Inside No. 9

While I'm not a "League of Gentlemen" fan; I loved Reece's performance in "A Field in England." Therefore I was prepared to give "No 9." a go. This series has an impressive line up of guest stars from Katherine Parkinson to Tamsin Greig. Each episode is a mini-play set in a different location. I especially liked the creepy mansion in the final one. The stories contain twists, humour & horror. Only one of them ("The Last Gasp") disappointed me. The make-up and costumes for Reece & Steve are great. "Sardines" has a terrific end to hook viewers in. "A Quiet Night In" is full of surprises. "Tom & Gerri", my favourite, is a compelling moral tale. "The Understudy" examines the price of success. "The Harrowing" is traditional horror with a scene stealing role for Reece. I look forward to a second series.

Ever since watching the first 3 seasons of Black Mirror I felt an empty gap in my free time for a gripping anthology series, I expected I wouldn't be able to find anything as captivating, enjoyable and damn scary as the prior series... until I scrolled onto Inside No. 9.

Now I will admit I came into this quite late (Between series 3 and 4) but I felt driven to watch this back to back for a couple days. The entirety of all seasons have the most impeccable writing and direction I have ever seen in a low budget television show. Each episode comes with a different genre to the last that follows the common tropes of said genre. However the real pay off for each episode is the dark twist that relates to either the characters, location or narrative... or all three. This provides an excellent re-watch value that gives the series its impressive hook.

Although each episode has its own characteristic element that makes it fantastic, each season still contains episodes that are so impeccable that it requires a second watch to fully appreciate it.

Within season one, my personal favourite was Episode 2, A Quiet Night In. This episode is a brilliant creation of a small heist drama, however the brilliant element of the episode is how there is no exposition spoken throughout the episode. How Pemberton and Shearsmith interact using only body language builds an impressive comedic element of the episode, this allows for our expectations of the episodes final act to be turned on their heads.

Season 2 contains one of, if not the most outstanding episode of not just Inside No. 9, but British TV as a whole. Episode 2, The 12 Days of Christine follows Christine as she goes through what appears to be her day to day life. Upon the first watch, most of the little details go by without the viewer taking much notice (This is common throughout Inside No. 9!) it's not until the final part of the show where it all comes together. This episode drew the biggest emotional impact from myself throughout all of Inside No. 9. The ending, that was built up to in all the little details of the episode, delivers a heart stopping twist that will bring a tear to even the strongest of hearts. This episode should be hailed as a holy text and studied in schools for the rest of time. I cannot explain how perfect the writing to this episode is. Overall, season two was a dramatic increase from season one, possibly due to a higher budget or Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith being allowed to reach their creative limits.

Season 3 seemed to be the season Pembeeton and Shearsmith decided to create multiple different genres in the season. It ranges from a comedy over a restaurant bill to a director reviewing an old 80's movie. My personal favourite was episode 3, The Riddle of the Spinx. Something about this episode drove me to watch it 3 or 4 times, showing each of my family members with a giddy feeling in my belly. The plot to this episode is entirely written into a cryptic crossword, every twist, every move, every characters roll is derived by what the crossword says. I feel everything is in this episode. Even Shakespeare has a mention in this episode. Although this episode is not as emotionally captivating as the 12 days of Christine in season 2. I believe the cryptic writing of this episode is the strongest of all seasons.

Finally I come onto season 4. For me this season had a fantastic first 3 episodes, but the plot of the final 3 drop in comparison to the first half. Episode 1, Zanzibar, is an episode that is fully written in iambic pentameter. The episode follows the packed floor of number 9 in the British Hotel Zanzibar. The acting from the two writers Rory Kinnear and all the cast is fantastic. It feels as the most enjoyable to watch episode for me as all the exposition rolls along like a song. I don't want to explain any of the plot as I feel this episode is best to go into blind, but all I will say is 'Spaghetti Bolognese'.

Overall, Inside No. 9 is, what I believe, the best writing a human can create. Each episode is as good as the last (excluding certain episodes) and each episode is so easy to watch and take in. If you like television, you will love this. Every person I have shown this to has watched the entire series within a few weeks of me showing them. So I hope you will give this fantastic show a watch, it deserves all the attention Black Mirror has received and more!

10/10.

Having been a fan of the League of Gentlemen I have closely followed the careers of Gettis,Shearsmith and Pemberton. All have had various success. But it's with Inside number 9 which gives Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton the perfect opportunity to showcase there wonderful talent for mixing the macabre with humour. Each show is a one off with the only connection as the title says is the number nine. It's fair to say some ideas work better than others but on the whole the vast majority are hugely enjoyable and very entertaining. 10/10

Absolutely, one of the best shows I've seen in years. The only show that has good twists that neither my girlfriend nor I ever see coming. Amazing dark British humor at its best. Needs to expand its fan base into the US and Canada even more. Put it on BBC America and/or one of the streaming services. Some of my favorite episodes are: 12 Days Of Christine, A Quiet Night In, Tom & Gerri, The Harrowing, The Trial Of Elizabeth Gadge, La Couchette. Hopefully, the show has many more seasons to come. I can say for sure that this is one of the few programs that truly leaves me shocked. At the end of many episodes, I am left staring at the screen, with my mouth agape. I really cannot get enough of this brilliant show! More people need to become as obsessed with this show as I have become!

It is a wonderful show, which shows variety, imagination, creativity, humour and fiendish cleverness. One of the charms of Inside No.9 is not knowing what you're going to get, slapstick, car humour, sadness, joy, wit, the only thing you're sure of is the use of number nine.

Series 5 has just started, Deadline seemed a very long time ago. Many amazing episodes, Twelve days of Christine is still my favourite, and one of the best thirty minutes of tv ever made, exquisite in every single way. A Quiet Night in and Riddle of the Sphinx are also magical, Once Removed is one of the most imaginative things I've ever seen, wonderful episode.

They've managed to keep it original, intriguing and unique, I can't wait to see what comes next.

It's one of those shows that you can watch several times and see new things, such is the sheer brilliance of the writing.

Not many are better than this. I love it. 10/10