Cold Comfort (Inside No. 9)

Last updated

"Cold Comfort"
Inside No. 9 episode
Cold Comfort, Inside No. 9.jpg
Episode poster, featuring Steve Pemberton as Andy, Reece Shearsmith as George, Jane Horrocks as Liz and Nikki Amuka-Bird as Joanne
Episode no.Series 2
Episode 4
Directed by Steve Pemberton
Reece Shearsmith
Written byPemberton
Shearsmith
Story byReece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton
Produced by Adam Tandy (producer)
Jon Plowman (executive producer)
Featured musicChristian Henson
Editing byJoe Randall-Cutler
Original air date16 April 2015 (2015-04-16)
Running time30 minutes [1]
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
"The Trial of Elizabeth Gadge"		Next →
"Nana's Party"

"Cold Comfort" is the fourth episode of the second series of the British dark comedy anthology television programme Inside No. 9 . The episode, which was written and directed by Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith, was first broadcast on 16 April 2015 on BBC Two. Most of "Cold Comfort" is composed of a stream from a fixed camera on the desk of Andy, the protagonist, with smaller pictures on the side of the screen, in the style of a CCTV feed. "Cold Comfort" was filmed over two and a half days in Twickenham, and was, like "A Quiet Night In" from Inside No. 9's first series, highly experimental. It was Pemberton and Shearsmith's directorial debut.

Contents

The episode starred Pemberton, Shearsmith, Jane Horrocks, Nikki Amuka-Bird and Tony Way as volunteers at Comfort Support Line, a crisis hotline. The story follows Andy (Pemberton), who is starting at the call centre. After taking a particularly disturbing call from Chloe, a suicidal teenage girl, Andy begins to struggle, but he is offered support by his supervisor George (Shearsmith), the gossipy Liz (Horrocks) and the officious Joanne (Amuka-Bird). Andy is later joined by Michael (Way). Vilma Hollingbery, Vicky Hall and members of the comedy group Gein's Family Giftshop (Edward Easton, Kath Hughes and James Meehan) voiced various callers, with the Gein's Family Giftshop comedians also appearing as on-screen extras, playing unnamed call centre volunteers.

The television critics Andrew Billen and David Chater (both writing for The Times ) and John Robinson (writing for The Guardian ) characterised "Cold Comfort" as somewhat weaker than other episodes of the series, but other critics, including Patrick Mulkern (writing for Radio Times ), the comedy critic Bruce Dessau and writers for The Sunday Times were complimentary. Commentators praised the format, the writing and the performances, especially Horrocks's, but offered differing views about the episode's conclusion, plot and atmosphere.

Production

The second series of Inside No. 9 written in 2014, and then filmed from the end of 2014 into early 2015. [2] [3] The idea for "Cold Comfort" began with the call centre, [4] [5] with Pemberton having kept a newspaper article on the subject from 2005 as a potential inspiration. [6] Once the writers had the idea for the setting, they allowed the story to grow out of this. [4] The pair visited a large number of locations—including a number of colleges—before settling on the one used, [7] which was in Twickenham, [8] rejecting many because they did not look enough like offices. [7] They had three days at the location, but completed filming in two and a half. [9]

Casting

Reece Shearsmith.jpg
Nikki Amuka-Bird (2010).jpg
"Cold Comfort" was cowritten and codirected by Reece Shearsmith (left, pictured in 2003). He starred as George, alongside Nikki Amuka-Bird (right, pictured in 2010), who played Joanne.

"Cold Comfort" stars Pemberton as Andy, a new volunteer, and Shearsmith as George, Andy's supervisor. According to Shearsmith, he and Pemberton do not typically write Inside No. 9 scripts with particular actors in mind for roles, and nor do they typically write roles specifically for themselves. They were unsure, for a long time, on which characters they should take, initially considering having Shearsmith play Andy and Pemberton play George. Shearsmith said that this felt like the more "obvious" option, but the characters were switched as they "thought it would be slightly more unusual" to have it that way around. [10]

As each episode of Inside No. 9 features new characters, the writers were able to attract actors who might have been unwilling to commit to an entire series. [11] Jane Horrocks, Nikki Amuka-Bird and Tony Way feature respectively as Liz, Joanne and Michael, other volunteers at the call centre. [1] The characters of Liz and Joanne have strongly differing approaches to their roles as volunteers, with Joanne focussing on detachment and Liz on involvement. Both approaches, for Pemberton, have advantages and disadvantages. [12] Liz's desk is adorned with various trinkets, including ornaments and pictures. These were Horrocks's idea, and, for Pemberton and Shearsmith, served to make viewers suspicious of her from the start. [13] Horrocks was chosen because she would be able to add humour while still keeping to the tight timings necessary for the episode; many of her lines were improvised. [14] The character of Michael begins to work at the centre during the episode. Pemberton and Shearsmith considered having it mentioned that he had been sent by "Pauline from Wood Green", a reference to the stage version of The League of Gentlemen 's Pauline, who had been based at Wood Green. However, this was not included in the final episode. [15]

Edward Easton, Vilma Hollingbery, Kath Hughes, James Meehan and Vicky Hall provide the voices of various people who call in to the centre. [1] Some of the voice actors were drawn from the comedy group Gein's Family Giftshop, [16] the performing members of which are Hughes, Easton and Meehan. [17] [18] After watching a Gein's Family Giftshop performance, Pemberton and Shearsmith had invited the members to star in Inside No. 9. The comedians then suggested that they also appear on-screen as extras, playing unnamed call centre volunteers. [16] Hollingberry, who voiced "Ivy", an old woman caller, had previously starred in Pemberton and Shearsmith's Psychoville as Mrs Wren/Mrs Ladybirdface. She was one of the few actors whom Pemberton and Shearsmith used in both series. [19]

Direction

Pemberton and Shearsmith, in addition to writing and starring in "Cold Comfort", directed the episode. This episode—one of two in the second series that they jointly directed—was their directorial debut. [1] [20] [21] The pair did not know, while writing for the series, which episodes they would be directing, meaning that their writing was unlikely to be influenced by the knowledge. [4] Pemberton and Shearsmith had always intended to try directing, and the second series of Inside No. 9 offered them the opportunity. David Kerr, who had directed all of the episodes in the first series, was unable to return for the second. Guillem Morales and Dan Zeff each took on directorial duties for two episodes, while Pemberton and Shearsmith decided to direct the remaining two. [10] [20]

Shearsmith said in an interview that the pair had considered directing episodes in which they did not appear much, but scheduling concerns left them with "Cold Comfort" and "Nana's Party"; episodes which feature the writers quite heavily. [10] By contrast, Pemberton said that he and Shearsmith, knowing that they were going to be directing two episodes, deliberately chose "Cold Comfort" because the fixed cameras made filming a lot simpler, though Shearsmith said that the filming was more complex than they initially anticipated. [22] For Horrocks, it was "lovely to be directed" by Pemberton and Shearsmith, as she "really [liked] their choices and ... [loves] their work". [23] Shearsmith said that he found directing the episode "exhausting"; he found little time to rest during filming, as if he was not directly involved in filming, he was involved in making directorial decisions. [24]

Picture and sound

Most of "Cold Comfort" is made up of the streams for four fixed cameras in the style of a CCTV feed. Here, Andy talks on the phone to "Chloe" (main camera and bottom right) while George sits in his office (top right) and Liz leaves the workspace (centre right). The date is visible in the bottom left. Cold Comfort, Inside No. 9 screenshot.jpg
Most of "Cold Comfort" is made up of the streams for four fixed cameras in the style of a CCTV feed. Here, Andy talks on the phone to "Chloe" (main camera and bottom right) while George sits in his office (top right) and Liz leaves the workspace (centre right). The date is visible in the bottom left.

The episode progresses mostly through footage streamed from a fixed camera in booth nine of the call centre setting. Streams from other cameras are displayed on the side of the screen, in the style of a CCTV feed. [25] The idea was inspired by a clip of the interview of Russ Williams with the Canadian Police, which Shearsmith had seen online; [26] this, too, had a main feed with three smaller feeds giving different views of the scene. [6] The writers felt that the multiple screens both served a narrative function and raised the tension. [27] For much of the episode, viewers simply watch characters taking calls. [4] Extras are seen moving back and forth in the smaller screens, with Pemberton having initially been keen for things to be happening away from the main feed. However, he was somewhat frustrated with the result, with the same extra moving on numerous occasions throughout the episode. [28] Shearsmith felt that a whole series filmed in the same manner "would be a bit wearing on the eye", but that the style could be used for a single episode. [10]

The format presented certain technical difficulties. [29] The episode was filmed in very long takes—some as long as five or six minutes—without any cuts. This meant that the actors could not make any errors, but the result was "something you don't normally see". Pemberton said that the episode would "either be brilliantly tense or incredibly boring". [29] Timing during filming had to be precise, though scenes could be cut earlier or start later than was anticipated. For example, an earlier introduction of Joanne was cut in the final episode. [30] Other unused versions of scenes included a more violent version of George's attack on Liz [31] and a version of the final scene with a gunshot. The gunshot was removed on the recommendation of Jon Plowman, Inside No. 9's executive producer, which led to some debate; Shearsmith, for example, preferred the original version. [32]

Alex Thompson, the episode's sound recordist, arranged the phones so that the actors could speak to each other in real-time. [33] Pemberton and Shearsmith wanted this so that the voices would not have to be recorded in a studio later and added in ADR. [34] The voice of "Chloe"—the identity of whom is key to the story—presented a particular technical challenge, as the writers wanted to ensure that her identity was not revealed the first time her voice is heard. First, the production team recorded Shearsmith playing George-as-Chloe, and then a number of actresses recorded their versions of Shearsmith playing George-as-Chloe. Of these, one—Hall—was chosen to lend her voice to Chloe. Shearsmith then re-recorded his voice, imitating Hall's version of George-as-Chloe. Hall and Shearsmith's respective performances of George-as-Chloe could then be merged for the final episode. The first time viewers hear "Chloe", her voice is mostly Hall's; as the episode progresses, more of Shearsmith's voice is audible. [35] For Shearsmith, this did not represent the production team cheating the viewers, as viewers' experiences are filtered through Andy's experiences. The first time viewers hear Chloe, they—like Andy—experience her as a teenage girl. [36] As most of the episode was filmed in real-time, George is visible making calls as Chloe, [37] meaning that he hides in plain sight. [38] Footage of Shearsmith playing George-as-Chloe in George's office—used in the episode's final—was filmed separately to the rest of the episode, as a camera set-up in George's office would have been visible on one of the main cameras. [39]

Pemberton compared "Cold Comfort" to "A Quiet Night In", the second episode of the first series of Inside No. 9, [4] a sentiment echoed by some critics. [21] [40] Both episodes were highly experimental—"A Quiet Night In" being mostly silent and "Cold Comfort" being filmed mostly from a fixed camera—something which the writers felt suits anthology format. [4] [10] On the other hand, according to Pemberton, as "Cold Comfort" is "static and all about listening", it is, in a sense, the "polar opposite" of "A Quiet Night In". [4] Though all episodes in the series were very different in tone, Pemberton felt that "Cold Comfort" was "the most extreme experiment". [22]

Plot

External videos
Nuvola apps kaboodle.svg "Comfort Support Line"
George introduces Andy to his workstation amid quips from Liz.

Andy starts to volunteer at the Comfort Support Line (CSL), a crisis hotline, after the death of his sister. His supervisor George takes him through the procedure for calls, and Andy chats to the more experienced Liz. He finds his first few calls difficult, and Joanne, a volunteer who shares a mutual distaste with Liz, advises him not to get emotionally invested in the callers. Andy takes a call from Chloe, a 16-year-old girl with problems at home. Chloe says that she has taken a drug overdose, and Andy sings "Shine" by Take That to her, but, when he finishes, Chloe is no longer on the line. He immediately takes a call from an elderly woman distraught that one of her cats has died, but responds insensitively, and hangs up.

The following day, George thinks Liz is breaking the rules by taking a personal call; he gets angry and wrestles the handset from her. Later, Andy is upset that he listened to Chloe in her final moments, and Liz, who has made a complaint about George's conduct, tells him that she took a call from an ex-soldier, in tears because his mother committed suicide following the death of her cat. Andy realises that the man's mother is the caller from the previous night. George advises that Andy will not face any repercussions, and asks Andy to help Michael, new to the centre, with his first call. Chloe calls in and speaks to Michael, again claiming that she has taken an overdose. Andy snatches the phone and shouts at Chloe, hanging up on her.

Following her argument with George, Liz is asked to leave CSL, and a small party is held in the workspace. During the party, Chloe calls the helpline again, asking to speak to Andy. Andy tells Chloe that her hoax call caused an old woman's death, but Chloe says that this was Andy's fault. She repeats what Andy had said to the old woman about her cat. Andy stays late in his cubicle and goes to George's office, realising that "Chloe" must be someone who works at CSL. He accuses Joanne, who has just arrived, but she says she came back for her bag. He plans to get evidence from the CCTV footage and contact the police. Looking through CCTV footage, he and Joanne discover that it is George who made the calls. Unbeknownst to them, George is approaching the office; he hastily leaves when he sees Andy and Joanne inside.

George does not arrive for work the next day. Joanne shows in a new volunteer, Glen, who is replacing Liz. Having found out that George has made similar calls to CSL for years, Andy plans to go to the police. Andy answers the phone, and it is George. In Chloe's voice, George says that he just wanted someone to listen to him, then warns that he has told the dead woman's son where Andy works. In the background, Glen stands, and points a gun at Andy's head. He calls Andy's name, and Andy turns around to see Glen right before the credits play.

Reception

Critics responded positively to "Cold Comfort", though several characterised it as weaker than previous episodes in the series. David Chater, writing in The Times , described "Cold Comfort" as "a breather" after the "small masterpieces" of "The Trial of Elizabeth Gadge" and "The 12 Days of Christine". He said that "Cold Comfort" offers "a promising set-up, but ... doesn't unfold with the same simple, logical elegance as others in the series". [41] Andrew Billen, also writing for The Times, gave the episode three out of five stars, considering it weaker than is typical for Inside No. 9. [42] John Robinson, who reviewed the episode for The Guardian , felt that though "the episode has the tools to ratchet up the suspense", it "lacks both the plausibility and element of surprise that characterise the best of this series". [43] Frances Taylor, writing for Radio Times, listed it as the tenth best of the first thirteen episodes. Though praising the "innovative" filming and "darkly-brilliant script", she considered the ending "a little bit ridiculous". [44]

Patrick Mulkern, on the other hand, who was writing for the Radio Times , described "Cold Comfort" as "warped brilliance". He said that "any real helpline volunteers watching this episode may well wince, but it remains gripping throughout". [25] Reviewers in The Sunday Times called the episode "another corker", [45] and the freelance journalist Dan Owen called the episode "easily the funniest" since "La Couchette", awarding it three out of four stars. He characterised it as mostly successful in its aims, and summarised it as a "memorable" and "well-executed" comedy-drama. [21]

Robinson felt that the writers had "dial[ed] back the celebrity guests" for the episode, [43] while Phoebe-Jane Boyd, writing for the entertainment website Den of Geek, said that the episode "had another set of fantastic guest stars". [40] The comedy critic Bruce Dessau praised the performances in the episode; [46] Billen said that Horrocks's performance was "particularly good", [42] and critics in The Sunday Times said that Horrocks was "on fine form". [45] Commentators also commended the episode's writing, [40] [46] [47] though Owen felt that the plot took a while to "get going". [21]

The television critic Julia Raeside discussed the unusual style of "Cold Comfort", saying that "You could argue [that the writers] are at the stage in their careers where they don't need to experiment. No one else makes television like them and yet still they push themselves." [48] For Claire Murphy, writing in the Daily Mirror , the episode "makes great use of CCTV split-screen footage". [47] Dessau said that the set-up gave the episode "its haunting flavour". Viewers do not just see Andy, but also streams from other cameras, which, for Dessau, "makes the viewer both intrigued and anxious". [46] Boyd, too, claimed that the episode played on the "inherent creepiness" of CCTV footage. She said that the split-screen set-up increased the tension, and that the "gimmick is a good one"; though it could "have worked well as a pleasing novelty on its own, [it] also makes this 'whodunit'/'who's doing it' a refreshingly inventive take on the genre". [40]

Critics writing for The Sunday Times said that set-up "proves very effective for the denouement", [45] which Mulkern described as "a creepy pay-off". [25] Chris Bennion of The Independent said that the ending was testament to the fact that the writers "know how to play their audience like a fiddle". [49] Billen was less impressed, saying that "the ultimate twist in the tale was crude, and the insight that those who offer help need it most just a little banal - by this series' standards, at least". [42] Owen, similarly, found the motives of "Chloe" unconvincing, and considered "the surprisingly nihilistic final shot perhaps not fully earned or plausible", but confessed that the episode was able to "outmanoeuvre" him, as he did not foresee the ending. [21]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reece Shearsmith</span> British comedian (born 1969)

Reeson Wayne "Reece" Shearsmith is an English actor, writer and comedian. He is best known for being a member of The League of Gentlemen, with Steve Pemberton, Mark Gatiss, and Jeremy Dyson. He later created, wrote and starred in the sitcom Psychoville, with Pemberton, as well as the dark comedy anthology series, Inside No. 9. He has had notable roles in Spaced and The World's End.

<i>Psychoville</i> British television series

Psychoville is a British psychological horror-thriller black comedy mystery television series created and written by and starring The League of Gentlemen members Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton for the BBC. It debuted on BBC Two on 18 June 2009. Pemberton and Shearsmith each play numerous characters, with Dawn French, Jason Tompkins, Daniel Kaluuya and Eileen Atkins in additional starring roles. The first series was followed by a Halloween special, broadcast on 31 October 2010, which saw Imelda Staunton and Jason Watkins added to the main cast. The second series was first broadcast on 5 May 2011 and ended on 6 June. Reece Shearsmith has said that there will not be a third series. In February 2020, Shearsmith and Pemberton's follow-up series, Inside No. 9, crossed over with Psychoville and brought back five of the characters for the episode "Death Be Not Proud".

<i>Inside No. 9</i> BBC TV dark comedy series

Inside No. 9 is a British black comedy anthology television programme that first aired in 2014. It is written by Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton and produced by the BBC. Each 30-minute episode is a self-contained story with new characters and a new setting, almost all starring Pemberton or Shearsmith. Aside from the writers, each episode has a new cast, allowing Inside No. 9 to attract a number of well-known actors. The stories are linked only by the number 9 in some way, typically taking the form of a door marked with the number 9, and a brass hare statue that is in the background of all episodes. Themes and tone vary from episode to episode, but all have elements of comedy and horror or perverse humour, in addition to a plot twist. Pemberton and Shearsmith took inspiration for Inside No. 9 from an episode of Psychoville, a previous project, which was filmed in a single room – this in turn was inspired by Alfred Hitchcock's Rope.

Sardines (<i>Inside No. 9</i>) 1st episode of the 1st series of Inside No. 9

"Sardines" is the first episode of the first series of the British black comedy anthology series Inside No. 9. Written by Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith, it premiered on BBC Two and BBC Two HD on 5 February 2014. In the episode, a group of adults play sardines at an engagement party. Rebecca, the bride-to-be, finds a boring man named Ian in a wardrobe; he introduces himself as a colleague of Jeremy, Rebecca's fiancé. The pair are subsequently joined by family, friends and colleagues of Rebecca and Jeremy. As more people enter the room and step into the wardrobe, secrets shared by some of the characters are revealed, with various allusions to incestuous relationships, child sexual abuse, and adultery. The humour is both dark and British, with references to past unhappiness and polite but awkward interactions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Quiet Night In</span> 2nd episode of the 1st series of Inside No. 9

"A Quiet Night In" is the second episode of the British dark comedy television anthology series Inside No. 9. It first aired on 12 February 2014 on BBC Two. Written by Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton, it stars the writers as a pair of hapless burglars attempting to break into the large, modernist house of a couple—played by Denis Lawson and Oona Chaplin—to steal a painting. Once the burglars make it into the house, they encounter obstacle after obstacle, while the lovers, unaware of the burglars' presence, argue. The episode progresses almost entirely without dialogue, relying instead on physical comedy and slapstick, though more sinister elements are present in the plot. In addition to Pemberton, Shearsmith, Lawson and Chaplin, "A Quiet Night In" also starred Joyce Veheary and Kayvan Novak.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom & Gerri</span> 3rd episode of the 1st series of Inside No. 9

"Tom & Gerri" is the third episode of British dark comedy anthology series Inside No. 9. It premiered on BBC2 on 19 February 2014. The episode was based on a play that Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith had written while living together prior to the development of their series The League of Gentlemen. While the play had originally been around two hours in length, the episode was only half an hour. "Tom & Gerri" follows a difficult period in the life of Tom (Shearsmith), a primary school teacher and aspiring writer, and his girlfriend Gerri, a struggling actress, after Tom invites the homeless Migg (Pemberton) into his home. Conleth Hill stars as Stevie, a man worried about the mental health of his friend Tom. The entire episode takes place inside Tom's flat.

Last Gasp (<i>Inside No. 9</i>) 4th episode of the 1st series of Inside No. 9

"Last Gasp" is the fourth episode of the first series of the British dark comedy anthology television programme Inside No. 9. It first aired on 26 February 2014 on BBC Two. The story revolves around the ninth birthday of the severely ill Tamsin. Tamsin's parents Jan and Graham have arranged with the charity WishmakerUK for the singer Frankie J Parsons to visit as a treat for their daughter. Frankie dies after blowing up a balloon, leading to arguments between Graham, the WishmakerUK representative Sally, and Frankie's assistant Si over the now-valuable balloon containing Frankie's last breath. The story, written by Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith, was inspired by someone Pemberton had seen on Swap Shop who collected air from different places.

The Understudy (<i>Inside No. 9</i>) 5th episode of the 1st series of Inside No. 9

"The Understudy" is the fifth episode of British dark comedy anthology series Inside No. 9. It was first broadcast on 5 March 2014 on BBC Two. The episode was written by and starred Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith, and guest-starred Lyndsey Marshal, Julia Davis, Rosie Cavaliero, Roger Sloman, Di Botcher, Richard Cordery, Bruce Mackinnon and Jo Stone-Fewings. Pemberton plays actor Tony, who is starring as Macbeth in a West End production of Shakespeare's Macbeth, and Shearsmith plays Jim, Tony's understudy. The plot of "The Understudy" partially mirrors the story of Macbeth, exploring the theme of power and the lives of actors.

The Harrowing (<i>Inside No. 9</i>) 6th episode of the 1st series of Inside No. 9

"The Harrowing" is the sixth and final episode of the first series of British dark comedy anthology series Inside No. 9. It aired on 12 March 2014 on BBC Two. The episode was written by Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith, and stars Shearsmith, Aimee-Ffion Edwards, Helen McCrory, Poppy Rush and Sean Buckley. While comedic in places, "The Harrowing" makes extensive use of gothic horror elements transmuted into a modern context. The plot follows Katy (Edwards), who has been hired to housesit for eccentric siblings Hector (Shearsmith) and Tabitha (McCrory). They rarely leave the house, but have an event to attend. They tell Katy about their bedridden, disabled brother Andras (Buckley), who cannot speak but will ring a bell if he needs assistance. Katy is joined by her friend Shell (Rush) once Hector and Tabitha leave, and, upon hearing Andras's bell, the pair reluctantly head upstairs. The episode takes place in Hector and Tabitha's mansion, which is kept deliberately cold and filled with paintings depicting Hell. The writers experimented with a variety of possible endings, hoping to make the episode's close both interesting and scary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">La Couchette</span> 1st episode of the 2nd series of Inside No. 9

"La Couchette" is the first episode of the second series of British dark comedy anthology Inside No. 9. Written by Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith and directed by Guillem Morales, the episode is set in a sleeper carriage on a French train. English doctor Maxwell, who is traveling to an important job interview, climbs into bed. He is disturbed first by drunk, flatulent German Jorg, and then by English couple Kath and Les. Later, while the others sleep, Australian backpacker Shona brings posh English backpacker Hugo back to the cabin, but the pair make a surprising discovery. The episode stars Pemberton, Shearsmith, Julie Hesmondhalgh, Mark Benton, Jessica Gunning, Jack Whitehall and George Glaves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The 12 Days of Christine</span> 2nd episode of the 2nd series of Inside No. 9

"The 12 Days of Christine" is the second episode of the second series of British black comedy anthology series Inside No. 9. It first aired on 2 April 2015 on BBC Two. It was written by Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith, and directed by Guillem Morales. The episode tells the story of Christine, a young woman living in a small flat, over 12 years in her life, focussing on key days and life events in that time. Christine is played by Sheridan Smith, while those who play an important part in her life are played variously by Tom Riley, Stacy Liu, Michele Dotrice, Paul Copley, Pemberton, Jessica Ellerby, Joel Little and Dexter Little. Shearsmith plays the Stranger, an unknown figure apparently haunting Christine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Trial of Elizabeth Gadge</span> 3rd episode of the 2nd series of Inside No. 9

"The Trial of Elizabeth Gadge" is the third episode of the second series of the British dark comedy anthology television programme Inside No. 9. It was written by Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton, and directed by Dan Zeff. It first aired on 9 April 2015 on BBC Two. The story follows a 17th-century witch trial. Elizabeth Gadge, played by Ruth Sheen, stands accused of witchcraft by inhabitants of the village of Little Happens, including characters played by Sinead Matthews, Jim Howick, Paul Kaye and Trevor Cooper. The magistrate Sir Andrew Pike, played by David Warner, has summoned the famed witch-finders Mr Warren and Mr Clarke, played by Shearsmith and Pemberton, to try Elizabeth, but is more concerned with bringing visitors to the village than finding the truth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nana's Party</span> 5th episode of the 2nd series of Inside No. 9

"Nana's Party" is the fifth episode of the second series of the British dark comedy anthology television programme Inside No. 9. It was first broadcast on 23 April 2015 on BBC Two. Written and directed by Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith, the episode starred Claire Skinner as the obsessive-compulsive and aspirational Angela, who is hosting a party for the 79th birthday of her mother Maggie, played by Elsie Kelly. Angela's husband Jim, played by Pemberton, is keen to play a prank on Pat, Angela's brother-in-law, who is a practical joker. Pat is played by Shearsmith, while Carol, a recovering alcoholic who is Pat's wife and Angela's sister, is played by Lorraine Ashbourne. The episode also features Eve Gordon as Katie, Angela and Jim's teenage daughter, and Christopher Whitlow as a paramedic seen at the beginning and end of the episode.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Séance Time</span> 6th episode of the 2nd series of Inside No. 9

"Séance Time" is the sixth and final episode of the second series of the British dark comedy anthology television programme Inside No. 9. It was first broadcast on 29 April 2015 on BBC Two. The episode was written by Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith, and directed by Dan Zeff. It stars Pemberton, Shearsmith, Alison Steadman, Alice Lowe, Sophie McShera, Dan Starkey, Cariad Lloyd and Caden-Ellis Wall. The episode begins with Tina (McShera) arriving at a Victorian villa for a séance. Hives (Shearsmith) sits her at a table and then escorts the ominous, shrouded Madam Talbot (Steadman) into the room.

Private View (<i>Inside No. 9</i>) 6th episode of the 3rd series of Inside No. 9

"Private View" is the sixth and final episode of the third series of the British black comedy anthology television programme Inside No. 9. Written by Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith, the episode was directed by Guillem Morales and was first shown on 21 March 2017, on BBC Two. It stars Pemberton, Shearsmith, Fiona Shaw, Montserrat Lombard, Morgana Robinson, Felicity Kendal, Johnny Flynn, and Muriel Gray. The comedian Peter Kay makes a cameo appearance, with his character being killed in the episode's opening seconds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Devil of Christmas</span> 1st episode of the 3rd series of Inside No. 9

"The Devil of Christmas" is a Christmas special of the British dark comedy anthology television programme Inside No. 9, and the first episode of the third series. It was first aired on 27 December 2016 on BBC Two. The episode was directed by Graeme Harper and written by Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton. Stylistically, it took heavy inspiration from classic 1970s anthology programmes, such as Beasts, Thriller, Tales of the Unexpected and Armchair Thriller, and was filmed using authentic equipment. Pemberton intended the episode to be a recreation of this kind of classic programming, with critics characterising it as a homage, pastiche or loving parody.

The Bill (<i>Inside No. 9</i>) 2nd episode of the 3rd series of Inside No. 9

"The Bill" is the second episode of the third series of the British dark comedy anthology television programme Inside No. 9. It first aired on 21 February 2017, on BBC Two. The episode was written by Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton, and was directed by Guillem Morales. "The Bill" focuses on four men—Archie, Malcolm, Kevin, and Craig—arguing over who should pay the bill in a restaurant at closing time, much to the dismay of the waitress Anya. It addresses themes of masculinity and competition, and the English north–south divide is a recurring issue; Craig, the visiting southerner, is wealthier than the other three, and unfamiliar with some of their terminology.

The Riddle of the Sphinx (<i>Inside No. 9</i>) 3rd episode of the 3rd series of Inside No. 9

"The Riddle of the Sphinx" is the third episode of the third series of the British dark comedy anthology television programme Inside No. 9. It first aired, on BBC Two, on 28 February 2017. The episode was written by the programme's creators, Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith, and directed by Guillem Morales. "The Riddle of the Sphinx", which is set in Cambridge, stars Alexandra Roach as Nina, a young woman seeking answers to the Varsity cryptic crossword, Pemberton as Professor Nigel Squires, who pseudonymously sets the crossword using the name Sphinx, and Shearsmith as Dr Jacob Tyler, another Cambridge academic. The story begins with Nina surreptitiously entering Squires's rooms on a stormy night and being discovered; this leads to Squires teaching her how to decipher clues in cryptic crosswords.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Empty Orchestra</span> 4th episode of the 3rd series of Inside No. 9

"Empty Orchestra" is the fourth episode of the third series of the British dark comedy anthology television programme Inside No. 9. Written by Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith and directed by Guillem Morales, the episode was first shown on 7 March 2017, on BBC Two. "Empty Orchestra" is set in a karaoke booth, and follows a group of work colleagues—Greg (Shearsmith), Fran, Connie, Janet and Duane —celebrating the promotion of Roger (Pemberton). Rebekah Hinds also stars.

Kath Hughes is a Welsh actress, writer and comedian. She is known for portraying the role of Coleen in the british comedy drama series After Life and for being one quarter of the comedy sketch group Gein's Family Giftshop.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Cold Comfort; Inside No. 9, Series 2 Episode 4 of 6". BBC. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  2. ↑ "Steve Pemberton on The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover". British Film Institute. 6 October 2014. Archived from the original on 1 October 2014. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
  3. ↑ "Five minutes with Steve Pemberton". Herts & Essex Observer. 12 January 2015. Archived from the original on 9 July 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Pemberton, Steve (20 March 2015). "Reopening the doors Inside No. 9". BBC. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
  5. ↑ Pemberton and Shearsmith, episode commentary, 0:55.
  6. 1 2 Pemberton and Shearsmith, episode commentary, 1:30.
  7. 1 2 Pemberton and Shearsmith, episode commentary, 18:20.
  8. ↑ Pemberton and Shearsmith, episode commentary, 0:25.
  9. ↑ Pemberton and Shearsmith, episode commentary, 11:00.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 Jeffrey, Morgan (4 May 2015). "Reece Shearsmith on crafting Inside No. 9 - and hopes for a third series". Digital Spy . Retrieved 13 June 2015.
  11. ↑ Dean, Will (5 February 2014). "Inside No 9, TV review: A top-drawer cast puts these twisted tales in a league of their own". The Independent . Retrieved 15 March 2015.
  12. ↑ Pemberton and Shearsmith, episode commentary, 7:00.
  13. ↑ Pemberton and Shearsmith, episode commentary, 17:00.
  14. ↑ Pemberton and Shearsmith, episode commentary, 8:30.
  15. ↑ Pemberton and Shearsmith, episode commentary, 20:00.
  16. 1 2 Pemberton and Shearsmith, episode commentary, 9:30.
  17. ↑ Logan, Brian (9 August 2014). "Edinburgh festival 2014 review: Gein's Family Giftshop – a dark, fluid sketch show". theguardian.com . Retrieved 20 March 2016.
  18. ↑ Monahan, Mark (14 August 2014). "Edinburgh Festival 2014: Gein's Family Giftshop: Volume 1, Pleasance Attic, review: 'completely bananas'". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  19. ↑ Pemberton and Shearsmith, episode commentary, 14:15.
  20. 1 2 "Filming underway on new series of Inside No. 9" (press release). BBC. 16 January 2015. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  21. 1 2 3 4 5 Owen, Dan (18 April 2015). "Inside No. 9, 2.4 – 'Cold Comfort'". Dan's Media Digest. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  22. 1 2 Pemberton, Steve; Shearsmith, Reece (4 May 2015). Behind the Scenes: "Cold Comfort". Inside No. 9 Series Two DVD. BBC.
  23. ↑ Horrocks, Jane (4 May 2015). Behind the Scenes: "Cold Comfort". Inside No. 9 Series Two DVD. BBC.
  24. ↑ Pemberton and Shearsmith, episode commentary, 21:30.
  25. 1 2 3 Mulkern, Patrick. "Inside No 9; Series 2 - 4. Cold Comfort". Radio Times . Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  26. ↑ "Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith on Inside No. 9". bfi.org.uk. Archived from the original on 1 April 2016.
  27. ↑ Pemberton and Shearsmith, episode commentary, 2:40.
  28. ↑ Pemberton and Shearsmith, episode commentary, 5:20.
  29. 1 2 "'People are disappointed if we don't deliver something horrible'". Chortle.co.uk. 17 March 2015. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
  30. ↑ Pemberton and Shearsmith, episode commentary, 8:00.
  31. ↑ Pemberton and Shearsmith, episode commentary, 15:00.
  32. ↑ Pemberton and Shearsmith, episode commentary, 17:50.
  33. ↑ Pemberton and Shearsmith, episode commentary, 3:40.
  34. ↑ Pemberton and Shearsmith, episode commentary, 19:20.
  35. ↑ Pemberton and Shearsmith, episode commentary, 12:00.
  36. ↑ Pemberton and Shearsmith, episode commentary, 14:00.
  37. ↑ Pemberton and Shearsmith, episode commentary, 18:50.
  38. ↑ Pemberton and Shearsmith, episode commentary, 16:45.
  39. ↑ Pemberton and Shearsmith, episode commentary, 26:30.
  40. 1 2 3 4 Boyd, Phoebe-Jane (17 April 2015). "Inside No. 9 series 2 episode 4: Cold Comfort review". Den of Geek . Retrieved 17 April 2015.
  41. ↑ Chater, David (16 April 2015). "Viewing guide". T2, The Times . pp. 12–3.
  42. 1 2 3 Billen, Andrew (17 April 2015). "TV review: The Secret Life of the Pub; Inside No 9". The Times . Retrieved 17 April 2015.(subscription required)
  43. 1 2 Robinson, John (16 April 2015). "Thursdays best TV; Inside No 9". theguardian.com . Retrieved 17 April 2015.
  44. ↑ Taylor, Francis (21 February 2017). "All 13 episodes of Inside No 9 ranked from worst to best". RadioTimes.com. p. 1. Retrieved 18 March 2017.
  45. 1 2 3 Dugdale, John; Raeside, Julia; Clarke, Mel (12 April 2015). "Choice; Thursday 16 April". Culture, The Sunday Times . pp. 60–1.
  46. 1 2 3 Dessau, Bruce (15 April 2015). "TV Preview: Inside No. 9 – Cold Comfort, BBC2". Beyondthejoke.co.uk. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  47. 1 2 Murphy, Claire (16 April 2015). "Today's TV; Soap update". Daily Mirror . p. 35.
  48. ↑ Raeside, Julia (29 April 2015). "Intrigue, unease and emotional intensity: have you been watching Inside No 9?". theguardian.com . Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  49. ↑ Bennion, Chris (23 April 2015). "Inside No. 9, Nana's Party, TV review: League of Gentleman's Reece Shearsmith steals the show in this very clever drama". The Independent . Retrieved 18 July 2015.

Cited sources

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.