10 Essential Episodes of 'Inside No. 9'

The best thing about anthology shows is that every episode is self-contained, meaning you don't necessarily have to watch said show in order, or even watch every episode. They're easy watches and don't carry that pressure of television show commitment that a lot of other shows do. From The Twilight Zone, to the more recent Black Mirror, anthology series' have proven to be popular for decades now, and that popularity is still growing. However, there's one recent anthology series that I feel has flown under the radar a bit and deserves a bit more recognition, that show being BBC's Inside No. 9. 

Penned by League of Gentlemen alumni Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton, with at least one of them also appearing in each episode, the show takes a dark and twisted look into the lives of different people residing at locations with the address number 9. The episodes range from comedic, to mysterious, to downright terrifying, with each one containing a variety of twists and turns to constantly keep the audience on their toes. It's a clever series with every episode provoking though and raising the tension to 11, yet not a lot of people seem to watch it in comparison to similar shows like Black Mirror. So, if you're a fan of Black Mirror and are interested in similar shows then look no further, as here are my 10 essential episodes of Inside No. 9.

10. Private View

What's it about?

The most recent episode so far sees a group of strangers being invited to an art gallery for a mysterious private viewing. None of them know each other, none of them even know the artist who sent the invite, but when a mysterious killer starts to pick them of one by one, a sinister connection emerges between them all.

Why you should watch it:

Story wise, this episode plays out like a classic Agatha Christie novel, with a group of strangers being picked off one by one by an unknown assailant. Right from the get go it's clear that they were all invited to the gallery for a reason and that there is something that links them all, and as the episode develops the picture soon becomes a lot clearer. Stylistically the episode looks and feels like a Dario Argento film, from the colourful lighting to the location (Argento's first film The Bird With the Crystal Plumage was also known as The Gallery Murders), the whole episode feels giallo-esque. Even in the opening scene we watch as the killer puts on their signature pair of black leather gloves. It's a fun and stylish murder mystery with notable highlights including Fiona Shaw's scene stealing performance, Peter Kay's cameo, and Pemberton's charcter 'Kenneth Williams' provoking a plethora of Carry On jokes. 

9. Seance Time

What's it about:

A young woman named Tina arrives at the home of blind medium Madam Talbot in order to consult the spirit world. However, she soon realises she may have gotten more than she had bargained for and that ghosts may be more real than she thought.

Why you should watch it:

This was the most surprising episode for me as it is full of unexpected twists and turns. It's hard to talk about it because some of the twists are so integral to the plot, but trust me when I say this is definitely one to watch. The episode finds the perfect balance between humour and sheer terror, beginning like a traditional horror film before countering that with the shows signature sense of humour..before amping up the horror yet again. It's hard to tell what's real and what isn't real in this episode, and again I can't spoil anything, but the episode does toy with the viewers senses and takes every opportunity to catch them by surprise. The episode also contains some interesting satire and one of Pemberton's best performances on the show as Pete the skeptic. 

8. The Devil of Christmas

What's it about?

In this Christmas episode, viewers are treated to a fictional film-within-a-show called The Devil of Christmas, along with running commentary from its director Dennis Fulcher (Derek Jacobi). The film itself follows a British family who arrive in Austria for their Christmas holidays only to become the targets of a supernatural being known as the Krampus. Will they make it through the holidays?

Why you should watch it:

First of all, the entire episode looks as though it was filmed back in the late 70's. The grainy visuals, the costumes and the questionable 'acting' all look as if they were torn straight out of a low tier Hammer horror film. The attention to detail is flawless here and it feels very reminiscent of Garth Marenghi's Darkplace, only much more sinister. Through running commentary from the fictional director played by Derek Jacobi, we learn that The Devil of Christmas was a rushed production, leading to a lot of the 'actors' to rush through their lines. Little details like this make the episode feel more real, more believable, which ultimately makes the final scene even more disturbing than it otherwise would have been. This has perhaps one of the most grizzly endings in the entirety of the series as we suddenly realise what exactly we have been watching all along, but I'm afraid expanding on that would be a spoiler. The corny acting and intentionally convoluted plot make this episode incredibly humourous, all before the shocking finale puts the cherry on top of this chilling Christmas pudding. A perfect piece of festive fun for the whole family.

7. Cold Comfort

What's it about?

Andy (Pemberton) arrives at his new job at a call centre that seeks to give comfort to the lonely and troubled. However, Andy soon discovers that the job carries with it a lot of emotional stress and when he receives a particularly disturbing phone call, he must fight to maintain his sanity.

Why you should watch it:

This episode sees Pemberton and Shearsmith not only writing and acting, but also directing as well. The episode is all shown through CCTV footage from the Comfort Support Line, mainly from Andy's computer, which emphasises his sense of isolation and highlights his descent in to insanity. It's a very tense episode, and the scenes in which Andy receives the mysterious phone calls are particularly eerie, we can almost feel the level of emotional stress he is under. This is the most isolated the show ever gets and the entire 30 minutes completely ooze with paranoia. Things gradually build up to the final moments of the episode where Andy discovers who is really behind the sinister phone calls, but even then things aren't quite over, as Andy's past comes back to haunt him. Its a particularly chilling ending that catches the audience completely off guard in the final seconds. We spend this entire episode rooting for poor Andy, and in the final scenes..well you'll just have to watch won't you? Let's just say you will never hear 'Shine' by Take That in the same way after this episode. 

6. La Couchette

What's it about?

As a group of passengers prepare to get a good nights sleep on their overnight train journey to France, things soon take an unexpected turn when it is revealed that one of them has died in their sleep. The passengers are then faced with a moral dilemma that brings out each individuals true colours.

Why you should watch it:

This is perhaps one of the more lighthearted episodes of the show, despite its rather morbid premise, and sees some hilarious performances from the cast members. Pemberton's flatulent Jorg and Jack Whitehall's posh boy Hugo are just some of the highlights in this devilishly funny episode. Whitehall in particular delivers some of the best one liners of the episode so perfectly and well timed, his character is so unlikeable but his performance is the stand out of the episode. The claustrophobic atmosphere inside the cabin bring the tension levels up and manage to emphasise the sheer amount of agitation felt among the passengers. However, amid all of the farce and feces there is a sinister secret hiding in plain sight, and while it may be a tiny bit predictable, the final payoff all makes up for it in one of the most comically sinister endings on the series. As the tagline states: 'In deuxiéme classe, everyone can hear you scream.'

5. The Riddle of the Sphinx

What's it about?

One stormy night, a young woman named Nina (Alexandra Roach) breaks into the office of University professor Squires (Pemberton), nicknamed 'the sphinx' for his penchant for crosswords. Nina pleads with Squires to help her learn the way of the crossword in order to impress her boyfriend, and while the duo initially seem to bond, nothing is as it seems.

Why you should watch it:

Crosswords are the main focus of this episode, not your typical crosswords however, but intricate and cryptic ones that require expert deduction skills. We begin by watching Squires explain to Nina the complex process used to deduce the cryptic crossword hints, before (I think you're beginning to see a pattern here) things take a dark turn yet again. Much like the crossword in Professor Squires' office, this is an incredibly complex episode full of many twists and turns, just when you think it's about to go left, it takes a sharp right. There are layers upon layers of revelations in this episode and it seems like every minute the plot takes another clever twist, yet it all runs so smoothly and never feels overstuffed or self-indulgent. On top of all that, every new development corresponds to an answer on Squires' crossword puzzle, almost as if the puzzle itself had predicted the sinister turn of events that took place within the episode. What begins as a seemingly lighthearted bonding experience soon takes a drastic turn in a tale full of murder, deception, and revenge.

4. The Harrowing

What's it about?

In order to earn herself a bit of cash, schoolgirl Katy agrees to house sit for a duo of strange siblings in their large gothic manor. While initially it seems like a piece of cake, strange things begin to happen around the house which make Katy feel somewhat unsettled. Determined to get to the bottom of the mysterious goings on, Katy makes her way to the top of the house to visit the third sibling, the ailing Andres.

Why you should watch it:

The season 1 finale is arguably the most horror-centric episode of the entire show and most definitely one of the scariest. Set in an old dark house full of gruesome paintings and old-fashioned antiques, the story gradually unfolds against this moody backdrop which creates this unnerving level of suspense. While the episode still maintains the shows signature sense of humour throughout, the final culmination is a genuinely frightening scene and even I myself felt a bit unsettled. The whole episode feels as though it could be its own standalone horror film and could definitely give the likes of Annabelle a run for their money. Shearsmith and Penny Dreadful star Helen McCrory play the siblings Hector and Tabitha respectively, two ageing goths who hide a dark secret in their attic. They are both phenomenal in these roles and maintain the perfect balance between sinister and silly in a similar manner to horror icons like Vincent Price. They appear to have a lot of fun in their roles and are by far two of the shows most memorable characters. The Harrowing certainly ended the first season with a bang and reminded us of the shows pitch black and sinister nature.

3. A Quiet Night In

What's it about?

Two clumsy burglars arrive at the home of a wealthy couple in order to steal a priceless painting. Looking to avoid being spotted the duo must remain completely silent, however they soon face a variety of other complications that continue to interrupt their hesit.

Why you should watch it:

For the second ever episode of the show this was extremely ambitious as, apart from a couple of lines at the end, it is completely silent. This approach could have gone terribly wrong and if executed badly, could have been just plain boring. However, Shearsmith and Pemberton work wonders in this episode through their exaggerated movements and expressions, making for comedic gold. The lack of dialogue is not at all a weakness but rather the episodes strongest point as it allows the actors to further showcase their talents in a different way. Along with this the timing is impeccable, with every action and motion playing out wonderfully to the accompanying soundtrack. It is a true pleasure to watch all of the actors have such fun in their roles and to tell this surprisingly riveting story without uttering any dialogue. A Quiet Night In proves that sometimes silence is golden.

2. The 12 Days of Christine

What's it about?

Beginning on New Years Eve, we are introduced to a young woman name Christine (Sheridan Smith) who has just recently begun a relationship with a man named Adam (Tom Riley). With each scene that follows, we begin to skip further and further into the future as we witness the rest of Christine's life with Adam unfold. However, when a mysterious apparition begins to appear in her apartment, and with her memory slowly getting muddled, Christine struggles to hold on to reality and must uncover what's really going on.

Why you should watch it:

Despite the fact that my girlfriend guessed the twist very early on, I still stand by my statement that this is not only one of the most clever episodes of Inside No. 9, but one of the most clever pieces of television I've ever seen. The episode is tightly edited so that each scene flows directly into the next while letting the viewers know that it has skipped ahead in time. It is well paced and the underlying air of mystery only makes it all the more intriguing. Is this some sort of ghost story? Or is it something much more complex than that? With each 'day' we are only pulled further down this rabbit hold and it's not until the final moments when our questions are finally answered. I have to admit the ending caught me completely off guard the first time I watched it, but upon the second watch I realised that it was staring me right in the face the whole time. That's the sort of thing that this show does, provide you with a completely unexpected twist despite the fact that it has been secretly feeding you answers all this time. Sheridan Smith is fantastic as Christine and bringing her gradual development to life, she is a character that we can easily get behind. It is a masterful piece of storytelling and the final revelation will leave you utterly gobsmacked the first time around.

1. Tom & Gerri

What's it about?

Not a cat and mouse anyway. This episode focuses on teacher, Tom (Shearsmith) and budding actress Gerri (Gemma Arterton), a couple who live a happy life in their quaint apartment. However, when Gerri goes away to work on a new role, Tom befriends a local homeless man named Mig (Pemberton) with whom he bonds over their mutual love for Charles Bukowski. However, the more time Tom spends with Mig, the more careless he becomes, and gradually his idealistic life begins to deteriorate.

Why you should watch it:

I contemplated putting The 12 Days of Christine at the top spot, but then I remembered that it was this episode that really got me hooked on the show. The main focus of the episode is not the relationship between Tom and Gerri, but that between him and Mig. Initially repulsed by the homeless man, Tom soon grows fond of him after he returns his wallet and we watch as their friendship begins to develop. However, it becomes clear that Mig is a bad influence on Tom, gradually convincing him to throw his life away. It's subtle at first, with Mig merely posing suggestions to Tom, but soon his manipulative nature becomes more clear as their roles slowly begin to swap. It soon becomes clear where this episode is going, but being Inside No. 9 nothing is as it seems and the final twist will catch you completely off guard. It's an incredibly clever and well-crafted piece of television that showcases Shearsmith and Pemberton's wide range of talents. It was after this episode that I knew exactly what I was in for with Inside No. 9 and could not wait to see what the rest of the series had in store.

So if you're a fan of dark humour, deception, and sheer terror, then I highly would recommend Inside No. 9. Covering a wide variety of genres and bringing together a number of talented actors in each episodes, the show has something for everyone, and with each episode clocking in at about 30 minutes, it's an easy enough watch. So sit back, relax, and get ready for the sheer thrill ride that is Inside No. 9.