A Black Mirror director has a theory about why there’s only one Christmas episode

There are shows that feel like a warm, fuzzy blanket that envelops the viewer, protecting them — and then there’s “Black Mirror.” The sci-fi anthology series created by Charlie Brooker is a kind of contemporary “Twilight Zone” that dismantles our relationship with technology, and it’s usually as comforting as a frozen snowball on the face. Despite its not-so-merry nature, the series got a truly fantastic holiday special in 2014 with the episode “White Christmas,” which followed three stories shared by two men named Matt (Jon Hamm) and Joe (Rafe Spall) on Christmas Day. “White Christmas” is a phenomenal episode of “Black Mirror” that features some of the series’ most inventive concepts, with one of the stories even helping to inspire Apple TV’s nightmarish hit “Severance.”

So why didn’t “Black Mirror” return to the holidays for another run? According to director Carl Tibbetts, who directed not only “White Christmas” but also the critically acclaimed “White Bear” episode starring Aaron Paul, it’s simply a matter of finding the right material. In an interview with RadioTimes, the director explained that it takes a certain type of story to merit things happening at Christmas. Not only that, but when your first Christmas episode is as good as “White Christmas,” it can be a little intimidating to try.

Looking back on the episode and wondering if Brooker would ever be willing to do another Christmas special, Tibbetts was adamant that it would have to be something truly unique to bring them back for Christmas:

“They did one, didn’t they? So you’d have to have a reason to do another one. You’d have to have a good story. You’d have to have a good reason to do a Christmas thing. I don’t know why they did it, I never asked them. It’s fun and silly, but I guess if they have a good reason, if Charlie has a really good idea to do a Christmas thing, he’ll do it again.”

Honestly, Tibbetts is right, because there are many great episodes of Christmas series, but there are just as many bad or totally forgettable ones. “White Christmas” works because it is so well put together and the element of Christmas is tied throughout the story without being overbearing, which might be difficult to pull off again. Keeping the tone right was hard enough the first time around, after all, and even though part of the story in “White Christmas” was cut because it was too dark, it’s still truly hurtful entertainment. If the idea is good, we might see a “Black Mirror” Christmas special again, but that would honestly be a Christmas miracle.