Review for Inside No. 9

Inside No. 9 is an anthology of six single episodes which revolve around different characters with the only connection being they are in a No. 9 door. These six stories are written by The League of Gentlemen and Psychoville creators Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith, so you will know exactly what you are getting into. This is a collection of macabre stories reminiscent of The Twilight Zone or Murder Most Horrid, with a darkly comic edge.

The six episodes vary in regards to quality, but what is wonderful is because they are not connected you can just dip in and out of them and if you miss one or skip one it has no effect on the next one. This is very refreshing and the theatrical play feel was great to watch. At times with each of the episodes being contained in one or two rooms you could almost see this being perfect for the stage.

Sardines tells the story of a group of friends and family playing a game of sardines and all hiding in a wardrobe. As more and more people come, including the wonderful Katherine Parkinson more details about the family are revealed until one dark secret is revealed which may make you ponder over the fates of everyone involved.

A Quiet Night In is a phenomenal, almost silent episode featuring two bungling burglars trying to steal some art works from a home. This is just such a well choreographed piece that you can't help but enjoy it, though I do feel at times the 'no speaking' gimmick was stretched a little too much.

Tom and Gerri is a great episode about Tom's interaction with the local 'tramp' Migg and their effect on each other and its knock on effect on Tom's girlfriend Gerri played by Gemma Arterton . This is such a wonderful look at changes within people and the ending will again make you question what is going on.

Last Breath is the weakest of the six, but involves a singer who dies blowing a balloon for a sick girl. This is followed by the fight over who should profit from the balloon that contains his last breath. This one is not as funny or dark as the rest of them and at times is a little boring, with Steve Pemberton playing the Dad almost slipping into Benidorm mode.

The Understudy is a wonderful look at the life of an understudy and what they will do to make it onto the stage and into the limelight. The performances by Pemberton as the pompous star and Shearsmith as the timid understudy are just perfect. If they were ever to go further with a story it would have been nice to see more about what happened to the characters in this one.

The Harrowing is nice, but I feel that the ending let this one down. This one features a girl who is hired by a creepy family to look after their invalid brother. Although I think the way they built up the tension was spine-chilling I felt that the too creepy ending let it down.

One of the things that many people will notice, especially from the back of the DVD box is that this series could almost be called 'It's Cameo Time' as almost every episode had one or two famous faces turning up in them. At times this was nice, with Sardines featuring Katherine Parkinson from The IT Crowd, Anna Chancellor from Four Weddings and a Funeral, Timothy West from lots and lots of things and many more. There are appearances of Tamsin Grieg, Ben Willbond, Julia Davis and two Bond girls in the form of Oona Chaplin and Gemma Arterton and many, many more.

Unlike other shows that would crow about the 'guest starring' of certain people, instead they are just treated like any other cast member. It's funny seeing someone like Gemma Arterton who I am used to seeing draped over the likes of Daniel Craig, Ben Affleck and Jake Gyllenhaal starring in this type of show without it being ironic. (Thinking Extras here)

Extras are only an interview with the writers and the director and to be honest as great as it is all it did was make me yearn for a commentary. Also included is a montage of all the stars who appear throughout the series, which is quite nice. The lack of any other extras is a little disappointing as again I was yearning for a gag reel or something extra.

The mix of black humour and the macabre really worked in Inside No. 9. It shows that while other League of Gentlemen creator Mark Gatiss may have gone on to Sherlock and Dr Who and Jeremy Dyson seems to have semi retired, the other two still have their fingers on what is creepy and hilarious. I enjoyed all six episodes and even the one misstep with Last Breath is still a lot more entertaining than most TV Shows. If you want something that will make you laugh, scream and then think, then Inside No. 9 is the show for you.