Inside No. 9

Format

Inside No. 9 is an anthology series in which each episode presents a new story, setting, and cast, running approximately thirty minutes and reaching a conclusion. The stories are connected by an element tied to the number 9, such as a mansion, a dressing room, or a size 9 shoe. Almost every episode stars Reece Shearsmith or Steve Pemberton, often both, and each functions as a short play. Some episodes unfold in real time, covering half an hour in the characters' lives.

Every episode contains an ornamental hare hidden somewhere on-screen; Pemberton explained that because the episodes are so different, a recurring object helped link them, though the hare itself carries no particular significance. The scripts address dark topics—the first episode touches on incest, child sexual abuse, and murder—and employ twists, though occasionally the twist is the absence of one. Pemberton stated a desire to wrong-foot the viewer.

Tone varies per episode, ranging from gothic horror to slapstick comedy, but the humour is typically dark and British. Episodes often begin with scenes of utter banality before revealing darker elements. One reviewer noted that all episodes are linked by a synthesis of morbid comedy, social commentary, and creepiness.

Production and development

In 2012, after finishing Psychoville, Pemberton and Shearsmith were commissioned by BBC controllers Janice Hadlow and Cheryl Taylor to produce two series, partly in response to Sky beginning to produce comedy. It was unclear whether this would be two series of Inside No. 9—then known by the working title Happy Endings—or one series of Inside No. 9 and another programme. The show was produced by a BBC team including director David Kerr, executive producer Jon Plowman, and producer Adam Tandy.

The concept was inspired by 'David and Maureen', episode 4 of the first series of Psychoville, which itself was inspired by Alfred Hitchcock's Rope; that episode took place entirely in a single room and was filmed in two shots. The writers wanted to explore more stories in this bottle-episode or TV-play format. Inside No. 9 was also a reaction to Psychoville: Shearsmith said they had been so involved with labyrinthine over-arcing that they wanted to do six different stories with a new house of people each week.

The first story written specifically for Inside No. 9 was about a birthday party; BBC producers felt it could open a sitcom, but Pemberton and Shearsmith were not happy to develop it into its own programme. That script was shelved and later became 'Nana's Party', the fifth episode of the second series. During filming, Shearsmith expressed excitement to be working on the programme, saying that being in the middle of filming a third series of Psychoville would be utterly depressing.

The pair aimed for a simpler experience, describing the first episode 'Sardines' as just about some good actors in a wardrobe with a good story.

Reception and performance

Many critics responded very positively to Inside No. 9, which holds a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Commentators described it as never less-than-captivating and consistently compelling, with particular praise for 'The 12 Days of Christine', 'The Riddle of the Sphinx', and 'Dead Line'. The series won the Sketch and Comedy prize at the 35th Banff World Media Festival Rockie Awards and the comedy prize at the 2016 Rose d'Or ceremony. It was nominated for Best TV Sitcom at the 2014 Freesat Awards, the Broadcast Award for Best Original Programme, and at the 2014 British Comedy Awards for Best New Comedy Programme and Best Comedy Drama.

In the Comedy.co.uk Awards, it was voted Best TV Comedy Drama in 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017, and named Comedy of the Year in 2017 and 2018. The series received three British Academy Television Awards nominations; in 2019, Pemberton won Best Male Comedy Performance, and in 2021, Shearsmith was nominated for the same award and the show won Best Scripted Comedy. After the first series finale, critic Bruce Dessau said it had set an early benchmark for comedy of the year.

David Chater of The Times praised the rich and perverse imaginations of Pemberton and Shearsmith and the range of acting talent. Chater had earlier described 'A Quiet Night In' as the funniest, cleverest, most imaginative television he had seen. Mark Jones of The Guardian called the series never less-than-captivating, while the Liverpool Echo described every episode as intriguing and lovingly-crafted. Metro named it the twentieth best television programme of 2014, and Daily Star Sunday columnist Garry Bushell named it the best comedy TV programme of 2014.