Jim Henson’s Forgotten Masterpiece: *The Cube* as the Precursor to *Black Mirror*

In 1969, Jim Henson, known worldwide as the creator of *The Muppet Show*, presented a project that starkly diverged from his usual work. The teleplay *The Cube*, produced for NBC’s *Experiment in Television* anthology, became one of the master’s most enigmatic creations. Unlike his vibrant and cheerful characters, here Henson immersed himself in an atmosphere of absurdity and existential anxiety, probing the boundaries of human perception.

The story unfolds in a white cube where a man awakens with no memory of how he arrived. The room has no doors or windows, yet visitors appear through invisible passages: from a mysterious woman claiming to be his wife to a gorilla in a tutu, voiced by Henson himself. Each new character raises more questions but offers no answers. Gradually, the cube’s space transforms—furniture, musical instruments, even a bar with drinks materialize—but these additions only heighten the sense of unreality.

*The Cube* is often called a precursor to *Black Mirror*—and for good reason. The project touches on themes of simulation, mind manipulation, and technological control, which have become central to modern dystopian narratives. However, unlike *Black Mirror* episodes, *The Cube* provides no clear explanations, leaving viewers to grapple with unanswered questions. This ambiguity may explain why the project received little recognition during Henson’s lifetime and remained obscure until recently.

Today, *The Cube* can be found on YouTube, though official releases are extremely rare. Two main versions exist: a black-and-white cut with high-quality audio but a missing song due to copyright issues, and a color version where the composition is intact but image and sound quality are noticeably inferior. Despite these technical limitations, the film remains a unique example of how technology and media can be used to explore human psychology.