You should be watching: Inside No. 9

[dropcap]O[/dropcap]ccupying a Tuesday evening timeslot on BBC 2, it was perhaps inevitable that Inside No. 9 didn’t received the recognition it deserves. After only two short series, Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton have succeeded in creating one of the most original and well-written British TV series in years.

As it’s an anthological series, giving a coherent overview of the show isn’t all that easy. The only connection between episodes is that they’re all set in some kind of number nine: be it an old Gothic house; a train sleeping carriage; or a theatre dressing room. Other than that, anything goes ­– although often there are darkly comic results and an unexpected twist.

In a time of ‘event’ TV and endless episodic series, it’s refreshing not to know what you’ll be greeted with each week, with the style and tone as diverse as the various settings

The programme’s unpredictable nature, jumping from laugh-out-loud comedy one week to outright horror the next, is a testament to Shearsmith and Pemberton’s ability to tell such compelling stories in a single enclosed space (the first episode is set almost entirely inside a wardrobe).

Oona Chaplin, the granddaughter of Charlie Chaplin. Photo: Flickr / El Hormiguero

In fact, one of the most memorable stories in the first series, ‘A Quiet Night In’, doesn’t contain any dialogue. The story plays out like a modern-day silent film, even starring Oona Chaplin, daughter of the comedy icon himself, with ingenious direction and great slapstick gags, though not without a twisted slant.

I don’t usually like using the word ‘dark’, simply because it can suggest so many things, but Inside No. 9 pretty much covers all bases. Though it’s almost never without an element of (dark) humour, it’s sometimes genuinely disturbing, lingering in the mind long after viewing.

The series has become partly known for its last-minute twists, for better or for worse, although even these expectations are often subverted; I often found myself wondering how far a certain concept could be pushed, only for it far exceed my expectations.

But the show is about so much more than merely rug-pulls, subverting conventions of genres and supposedly mundane, recognisable settings. A typically middle-class family celebrating Nana’s birthday is warped into an incredibly tense viewing experience, revealing the unpleasant undertones of a suburban household. In another episode, the consequences of letting in a homeless man become progressively surreal.

Shearsmith and Pemberton aren’t afraid to play around with form either, with ‘Cold Comfort’ being entirely shot in long takes with fixed CCTV cameras, giving it a distinctly voyeuristic style.

With the show’s limited and frequently claustrophobic settings, some episodes are almost like a stage play in nature, placing an emphasis on intricate character and narrative work

With such a diverse range of stories, there are bound to be episodes which don’t quite hit the mark as well as others. However, even those which might be considered weaker are still highly imaginative; ‘Last Gasp’ comes to mind as one of the more underwhelming entries, but it’s still built around the humorously morbid idea of a balloon filled with the dying breath of a celebrity.

One of the definite highlights of the second series is ‘The 12 Days of Christine’, something I consider to be one of the most perfectly crafted pieces of TV in recent memory. It celebrates the beauty of relationships and the seemingly insignificant moments which make up our lives, albeit in a profoundly melancholic way. It’s an episode which really shows the extent of the creators’ writing talents, with very little in the way of comedy, but featuring an ending which managed to bring me to tears (this is coming from a guy who wasn’t phased even by Mufasa’s death). The care that goes into this series is obvious, with tiny details throughout the narrative suddenly making the episode even more impactful in retrospect. This episode was then followed by a comedy about a 17th Century witch trial. ‘Diverse’ doesn’t quite cover it.

Gemma Arterton. Photo: Flickr / Danny Harrison

The performances in the show are also worth noting, with some recognisable British faces like Gemma Arterton and Jack Whitehall making appearances, and Sheridan Smith as Christine is a big part of what makes ‘The 12 Days of Christine’ so good.

Even further credit should be given to Shearsmith and Pemberton, who appear in every episode in some form, successfully playing entirely different roles without their recurrences pulling the viewer out of the story.

With its dark comedy, psychologically disturbing ideas, and a few forays into genuine horror (‘The Harrowing’ is particularly, well, harrowing), Inside No. 9 certainly isn’t for everyone. However, genuine creativity should always be praised, and these well-crafted, unpredictable stories from the two writers/actors/occasional directors definitely deserve to be seen!