The National Anthem story
"The National Anthem" is the first episode of the British science fiction anthology series Black Mirror. The episode was written by series creator and showrunner Charlie Brooker and directed by Otto Bathurst; it first aired on Channel 4, on 4 December 2011. Directed by: Otto Bathurst. Story by: Charlie Brooker.
9 total · 3 choice · 4 major · 2 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| compromising one's ethical principles vs. self-preservation | choice | Should the Prime minister copulate with a pig on national television to save his political career and the life of beloved Royal Family member Princess Susannah. |
| facing a hostage situation | choice | Princess Susannah was kidnapped, and would be killed unless the Prime Minister had sexual intercourse with a pig on national television. |
| saving innocent lives vs. compromising one's ethical principles | choice | Should the Prime minister copulate with a pig on national television to save his political career and the life of beloved Royal Family member Princess Susannah. |
| bestiality | major | Prime minister Michael Callow was coerced into copulating with a pig on national television. |
| human self-sacrifice for another | major | Prime Minister Michael Callow sacrificed dignity and marriage to save Princess Susannah's life. |
| husband and wife | major | Prime Minister Michael Callow and Jane. |
| social media in society | major | Everyone was obsessed with following the happenings of the Prime Minister and princess that they neglected to pay attention to the reality that she had been released. |
| human vs. captivity | minor | Princess Susannah was kidnapped and her life depended on the future action of Michael Callow. |
| video manipulation in society | minor | The consequences of potentially fake videos are explored. The kidnapper's video of the princess and the video of the bestial act which they tried to make a fake. |