Inside No. 9

An anthology of darkly comic twisted tales, each one taking place behind a door marked 'number 9'.

Inside No. 9 (2014-2024) is a British dark comedy anthology series created by Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton for BBC Two. Each self-contained tale unfolds behind a door marked number nine, with a fresh cast of characters and a new situation every episode, so no story carries over into the next. The engine of each half-hour installment is a small, ordinary predicament, such as a dinner party, a relationship, or a mundane errand, that escalates into something uncomfortable and absurd. The writers deliberately withhold information and lay a series of misleading clues, so the audience is pulled one way before a late reveal reframes everything that came before. Across nine seasons and more than fifty episodes, the anthology stays tightly rooted in contemporary British settings and domestic awkwardness, with the tone shifting between wry, sardonic and genuinely macabre. Shearsmith and Pemberton's ensemble guest casts feature actors such as Timothy West, Anna Chancellor and Ophelia Lovibond. Fans of Black Mirror, The League of Gentlemen and Tales from the Crypt will find a similar appetite for clever, unsettling twists delivered in compact form.

Audiences broadly regard Inside No. 9 as an acclaimed, inventive anthology whose twisty dark comedies stay sharp across its run.

• Black Mirrorshared dark comedy twists, anthology format of self-contained darkly comic tales
• Tales from the Cryptshared anthology structure with twisty standalone stories and macabre comedic tone
• The League of Gentlemenshared British dark comedy sensibility and unsettling everyday absurdity
• Fargoshared mordant comic tone and grim twist-driven stories

Created by

Reece Shearsmith, Steve Pemberton

Release Date

2014-02-05

Episode runtime

29 min

Rating

8.5 / 10 (291)

What is Inside No. 9 about?

A BBC anthology of darkly comic, twist-laden standalone tales, each set behind a door marked number nine.

What is Inside No. 9 like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Inside No. 9 as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.

Is Inside No. 9 violent?

Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Inside No. 9 as mild.

What did critics think of Inside No. 9?

Audiences broadly regard Inside No. 9 as an acclaimed, inventive anthology whose twisty dark comedies stay sharp across its run.

Which shows are like Inside No. 9?

Shows with a similar feel include Black Mirror, Tales from the Crypt, The League of Gentlemen, and Fargo.

How long is Inside No. 9?

Inside No. 9: 9 seasons, 53 episodes.

Is Inside No. 9 still running?

No, Inside No. 9 has ended.

Where can I watch Inside No. 9?

In United States, Inside No. 9 streams on Britbox Apple TV channel.