Sardines (Inside No. 9)

The first episode of the first series of the British black comedy anthology *Inside No. 9* is titled "Sardines." It was written by Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith and first aired on BBC Two and BBC Two HD on 5 February 2014. The plot follows a group of adults playing the game sardines during an engagement party. The entire story unfolds within a single bedroom, and a significant portion of the filming occurs inside a wardrobe.

The episode begins when Rebecca, the bride-to-be, discovers a dull man named Ian in a wardrobe; he claims to be a colleague of her fiancé, Jeremy. As more guests—family, friends, and coworkers of the couple—join them in the wardrobe, hidden secrets come to light, including allusions to incest, child abuse, and adultery. The humour is dark and distinctly British, relying on references to past unhappiness and polite but awkward interactions.

Pemberton and Shearsmith wrote the episode to create a sense of claustrophobia. The cast, in addition to the writers, includes Katherine Parkinson, Tim Key, Luke Pasqualino, Ophelia Lovibond, Anne Reid, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Anna Chancellor, Marc Wootton, Ben Willbond, and Timothy West. Critics praised both the writing and the performances, and several publications selected it as pick of the day. On its initial broadcast, "Sardines" drew 1.1 million viewers, representing 5.6% of the audience.

**Development and production**

Pemberton and Shearsmith, known for *The League of Gentlemen* and *Psychoville*, drew inspiration for *Inside No. 9* from "David and Maureen," the fourth episode of the first series of *Psychoville*, which was itself inspired by Alfred Hitchcock's *Rope*. That episode took place 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, and *Inside No. 9* gave them that opportunity. The series was a deliberate reaction to *Psychoville*; Shearsmith noted that after working on complex, overarching narratives, they wanted to create six self-contained stories with entirely new characters each week. The series format pays homage to *Tales of the Unexpected*, *The Twilight Zone*, and *Alfred Hitchcock Presents*. Shearsmith explained that they returned to writing more macabre material because purely comedic work felt too frivolous and light.