty of dating apps to choose from right now, for anything from hookups to specific long term relationships, Charlie Brooker has admitted that it was actually Spotify that gave him the idea for ‘Hang The DJ’.

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Georgina Campbell in 'Hang The DJ'
Netflix

In a new featurette uploaded by Netflix, Charlie says that Spotify’s algorithms for suggesting music and playlists based on what you’ve already listened to led him to ponder: “What if there was a service that was a bit like Spotify for dates?”

Comparing The System, which allocates relationship in ‘Hang The DJ’, to Spotfy, Charlie added: “It [generates] a playlist of relationships. It would tell you who you were going to be going out with next and for how long.

“The System is learning from your reaction to being paired with all these different types of people. Once it’s figured it’s learnt enough about you, it will then pair you up with the ultimate soulmate.”

While the optimistic nature of ‘Hang The DJ’ has led it to be compared to ‘San Junipero’, the fan-favourite nostalgia trip from series three, the most recent series of ‘Black Mirror’ has been hailed as the most varied to date.

‘USS Callister’ is a sci-fi extravaganza and ‘Crocodile’ takes influences from Nordic noir dramas, while ‘Black Museum’ is an out-and-out horror show.

A fifth season of ‘Black Mirror’ is yet to be announced, though Charlie Brooker and co-producer Annabel Jones have both expressed interest in creating one.