Everything We Know About Charlie Brooker’s Netflix Mockumentary, 'Death To 2020'

It’s there; the smallest flash of light, just visible to the naked eye, off in the distance - the end of the most wretched year on record is almost in sight.

Not that everything is going to miraculously switch back to nice, normal, boring life on 1 January; like a hex from an Avengers villain being lifted. But we will have collectively made it through 2020. And now the minds behind Black Mirror are going to cast an irreverent look back on the “unprecedented” year that “changed us all” with a brand new, one-off mockumentary.

Whether we’re able to laugh at this year just yet is debatable, but Charlie Brooker and co-exec producer Annabel Jones and a host of famous faces are going to try their hardest to make us crack a smile. Here’s everything we know so far about Death to 2020:

What’s the big idea?

Charlie Brooker’s first attempt to cover the year with a special Anti Viral Wipe in May just didn’t begin to cut it. So, seven months on, he’s having another bash, and he’s called on some big Hollywood names to help tell the story.

The mockumentary is described as a “a comedy event that tells the story of the dreadful year that was — and perhaps still is”. A Netflix synopsis explains further: “Death to 2020 is a comedy event that tells the story of the dreadful year that was — and perhaps still is? This landmark documentary-style special weaves together a chorus of narration from some of the world’s most (fictitious) renowned voices with real-life archival footage spanning the past 12 months.”

The tagline? “The cathartic comedy event you’ll never forget about the year you really, really don’t want to remember”. Catchy.

Death to 2020 trailer

Yes, and, true to Black Mirror style, it’s purposefully vague:

View full post on Youtube

When did we first find out about it?

It was Hugh Grant who first let slip about the secret production when he told Vulture that he would be working with Brooker on his newest project: “I’m doing a thing tomorrow, actually. Charlie Brooker has written a mockumentary about 2020. It’s for Netflix, and I am a historian who’s being interviewed about the year. I’m pretty repellent, actually! And you’ll like my wig.”

Brooker then tweeted out the trailer a few days later. Wonder if Hugh had his wrists slapped after his comment?

Who else will be starring in it?

Well, it’s more than Barry Shitpeas, that’s for sure. Brooker has secured bonafide legends like Samuel L. Jackson, Kumail Nanjiani, Tracey Ullman and Lisa Kudrow to head up proceedings, while Diane Morgan (who sadly won’t be playing Philomena Cunk), Leslie Jones, Cristin Milioti, Joe Keery (Stranger Things’ bequiffed Steve) and Samson Kayo will also be starring.

Geek level fact: Barry Shitpeas is actually played by Al Campbell, Screen Wipe’s director, who is also co-directing Death to 2020.

Is it part of Brooker’s Screen Wipe or Black Mirror series?

It’s neither - but it looks like it’ll have more in common with Screen Wipe and their talking head comedy asides. However, it’s interesting that it’s being screened on Netflix, rather than the Beeb, where Screen Wipe’s usual home is - presumably to get a bigger, global audience, especially Americans, who have fully taken to the Black Mirror anthologies (which originally started on Channel 4).

Death to 2020 release date

The streaming date is still very much TBA, but it’s likely to drop around New Year’s Eve - it’s worth remembering that Bandersnatch, the interactive Black Mirror film, was released on 28 December, 2018, so our money’s on (or around) this date. There’s nothing Brooker likes more than a bit of synchronicity around his works.

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