Joan Is Awful

"Joan Is Awful"
Black Mirror episode
Promotional poster
Episode no.	Series 6 Episode 1
Directed by	Ally Pankiw
Written by	Charlie Brooker
Featured music	"Tap In" by Saweetie
Original air date	15 June 2023 (2023-06-15)
Running time	56 minutes
Guest appearances
Annie Murphy as Joan Tait and herself Salma Hayek as TV Joan and herself Michael Cera as Beppe Avi Nash as Krish Himesh Patel as TV Krish Rob Delaney as Mac Ben Barnes as TV Mac Ayo Edebiri as Sandy Lolly Adefope as Joan's lawyer Wunmi Mosaku as TV Joan's Lawyer Jared Goldstein as Eric Jaboukie Young-White as TV Eric Kayla Lorette as Source Joan Leila Farzad as Mona Javadi Danielle Vitalis as Fatima Klaas Rich Fulcher as Gainsborough
Episode chronology
← Previous "Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too" Next → "Loch Henry"
List of episodes

"Joan Is Awful" is the first episode of the sixth series of the anthology series Black Mirror. It was written by the series creator Charlie Brooker and directed by Ally Pankiw. Alongside the rest of the sixth series, it premiered on Netflix on 15 June 2023. It follows Joan (Annie Murphy) as her life is adapted in real-time into a television series starring Salma Hayek. It is released on a fictional streaming service, Streamberry, that parodies Netflix; Brooker said the company had no objections to their portrayal. Marketing for the sixth series featured Streamberry and personalised Is Awful thumbnails.

Brooker described "Joan Is Awful" as the only episode of the series to fit the show's traditional style. It was inspired by the recency of the events depicted in The Dropout (2022); Joan was written with Murphy in mind after Brooker watched Schitt's Creek (2015–2020). Hayek encouraged more profane dialogue than was in the script for her character, and the addition of facts about herself.

Pankiw saw the episode as exploring questions about who can make art and tell stories; the women-led stories and a diversity of crew were important to her. Reviewers identified themes including streaming services, personalised content and privacy. It was considered timely as its writing preceded the release of ChatGPT and 2023 Hollywood strikes by the Writers Guild of America and actors' union SAG-AFTRA, which drew attention to the role of artificial intelligence and computer-generated imagery of actors in entertainment industries.

The episode is more comedic than most Black Mirror episodes and has a happy ending. Reviewers praised its tone and the acting of Murphy and Hayek. However, the episode's pacing and plot received an ambivalent response. Some critics disliked the execution of its themes. The episode makes numerous Easter egg references to other Black Mirror instalments through Streamberry's platform and use of the song "Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand)".