Choose Your Own Erasure
What happens when an interactive film disappears from the platform that hosted it?
This episode uses the quiet removal of Bandersnatch from Netflix to explore how interactivity, authorship, and access break down in the streaming age, and what it means when a piece of media can simply be unchosen … for everyone.
Sources & References
Content Removal
Anderson, Jenna. ‘Warner Bros. Discovery Takes Major Tax Write-Down Amid Recent Content Cancellations.’ ComicBook.com, 2022.
https://comicbook.com/movies/news/warner-bros-discovery-tax-write-down-recent-content-cancellations-tnt-tbs-dc/Bono, Olivia. ‘Every Disney+ original removed in 2023.’ CableTV.com, 2023.
https://www.cabletv.com/news/disney-plus-removing-original-contentDeadly, Dakota. ‘Making a fake movie to understand Hollywood's shady accounting.’ Morning Brew, 2025.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-l2oFKZNakLeary, David and Blake Oliver. ‘Warner Brothers Throwing Away Movies For Tax Write-Offs.’ The Accounting Podcast, 2024.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtGWlm_R2iQOddo, Marco Vito. ‘After Killing Batgirl Warner Bros. Discovery to Purge $2 Billion in Projects.’ Collider, 2022.
https://collider.com/warner-bros-discovery-2-billion-tax-write-off/Palmer, Roger. ‘Disney+ Removes Multiple Originals Including “Togo” & “A Small Light.”’ What's on Disney Plus, 2025.
https://whatsondisneyplus.com/disney-removes-multiple-originals-including-togo-a-small-light/Palmer, Roger. ‘More Disney+ Originals Removed Globally Including “Crater” & “More Than Robots.”’ What's on Disney Plus, 2025.
https://whatsondisneyplus.com/more-disney-originals-removed-globally-including-crater-more-than-robots/
Content Removal on Streaming Platforms
Cain, Sian. ‘Why are movies and TV shows disappearing from streaming services?’ The Guardian, 2023.
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/jun/28/why-are-movies-and-tv-shows-disappearing-from-streaming-servicesLoveday, Dan. ‘Why Streaming Services Are Removing Their Own Movies & TV Shows.’ Screen Rant, 2023.
https://screenrant.com/why-streaming-services-remove-content-tv-shows-movies/Lovely, Stephen. ‘Why Streaming Services Remove Your Favorite Shows.’ CordCutting.com, 2024.
https://cordcutting.com/blog/why-streaming-services-remove-shows/Reddit User. ‘Disney will remove over 50 original titles from Disney+ and Hulu.’ Reddit (r/lostmedia), 2025.
https://www.reddit.com/r/lostmedia/comments/13mklqf/talk_disney_will_remove_over_50_original_titles/TeckPlanet. ‘The Disappearing Act: Why Streaming Platforms Keep Removing Classic Content.’ Medium, 2025.
ttps://medium.com/@TeckPlanet/the-disappearing-act-why-streaming-platforms-keep-removing-classic-content-b696bbd6be3f
Bandersnatch Removal & Netflix Strategy
Briscuso, Lex. ‘Netflix To Remove Black Mirror: Bandersnatch From Platform In an Effort to Ditch Interactive Programming.’ IGN, 2025.
https://www.ign.com/articles/netflix-to-remove-black-mirror-bandersnatch-from-platform-in-an-effort-to-ditch-interactive-programmingCarr, Mary Kate. ‘Netflix's last interactive specials are reportedly about to disappear.’ The AV Club, 2025.
https://www.avclub.com/netflix-bandersnatch-kimmy-schmidt-interactive-leavingMiller, Liz Shannon. ‘Black Mirror's “Bandersnatch” Goes Offline as Netflix's Interactive Experiment Era Ends.’ Consequence, 2025.
https://consequence.net/2025/05/black-mirror-bandersnatch-removed-netflix/Nelson, Jason. ‘Fans Rally to Save “Bandersnatch” After Netflix Removes Interactive Media.’ Decrypt, 2025.
https://decrypt.co/319576/fans-rally-save-bandersnatch-netflix-removes-interactive-mediaPeters, Jay. ‘Netflix is removing Black Mirror: Bandersnatch.’ The Verge, 2025.
https://www.theverge.com/news/663933/netflix-black-mirror-bandersnatch-kimmy-schmidt-removalReddit User. ‘Netflix is deleting Bandersnatch and all interactive shows on May 12. Once they're gone, they're gone.’ Reddit (r/scifi), 2025.
https://www.reddit.com/r/scifi/comments/1kjblnn/netflix_is_deleting_bandersnatch_and_all/Roy, Ruchi. ‘Why Vanishing of Netflix Bandersnatch is a Blunder for Innovation and Tech.’ AdPulse, 2025.
https://adpulse.com/netflix-bandersnatch-removal-fans-angry-tech-marketing/Soen, Hayley. ‘The creepy real reason Netflix removed this Black Mirror episode over the weekend.’ The Tab, 2025.
https://thetab.com/2025/05/12/the-creepy-real-reason-netflix-removed-this-black-mirror-episode-over-the-weekendSpangler, Todd. ‘“Black Mirror: Bandersnatch” Pulled by Netflix.’ Variety, 2025.
https://variety.com/2025/digital/news/black-mirror-bandersnatch-removal-netflix-1236392097/Staniforth, Nick. ‘Netflix is removing its interactive specials very soon, including Black Mirror's Bandersnatch.’ GamesRadar, 2025.
https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/sci-fi-shows/netflix-is-removing-its-interactive-specials-very-soon-including-black-mirrors-bandersnatch/
Creator Commentary – Infinity Train
Cannito, Nicholas. ‘Infinity Train Creator Says Piracy Is Now the Only Way to Watch It.’ CBR, 2022.
https://www.cbr.com/infinity-train-creator-piracy-only-way/Flook, Ray. ‘Infinity Train Creator Updates “Straight Up Slimy” WBD/HBO Max Move.’ Bleeding Cool, 2022.
https://bleedingcool.com/tv/infinity-train-creator-updates-straight-up-slimy-wbd-hbo-max-move/Lang, Jamie. ‘“Infinity Train”’ Creator Calls Out “Unprofessional, Rude . . . Slimy” Tactics At Warner Bros. Discovery.’ Cartoon Brew, 2022.
https://www.cartoonbrew.com/ideas-commentary/infinity-train-owen-dennis-warner-discovery-220453.htmlVillei, Matt. ‘Infinity Train Creator Calls Warner Bros. HBO Max Removals Unprofessional.’ Collider, 2022.
https://collider.com/warner-bros-hbo-max-removals-infinity-train-owen-dennis-comments/
Video Game Delisting
Bates, Ash. ‘20 Amazing Games That Have Completely Disappeared From Storefronts.’ Cultured Vultures, 2024.
https://culturedvultures.com/delisted-digital-games/Digital Preservation Coalition. ‘Shutdown or Discontinued Video Games.’ Digital Preservation Coalition, 2023.
https://www.dpconline.org/digipres/champion-digital-preservation/bit-list/practically-extinct/bitlist-shut-down-discontinued-games
Digital Ownership & Licensing
Annadurai, Arthi. ‘Gone But Not Forgotten: The Digital Ownership Dilemma and the Rise of Lost Media.’ Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment and Technology Law, 2025.
https://www.vanderbilt.edu/jetlaw/2025/03/10/gone-but-not-forgotten/Hevert, Amy. ‘Do you really own digital items you paid for?’ Federal Trade Commission, 2024.
https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2024/04/do-you-really-own-digital-items-you-paidPeters, Jay. ‘Discovery shows you've bought on PlayStation actually won't be taken away.’ The Verge, 2023.
https://www.theverge.com/2023/12/21/24011168/sony-playstation-discovery-shows-not-removedSidhu, Reese. ‘A License to Play vs. Ownership - California's New Law Regarding Digital Media.’ Video Game Law (UBC), 2025.
https://videogamelaw.allard.ubc.ca/2025/02/27/a-license-to-play-vs-ownership-californias-new-law-regarding-digital-media/Sony Interactive Entertainment. ‘Update on Discovery Entitlements Affected Titles.’ PlayStation Legal, 2023.
https://www.playstation.com/en-us/legal/psvideocontent/
Digital Preservation & Media Restoration
Internet Archive. ‘About the Internet Archive.’ Internet Archive, n.d.
https://archive.org/about/Jenkins, Dwayne. ‘One of the Greatest and Most Existentially Terrifying Point-And-Click Games Is Coming to Consoles Soon.’ VICE, 2025.
https://www.vice.com/en/article/one-of-the-greatest-and-most-existentially-terrifying-point-and-click-games-is-coming-to-consoles-soon/Mattison, Celia. ‘Netflix Is Broken Beyond Repair. This Streaming Platform Shows a Better Way.’ Slate, 2024.
https://slate.com/technology/2024/05/criterion-24-7-channel-netflix-better-streaming-platform.htmlNightdive Studios. ‘About Nightdive Studios.’ Nightdive Studios, n.d.
https://nightdivestudios.com/about/Ruiz, Fran. ‘“I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream” celebrates 30 years with a console port, ready to traumatise a whole new generation with its tales of a mad AI god.’ Space.com, 2025.
https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-games-toys/i-have-no-mouth-and-i-must-scream-celebrates-30-years-with-a-console-port-ready-to-traumatise-a-whole-new-generation-with-its-tales-of-a-mad-ai-god
Music Credits
Lester Woodward (Blue Fox Music):
‘Stargazer’ (theme music)
Apex Music:
Albert Behar
David Bullard
Simon Folwar
