Television anthology shows can often be hit and miss. For every anthology show that serves up great episodes, there are often a high number of duff ones or complete misfires.
But this isn’t applicable with the British anthology series, Inside No. 9. The show – created, written by, and starring Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith – is anything but hit and miss.
Instead, the BAFTA-winning Inside No. 9 is one of the greatest British television shows of all time. It is creative, imaginative, and endlessly entertaining.
Originally broadcast between 2014 and 2024, Inside No. 9 works from a very simple premise: Pemberton and Shearsmith feature in a collection of 30 minute episodes alongside a revolving group of well-known actors, and together they play different characters, in a different scenario, and a different setting. The only things which remain constant are Pemberton and Shearsmith; a statue of a brass hare hidden somewhere in the background of each story (which has nothing to do with the plot); and the central concept that each episode takes place inside a location with a number nine on it, such as a hotel room, or a house.
From here, the stories can go any place they want, cover any genre imaginable, and do anything to the characters. Dark scenarios are favoured, as are plot twists, but the stories can be about anything, ranging from a 17th Century witch trial to an argument in a football players’ dressing room, to a murder mystery at an art exhibition.
The key thing is the episodes are interesting, funny, and at times thought-provoking. There are 55 episodes in total, and no two are alike.
And speaking of 55 episodes, that’s more than enough to do some ranking! So, what are we waiting for? Let’s rank the ten best!
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Tall Tales
In total, Inside No. 9 ran for nine seasons, covering 54 regular episodes (six per season) and one Halloween special. Along the way the show offered some absolute classics including the almost dialogue-free ‘A Quiet Night In’; the CCTV-focused ‘Cold Comfort’; and the captivating ‘Mulberry Close’, which was predominately filmed in the style of doorbell camera footage.
Then there was the brilliant ‘Tom & Gerri’, which saw a homeless man and a primary school teacher trade places; ‘The Bill’ which focused on a group of friends arguing over who pays for dinner; and ‘Paraskevidekatriaphobia’ which revolved around a superstitious man with a fear of Friday the 13th. And let’s not forget the genius of ‘Zanzibar’, which was set in a hotel corridor and was told through the use of iambic pentameter.
Other classics included ‘Boo to a Goose’, ‘Mr King’, ‘Lip Service’, ‘Death Be Not Proud’, ‘Séance Time’, and the semi-improvised ‘Love’s Great Adventure’. The Halloween special, ‘Dead Line’ was also memorable, largely because a.) it’s quite scary, and b.) it was initially promoted as a ‘live’ episode, but this actually proved to be a well-orchestrated hoax to fool viewers.
With these episodes, Inside No. 9 demonstrated a wealth of imagination and creativity, but alas, the above episodes aren’t even the best of the best. Nope, the best episodes include ‘Wise Owl’, ‘Sardines’, ‘La Couchette’, and…
…hang on. Do you know what? Let’s just rank them!
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Let’s Rank… The ten best episodes of Inside No. 9
OK, it’s time to rank the ten best episodes of Inside No. 9 in reverse order:*
*Without giving away any of the twists in the episodes.
- 10.) ‘Merrily, Merrily’ – Three friends (including Pemberton and Shearsmith’s old comedy partner, Mark Gatiss) reunite for a special boat ride, with emotional and poignant consequences. (ep 38)
- 9.) ‘Wise Owl’ – British public information films from the 1970s are used to disturbing effect in this unsettling tale about a man who always listens to the seemingly wise words of a cartoon owl. (ep 43)
- 8.) ‘The Devil of Christmas’ – A film director recounts the making of one of his films via a DVD commentary track in this dark Christmas tale set during the 1970s. (ep 13)
- 7.) ‘Empty Orchestra’ – A group of work colleagues head to a karaoke bar for a fun night out, but soon things turn rather nasty when talk of redundancy starts to spread. (ep 16)
- 6.) ‘La Couchette’ – A group of strangers spend the night on a French sleeper train hoping to get a good night’s rest. That is, until they make a shocking discovery. (ep 7)
- 5.) ‘Misdirection’ – When an up-and-coming magician kills a more experienced magician to obtain the secret of his new trick, he sets in motion the ultimate battle of wits. (ep 29)
- 4.) ‘The Riddle of the Sphinx’– A young woman breaks into the office of a college professor in order to obtain the answers to a cryptic puzzle. (ep 15)
- 3.) ‘Sardines’ – The very first episode of Inside No. 9 revolves around a seemingly simple game of sardines, which not only takes a sinister turn but also proves the general format of the show is a winner. (ep 1)
- 2.) ‘The 12 Days of Christine’ – A young woman’s life begins to unravel unexpectedly, as she recalls 12 very specific points in time. (ep 8)
- 1.) ‘Bernie Clifton’s Dressing Room’ – Former comedy double-act, Cheese and Crackers reunite after 30 years for one final performance, but a past problem rears its head and becomes a topic of conversation in this absolutely fantastic 30 minutes of television. (ep 20)
And with that, the ten best episodes of Inside No. 9 are ranked!
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Thank you for stopping by It’s A Stampede! to read this edition of Let’s Rank… . For more posts be sure to check out the recommended reads below.
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