[9][10] As is typical of Shearsmith and Pemberton's work,[4] the scripts address dark topics, with, for instance, the first episode touching upon incest, child sexual abuse and murder.
For example, while gothic horror was a major component in one case, other times slapstick comedy was used extensively;[13] the humour, however, is typically dark and British.
[15] Despite the various episodes featuring unrelated plots and characters, one reviewer said that they are all linked "by a mercurial synthesis of morbid comedy, wicked social commentary and a genuine creepiness".
9 and their previous projects, but nonetheless include the occasional reference; for example, a character called "Ollie" is mentioned in one Inside No.
[9] In the 2018 Halloween special, in which Pemberton and Shearsmith play versions of themselves, both the League of Gentlemen and its third writer, Mark Gatiss, are directly referred to in the dialogue.
9 was a "reaction" to Psychoville, with Shearsmith saying that the two of them had "been so involved with labyrinthine over-arcing, we thought it would be nice to do six different stories with a complete new house of people each week.
BBC producers felt that this story would work as the opening episode of a sitcom, but, given the script's events, Pemberton and Shearsmith were not happy to develop the idea into its own programme.
Previous horror anthologies include Tales of the Unexpected, The Twilight Zone and Alfred Hitchcock Presents; while these would sometimes use comedic elements, they are more prominent in Inside No.
Other anthology-like series on British television include Seven of One and Comedy Playhouse, though these programmes lacked horror elements, and, unlike Inside No.
[6] However, the British anthology show Black Mirror, which also features elements of comedy and horror, was very popular around the time of Inside No.
[30] "The Understudy", the plot of which is partially based upon and concerns Macbeth, took longer to write than any other episode; the writers rewrote the script several times, as they were unsure of whether the characters should be amateur or professional actors.
"La Couchette" aimed to explore the intimacy of sleeper carriages; specifically, the unusual problems associated with sleeping in close proximity to strangers.
[51][52] Settings for the third series include an art gallery, a restaurant and an alpine cabin, while guest stars include Keeley Hawes, Jessica Raine, Felicity Kendal, Tamzin Outhwaite, Fiona Shaw, Jason Watkins, Mathew Baynton, Rula Lenska, Philip Glenister, Sarah Hadland, Javone Prince, Montserrat Lombard, Morgana Robinson, and Alexandra Roach.
In an interview, he said "The format has so many opportunities and can incorporate so many styles, as long as you stick to the small cast, single location constraint.
The episode, described as "astonishingly bold and ambitious" by reviewer Sean O'Grady,[58] appeared to suffer technical difficulties within its first 9 minutes of broadcast.
[59] The difficulties, including the continuity announcer's voiceover, were in-fact part of the programme's plot, which centred on the premise that the studios in which the episode were being filmed were haunted.
Following the airing of the final episode, Steve Pemberton auctioned his personal copy of the "Plodding On" script which had been signed by a majority of the key cast members across the 9 series.
[89] The only other actor to make multiple appearances across episodes as separate characters is Derek Jacobi who had a voice role in “The Devil of Christmas” before later returning in “How Do You Plead?” And recurring guest stars...
[107] Commentators have described it as "never less-than-captivating"[108] and "consistently compelling",[32] offering particularly strong praise for "The 12 Days of Christine", "The Riddle of the Sphinx" and "Dead Line".
[111] After the final episode of the first series, the comedic critic Bruce Dessau said on his website that it had "really set an early benchmark to beat for comedy of the year.
9, as "the funniest, cleverest, most imaginative and original television I have seen for as long as I can remember – one of those fabulous programmes where time stands still and the world around you disappears".
9 was televised, broadcaster and journalist Mark Lawson suggested that, among anthology series, the programme possessed "the potential to be remembered as a singular achievement".
Cooke expressed particular admiration of Pemberton and Shearsmith's ability to squeeze "perfectly formed narratives – characters with proper backstories, scenarios that are complicated and unwind relatively slowly – into just 30 minutes".
9 an example of the weakness of contemporary television comedy, saying that the episode is "not funny, it's not clever and is so utterly, irredeemably, naffly silly that it ends up being incredibly irritating and nothing else".
[122] Another journalist unimpressed was the Daily Mirror columnist Kevin O'Sullivan, who dismissed the programme by saying simply "BBC2's alleged comedy Inside No.
[130][133] Less horrific than other episodes in the series,[3] "Last Gasp" dealt with themes of celebrity culture and fandom,[135][136][137] and was considered a weaker instalment.
[154][155][156] "The Trial of Elizabeth Gadge" was compared unfavourably with the previous two episodes by some critics,[157][158] though the writers were characterised as having displayed their versatility and ability with the atypical setting and language.
[172][173][174][175] In a 2018 article for Salon, American writer Mary Elizabeth Williams described the series as "the best show you're not watching" and "brilliant, black-humored, taut format horror for people who enjoy the occasional potty-joke".
[194] The programme won the 2016 comedy Rose d'Or, beating the Finnish Pyjama Party and the German Crime Scene Cleaner (Der Tatortreiniger).
9 Stage/Fright, which opened at the Wyndham's Theatre in London's West End from 18 January 2025 for a limited run until 5 April, directed by Simon Evans.