Death To 2020 review

Charlie Brooker's year-in-review Netflix special should have been an open goal. Instead, says Ed Cumming, it doesn't know whether it is playing to an American audience or a British one, and pleases neither.

Review: Death To 2020 is too rushed

The 70-minute Netflix special should probably have been at least five times longer.

Review: Death To 2020 misses the Screen Wipe magic

It's not bad, but it is what it is. It's a recap with some characters going 'can you believe that?'

Review: Death To 2020

It fast became a cliché to say that the spiralling dystopia of 2020 was like an out-of-control episode of Black Mirror. So it was probably inevitable that Charlie Brooker would be called upon to offer a satirical summary of the momentously awful 12 months, especially given his track record with the Wipe series for the BBC. The result is a wry, often bleakly amusing look at the year, albeit without the astringent personal bite Brooker normally brings to his year-end round-ups.

Ricky Gervais reveals another Extras prophecy

In the wake of Samuel L. Jackson being mistaken for Laurence Fishburne in a cringe-makingly awkward US TV interview, the funnyman took to Twitter to point out that Ashley Jensen's character had done the exact same thing in a 2005 episode of the show.

There are some editions of Ross's chat show when you half wish that instead of watching the host bounce one-liners off his guests, we could eavesdrop on the chit-chat in the green room. Tonight, for instance, I'd love to hear what Jeremy Clarkson, Peter Kay and Laurence Fishburne find to talk about as they loll in the chairs waiting to go on. Surely there's scope for a BBC3 spin-off show that would let us in on the behind-the-scenes fun and celebrity banter, possibly entitled Woss Going On? What we'll actually get is some alpha-male sparring in the studio between Ross and Clarkson, whose attempts to best each other have in the past made them sound like cocky teens trying to out-brag each other on the school bus. Still, it'll be worth seeing. Kay should lighten things up nicely while Fishburne, now heading up the all-conquering CSI franchise, brings genuine Hollywood star power.