Black Mirror's Charlie Brooker says over-long episodes and "streaming bloat" can be a problem 

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For creative types, the lack of restrictions imposed by Netflix might seem like a dream scenario – but for customers, it\'s often a different story.

With no limitations on the length of seasons, or indeed individual episodes, the minds behind series including

have had to defend their 13-episode serialised stories and "slow-burn" plotting.

creator Charlie Brooker to promote his Netflix show\'s new companion book

, Digital Spy had the chance to ask the Emmy winner for his thoughts on "streaming bloat" and whether it\'s a problem.

Related: Charlie Brooker says sequels to old episodes and more "medley" episodes could be in

"Sometimes, restrictions are very helpful," Brooker admitted. "For instance, there\'s a trick that I\'ve retaught myself...

"When I was writing for [broadcast] television, there were commercial breaks. Now, commercial breaks are a pain in the arse – in the edit, and in terms of the experience for the viewer – but they\'re handy as waypoints.

"I would always write the commercial breaks in the script, and I\'d just use them as psychological markers. It\'d be like, \'Oh well, I only have to get up to the next ad break\'.

"But it also meant that the story kept going, because you think, \'Oh, I need a little cliffhanger there\', so in that respect it was useful."

But it\'s not just ad breaks that Brooker considers beneficial.

"The discipline of having to fit a time-slot is useful," he insisted. "Usually in pruning things down, things get better... until there\'s a point at which they get worse again! But being a bit brutal in the edit is often a good thing. So it\'s important, I think, to maintain discipline in that respect."

Even bigger budgets can harm rather than help creativity, according to Brooker.

\'s season two episode] \'Be Right Back\' for instance, there was a plan at one point to show Domhnall Gleeson\'s character dying in this car accident – in a big, spectacular crash.

"But actually, I don\'t think that would\'ve been as powerful as what we did, where we showed Hayley Atwell instead, waiting for him to return... so sometimes, those restrictions are good, because they force [you] to think more creatively."

is one of the few Netflix shows to have exploited flexible story lengths by producing both longer and

episodes, with outings ranging from 40 to 90 minutes.

All 19 Black Mirror episodes, ranked from worst to best

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