The 12 Days of Christine

Lore & Background

The episode was written in 2014 and filmed from late 2014 into early 2015. Pemberton and Shearsmith immediately thought of Sheridan Smith for the role of Christine, having worked with her before; Smith accepted after being gripped by the script. The set for Christine's flat was built at Twickenham Studios alongside the set for another episode, and Smith described it as a full set with working taps and 1970s decor.

The plot follows Christine from meeting Adam at a New Year's party through marriage, motherhood, divorce, and family gatherings, with a mysterious Stranger (played by Shearsmith) appearing repeatedly. The story is told through scenes of key events over 12 years, and the ending reveals that Christine is dying from a road collision, with the Stranger having caused the crash by stepping into the road. The episode includes clues such as a heartbeat sound, car sounds, and blue flashing lights.

Reader's Guide

The episode was widely praised by critics, receiving five out of five stars in both The Times and The Telegraph. Reviewers commended the performances, particularly Sheridan Smith's, the poignancy of the plot, and the impact of the unforeseen ending. Commentators interpreted the story as a life review experienced by Christine as she lies dying, with the viewer sharing her confused perspective until the slow realization of her death. The episode was noted for its departure from the typical black comedy of Inside No. 9, resembling an arthouse film, and for its allusions to horror films such as Don't Look Now and Ghostbusters.

A Departure from the Anthology's Dark Comedy

The 12 Days of Christine marked a significant tonal shift within Inside No. 9, moving away from the series' signature black comedy toward a more emotionally grounded drama. Rather than delivering a single contained horror or darkly comic scenario, the episode stretched its narrative across twelve years of Christine's life, jumping between key dates—New Year's Eve, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Easter, bank holidays, birthdays, Hallowe'en, Bonfire Night, and Christmas. Shearsmith himself acknowledged that this episodic structure was highly unusual for the show, yet he felt it served the story effectively. The result was a piece that commentators struggled to pin down: viewers and critics alike offered competing readings of Christine's circumstances, the nature of her relationships, and the true identity of the Stranger who kept intruding on her days. This deliberate ambiguity, combined with the emotional weight of the material, set the episode apart as something distinct within the anthology's catalogue.

Casting and the Flat That Anchored a Decade

Pemberton and Shearsmith had Sheridan Smith in mind the moment the script took shape, and their hope was well placed. Smith had long admired the writers' body of work and appreciated how Inside No. 9's standalone format let her take on a one-off role without the commitment of a full series. She described the script as gripping and said she was over the moon to collaborate with the pair during filming. The episode's structure—new characters introduced in each installment—also made it easier to attract talent like Tom Riley, Stacy Liu, Michele Dotrice, Paul Copley, Jessica Ellerby, and the young Joel and Dexter Little, who might otherwise have hesitated to sign on for an entire run. For the second series, the production was granted two physical sets at Twickenham Studios; the one built for this episode was a fully realized flat complete with bedroom, bathroom, and working taps. Smith recalled the 1970s decor as funky and really cool, and called the whole space lovely.

The Stranger and the Architecture of Grief

The Stranger, played by Shearsmith, is the episode's most enigmatic figure—a man who surfaces at the most vulnerable moments in Christine's day, offering a brief apology or a cryptic line before vanishing. He whispers an apology after an egg shatters on a wall, and later his voice drifts through a baby monitor telling someone to get a child out of there, sending Christine into a panic over her son Jack. On Hallowe'en, she finds Jack cradled in his arms. Commentators fractured over who or what he represented, and the episode's final revelation reframes every preceding scene: Christine is dying in a road collision, and the twelve days are the memories her mind replays while emergency services work to free her. The Stranger claims to have accidentally struck her. This layered construction—where a seemingly ordinary domestic drama is revealed to be a countdown to death—gave the episode its emotional punch and ensured that no two viewers arrived at the same reading of the material.

Critical Acclaim and a Benchmark for the Series

When it first aired on BBC Two on 2 April 2015, The 12 Days of Christine was met with near-universal praise. Both The Times and The Telegraph awarded the episode a perfect five out of five stars, a distinction that underscored how far it reached beyond the anthology's usual comedic register. Critics singled out Sheridan Smith's performance as the emotional engine of the piece, praising the way she carried a character through marriage, motherhood, divorce, and loss without ever losing the audience's trust. The poignancy of the plot and the shock of the unforeseen ending were repeatedly cited as the episode's greatest strengths. Directed by Guillem Morales and written by Pemberton and Shearsmith, the installment became a touchstone for what the series could achieve when it leaned into drama rather than dark humor, and it stands as one of the most talked-about entries in the Inside No. 9 catalogue.