The Harrowing (Inside No. 9)

Last updated

"The Harrowing"
Inside No. 9 episode
Inside No 9, The Harrowing poster.jpeg
Episode no.Series 1
Episode 6
Directed by David Kerr
Written by Steve Pemberton
Reece Shearsmith
Produced by Adam Tandy
Featured music Christian Henson
Original air date12 March 2014 (2014-03-12)
Running time30 minutes
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
"The Understudy"		Next →
"La Couchette"

"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.

Contents

Critics agreed that the episode was the most gothic and scary of the series, with journalists writing for The Sunday Times saying that "The Harrowing" would be best avoided by those of a nervous disposition. Critics writing in the Metro felt that the episode was a poor finale for the series, and that the episode's ending was unsatisfying. By contrast, Alex Hoskins, writing for the Cheddar Valley Gazette , felt the episode's ending was very strong, and Bruce Dessau described "The Harrowing" as an excellent end to the series. On an Empire Online list, "The Harrowing", particularly its final scene, was selected as the 17th best TV moment of the year. The episode was watched by 833,000 people on its first showing, which was 4.7% of the audience.

Production

Reece Shearsmith.jpg
Helen McCrory Berlin 2015.jpg
Shearsmith (left, pictured in 2003) and McCrory (right, pictured 2015) played siblings Hector and Tabitha

Writers Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith, who had previously worked together on The League of Gentlemen and Psychoville , took inspiration for Inside No. 9 from "David and Maureen", episode 4 of the first series of Psychoville. This episode, in turn, was inspired by Alfred Hitchcock's Rope . "David and Maureen" took place entirely in a single room, and was filmed in only two shots. [1] At the same time, the concept of Inside No. 9 was a "reaction" to Psychoville, with Shearsmith saying that "We'd 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. That's appealing, because as a viewer you might not like this story, but you've got a different one next week." [2] As an anthology series with horror themes, Inside No. 9 also pays homage to Tales of the Unexpected , The Twilight Zone and Alfred Hitchcock Presents . [3]

As the format of Inside No. 9 requires new characters each week, the writers were able to attract actors who may have been unwilling to commit to an entire series. [1] "The Harrowing" starred Aimee-Ffion Edwards as Katy, Helen McCrory as Tabitha, Shearsmith as Hector, Poppy Rush as Shell and Sean Buckley as Andras. [4] "The Harrowing" was the only episode in the series in which Pemberton did not star; Shearsmith played a character in all but "Last Gasp". [5] Comedy critic Bruce Dessau noted that Shearsmith's role was actually relatively minor, saying that the house was the real star. [6]

Pemberton and Shearsmith are fans of classic horror films, [7] and the episode displays inspiration from the likes of Alfred Hitchcock's filmography and the Hammer Horror films. [8] Pemberton called the episode the "most genre" of the series, while Shearsmith described it as their attempt to produce a "full on ... gothic horror-esque" episode. The writers utilised the horror norm of a gothic mansion rather than bringing horror into a normal home. This route, Shearsmith suggested, has now become atypical. [7] The setting allowed the writers to mix modern elements with traditional gothic horror, [8] sometimes for comedic effect (a reference to "something called broadbands"), [8] and sometimes to add to the horror (mobile phones cannot be used, as the characters are in a "dead zone"). [6] While the writers did want the episode grounded in reality, they also wanted to make more use of gothic horror tropes than they had in other episodes of Inside No. 9. [7] [9] "The Harrowing" was advertised with a poster homage to classic horror films. The poster was designed by Graham Humphreys, [6] a graphic designer known for his work on horror film posters. [10] The episode's name was taken from the Harrowing of Hell, the story of Jesus Christ's descent to Hell in Christian theology. [11]

The character Katy is initially hired to babysit, though it turns out that there is no baby. [12] Previous horror films, including When a Stranger Calls , have made use of a babysitter as a plot device, and an urban legend involves a babysitter downstairs with a threat upstairs. Both the viewer and the babysitter learn about the environment together, with both beginning in a position of ignorance. For Pemberton, the device works because the character has been moved from a safe environment into the unknown. In "The Harrowing", he suggests, it is obvious that there is something in the bedroom. The writers experimented with different endings, in an attempt to make the bedroom's contents interesting and genuinely scary. [7]

Plot

External videos
Nuvola apps kaboodle.svg "I'm not a vampire"
Katy meets Hector in the mansion's kitchen
Nuvola apps kaboodle.svg "Who lives here, The Munsters?"
Shell sees the inside of Hector and Tabitha's mansion

Katy Hepworth has been hired to take care of Hector and Tabitha's mansion while the two go out for the evening. They usually never leave the house, but have a rare event to attend. Tabitha greets Katy at the door and explains that the house is always kept at −3 °C as Hector and Tabitha's disabled brother, Andras, needs the air to be at this temperature. The paintings on the house's walls depict the Harrowing of Hell. After meeting Hector, Katy is disturbed by Tabitha's descriptions of Andras, who, it is claimed, does not have a mouth. He instead keeps a bell, which he never uses, beside his bed. Katy is told not to go upstairs.

Hector and Tabitha leave. Katy is spooked by the house, especially when she finds a stuffed cat on the sofa. She sees an old photograph of Hector, Tabitha and Andras as children, but Andras does not look disabled. Katy's friend Shell arrives and plays with Hector's stairlift, sending it upstairs. Katy warns Shell not to break anything, and is startled to see the now-live cat. Katy tries to call her father so she can leave, but the house has no mobile phone signal and the house phone's party line is tied up. As she prepares to leave, the stairlift returns downstairs and Andras's bell rings. Katy is scared of going upstairs, but, at Shell's insistence, the two go to check on him.

Katy and Shell explore and enter Hector's bedroom, where they find a circle of salt around the bed. They hear the bell again and trace the sound to Andras's room. When Katy opens the bed's curtains, Andras's deformed body is revealed; he is tied to the bed and gagged wearing only a cloth nappy. Katy goes to untie him, believing that Hector and Tabitha have kept him prisoner. Shell asks how Andras could have rung the bell if his hands were tied. Hector and Tabitha appear and show that it is they who rang the bell. They quote Dante's Inferno and explain that Hell is cold, as the text says, so the house must be kept refrigerated for Andras. They say he was possessed at age ten by Castiel, demon of mischief, but Castiel needs a new human host every fifty years, and Andras is now dying. Katy was chosen as the next host after a mutual friend at Tabitha and Hector's church recommended her to them. It is revealed that Shell also attends the church, and she helped them to lure Katy. Shell implies that the church's members protect the earth from being overrun by demons.

Tabitha and Hector prepare to inject Katy with a sedative, but she fights back. She runs downstairs only to find that the door is locked. Shell arrives and says that Katy cannot escape. Shell says she wanted to be Castiel's new human host, but she is too weak, whereas Katy has the strength of character needed to keep the demon contained. Shell injects Katy, who collapses. Upstairs, Katy is shown stripped to her white bra and knickers and ties her with cable ties to a chair as well as cleave gagged with a crepe bandage while Shell feeds Andras his "last supper": rusks and baby milk, the only food he can manage. Hector, Tabitha and Shell leave Katy alone to become acquainted with Castiel, who, they say, will possess her as Andras dies. Andras advances on Katy. As she screams through the gag and struggles, Andras advances and repeatedly cries: "Mischief!"

Reception

Critics variously called "The Harrowing" the "nastiest", "most Gothic" and most horrorific episode of Inside No. 9. [9] [11] [13] It was described as "unashamedly macabre" by Metro journalists, [14] and "a genuine fright fest" by Dessau. [6] Despite both reviews characterising "The Harrowing" as one of the weaker episodes of the series, it was called "very creepy" in the Liverpool Echo , [15] and the closing scene was described as extremely scary in the Metro. [14] Critics writing for The Sunday Times said that the episode "really is best avoided by those of a nervous disposition", [12] and the sentiment was echoed in the Cheddar Valley Gazette , where it was suggested that the character of Andras "certainly warranted the warning of disturbing scenes" given before the episode. [8]

Concerning the comedic elements of "The Harrowing", Sunday Times critics said that "comedy doesn't come blacker than this". [12] Jack Seale, of the Radio Times , said that viewers would "marvel at how [the writers could] pepper the elegant script with gags without breaking the spell". [13] [ failed verification ] Dessau also felt that the script was "great", and commented on a "particularly pithy" joke, "just when you least expect it". [6] Nick Rutherford and Keith Watson, writing for the Metro, downplayed the comedy of the episode, saying that "the odd defiantly bad joke ... pierced the darkness". [14] They felt that "The Harrowing" was a weak instalment of Inside No. 9, giving it three out of five stars. The ending, these critics suggested, was "a bit of a cop out" rather than "daring". For them, unlike in other Inside No. 9 scripts, there was no twist. [14] Alex Hoskins, writing for the Cheddar Valley Gazette, acknowledged that the "ending will most likely have sparked an online outcry", but felt that "it was fantastic, fearless and a perfect end to [the] series". [8] Dessau shared a positive view, saying that the series ended "on an absolute high", with one of his favourite episodes. [6]

Viewership and recognition

"The Harrowing" was watched by 833,000 people, which was 4.7% of the audience. This was a recovery from the series low of the previous week's "The Understudy", [16] but was fewer viewers than any of the first four episodes. [17] The average viewing figures for the series were 904,000 people, or 4.9% of the audience, lower than the slot average of 970,000 (5.1% of the audience). [16]

Due in part to her appearance in the episode, Edwards was shortlisted for WalesOnline's "Daffta" award for best actress, but lost in the public vote to Eve Myles. [18] For Hallowe'en 2014, ezine Den of Geek listed "31 scary TV episodes that truly terrified us". Phoebe-Jane Boyd selected "The Harrowing", commenting on its divergence from previous episodes of Inside No. 9 and the clash of humour and horror tropes. Describing the character of Andras, she explained that "Seeing him jerkily moving towards [Katy] with glee, hissing 'mischief'...' straight into camera, is shocking, unexpected, and above all, just horrible." [19] "The Harrowing", particularly its final scene, was selected as Empire Online's 17th greatest television moment of 2014. "Though there are dark laughs in the episode", it was claimed on the website, "the ending is pure nightmare fodder, the babysitter helpless as a Castiel-possessed man advances, hissing, 'Mischief!' Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith, we both salute you and request you contribute to our therapy bills". [20]

Related Research Articles

<i>The League of Gentlemen</i> British comedy television series

The League of Gentlemen is a surreal British comedy horror sitcom that premiered on BBC Two in 1999. The programme is set in Royston Vasey, a fictional town in northern England, originally based on Bacup Lancashire, and follows the lives of bizarre characters, most of whom are played by three of the show's four writers – Mark Gatiss, Steve Pemberton, and Reece Shearsmith – who, along with Jeremy Dyson, formed the League of Gentlemen comedy troupe in 1995. The series originally aired for three series from 1999 until 2002, and was followed by a film The League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse and a stage production The League of Gentlemen Are Behind You!, both in 2005.

<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 was 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Pemberton</span> British actor and comedian (born 1967)

Steven James Pemberton is a British actor, comedian, director and writer. He was a member of The League of Gentlemen with Reece Shearsmith, Mark Gatiss, and Jeremy Dyson. Pemberton and Shearsmith also co-wrote and starred in the black comedy Psychoville and the anthology series Inside No. 9. His other notable television credits include Doctor Who, Benidorm, Blackpool, Shameless, Whitechapel, Happy Valley and Mapp and Lucia.

<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 on 5 February 2014. It is written by Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith 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.

<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.

Cold Comfort (<i>Inside No. 9</i>) 4th episode of the 2nd series of Inside No. 9

"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.

<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.

References

  1. 1 2 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 . Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
  2. ↑ "Inside No. 9, BBC2". Broadcast . 22 August 2013. Retrieved 6 February 2014.(subscription required)
  3. ↑ Lawson, Mark (5 February 2014). "Inside No 9: How Shearsmith and Pemberton have revived a lost genre". theguardian.com . Retrieved 6 February 2014.
  4. ↑ "The Harrowing". BBC. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
  5. ↑ See
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Dessau, Bruce (12 March 2014). "Preview: Inside No 9: The Harrowing, BBC2". Beyondthejoke.co.uk. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "A full on gothic horror". BBC. 12 March 2014. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Hoskins, Alex (12 March 2014). "Inside No 9 review, series 1 episode 6". Cheddar Valley Gazette . Archived from the original on 18 April 2014. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
  9. 1 2 Upton, David (26 March 2014). "'Inside No. 9' is a bit like a box of chocolates, albeit one full of dark, bitter sweets". PopMatters . Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  10. ↑ Branaghan, Sim; Chibnall, Steve (2006). British Film Posters: An Illustrated History. British Film Institute. pp. 219–221. ISBN   9781844572212.
  11. 1 2 Chater, David (12 March 2014). "Viewing guide". T2, The Times . pp. 12–13.[ dead link ]
  12. 1 2 3 James, Martin; Kinnes, Sally; Clarke, Mel (9 March 2014). "Choice; Wednesday 12 March". Culture, The Sunday Times . pp. 56–57.
  13. 1 2 Seale, Jack. "Inside No 9; Series 1 – 6. The Harrowing". Radio Times . Retrieved 18 April 2014.
  14. 1 2 3 4 Rutherford, Nick; Watson, Keith (13 March 2014). "Last episode of Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton's Inside No.9 is a bit of a cop out". Metro . Retrieved 18 April 2014.
  15. ↑ "Every episode was intriguing and...". Liverpool Echo . 15 March 2014. p. 20.
  16. 1 2 Farber, Alex (13 March 2014). "C4 space season blasts off with 1.6m". Broadcast . Retrieved 18 April 2014.(subscription required)
  17. ↑ Farber, Alex (27 February 2014). "Inside No 9, First Dates and Suspects dip to lows". Broadcast . Retrieved 1 March 2014.(subscription required)
  18. ↑ McCrum, Kirstie (16 May 2014). "The Dafftas: Your winners revealed". WalesOnline . Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  19. ↑ "31 scary TV episodes that truly terrified us". Den of Geek. 31 October 2014. Retrieved 2 November 2014.[ dead link ]
  20. ↑ "Inside No. 9 ("Mischief!")". Empire Online. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 28 March 2015.

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.