Episode

Fifteen Million Merits

In a world where people's lives consist of riding excercise bikes to gain credits, Bing tries to help a woman get on to a singing competition show.

Air date:

December 11, 2011

Writer:

Charlie Brooker, Konnie Huq

Director:

Euros Lyn

Air date:

Writer:

Director:

December 11, 2011

Charlie Brooker, Konnie Huq

Euros Lyn

Storyline

In a future society, most of the people work like slaves riding stationary bicycles to generate energy. In return, they receive "merits" that are consumed in fast-foods in vending machines and games and shows that they are forced to watch in giant screens in the single compartment where they live. When the worker Bingham "Bing" Madsen overhears his fellow worker Abi singing in the unisex toilet, he falls in love with her. He convinces her to participate in the talent competition show "Hot Shot", where she may improve her life if she is selected by the judges Hope, Charity and Wraith. Bing uses his savings of fifteen million merits that he had inherited from his brother to buy a ticket to Abi. However the judges offer to Abi to work in the porn channel "Wraith Babes" instead and she accepts the offer expecting to improve her life. Bing is angry with her choice and decides to save merits to go to the "Hot Shot" with a sharp piece of glass. What will he do in the contest?

Trivia

‍The song Abi Khan sings during "Fifteen Million Merits" is "Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand)", recorded by Irma Thomas in 1964. The song "Anyone who knows what love is" is heard again in the season 4 episode 'Crocodile'. Also in that episode, the hotel receptionist refuses to give out the name of a guest, citing a scandal involving a rent boy and a judge from Hot Shot - the talent show from this episode.
The writers of the episode, series creator Charlie Brooker and Konnie Huq, are married.
Jessica Brown Findlay (Abi) and Matt Stokoe (guard) both have worked in Misfits as Rachel and Alex respectively.
Allen Leech (Pike in in Black Mirror: The National Anthem (2011)) and Jessica Brown Findlay (Abi Khan) have starred together as lovers (Tom Branson and Sybil Crawley Branson respectively) in Downton Abbey (2010).
French title: 15 millions de mérites.
After Abi decides her fate on Hot Shot, we switch to Bing lying on his bed and pulling on the wings of the origami penguin Abi made for him. From the camera angle it looks like a vulva. This is symbolic considering what Abi has decided to become.