What to watch while The Walking Dead is on break: Inside No.9

While The Walking Dead shows are off air, why not look across the pond?

Now that The Walking Dead Universe is taking its annual seasonal break you may be finding yourself at a loss what to watch on Sunday nights, or Tuesday lunchtimes given the state of the world currently.

If you fancy taking a  suggestion from this Scottish fan of The Walking Dead, you might like to check out  the BBC horror comedy series Inside No.9. There have been 5 seasons of this award winning anthology series, with a further 2 seasons on the way, and I’d recommend it to anyone who loves quality TV – for those with HBO Max or Britbox in the US, or iPlayer in the UK.

Anthologies shows seem to be where it’s at – with TWD getting on board with the forthcoming Tales of the Walking Dead, and the Carol and Daryl spin-off having an anthology feel, so you’d be keeping ahead of the curve.

Created and written by Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton (also the creators and stars of The League of Gentlemen along with Sherlock’s Mark Gatiss), each season is made up of 6 stand-alone half hour episodes each with a self-contained story, and all taking place behind door number 9 – hence the title.

Fans of Black Mirror will love this similarly styled dark series, though it’s not constrained by the theme of technology like Charlie Brooker’s anthology show. Inside No.9 crosses many genres and experimental styles over the seasons. Episodes have ranged from Gothic horror, silent comedy, broad farce, and murder mystery, often featuring a twist in the tail – or two. And settings for these hugely varied stories veer from inside a wardrobe, to inside a karaoke booth, to inside a Cromwellian village.

Black humor is central to most episodes, (it’s certainly not for the faint-hearted, but I  know that’s not a worry for TWD fans) along with a theme of murder – though in Inside No.9 there are no rules, only that a compelling story is told within the 30 minutes.

You can be assured you’ll never be bored with the show – if there’s a genre or story you don’t love, you know the next episode will take you on a  wildly different journey, and the episode after that will take you someplace entirely different again.

As well as writing the show, Shearsmith and Pemberton appear in each episode, though don’t necessarily take on the central roles. As such, Inside No.9 showcases some of Britain’s best acting talents, new and old.

Guest stars have included The Walking Dead’s own David Morrisey, Game of Throne’s Conleth Hill, Absolutely Fabulous’ Jane Horrocks, Bodyguard’s Keely Hawes, and acting legend Sir Derek Jacobi.

The performances are inevitably stellar, but what puts the show head and shoulders above the average is the writing. It’s an absolute feat of genius to create a world, establish the characters in it, their relationship to each other, and create a problem that is resolved all within 30 minutes.

It’s such an incredible achievement it’s easy to forget when you’re watching how incredible that is to pull of. I find myself constantly amazed by the journeys Shearsmith and Pemberton take us on, some are desperately moving, and some so staggeringly clever that they take my breath away.

Obviously one of the benefits of an anthology show is that you can dip in and out of any episodes you chose, without needing to follow a plot or see another episode to understand what’s going on.

Depending on your personal tastes, there are many different episodes I’d recommend to start with as a great amuse-bouche for the series.

If you enjoy a Shakespearean comedy, check out Season 4’s “Hotel Zanziber” – told entirely in iambic pentameter. If you’re a fan of silent comedy, watch out for the robbery farce “A Quiet Night In” from season 1. If you want traditional horror, season 2’s prank show inspired “Seance Time” might be the episode to draw you in.

Of course, given the time of year, you may be looking for something more festive to indulge in. Well Inside No.9 has you covered there too. Over the seasons they have produced 3 Christmas themed episodes, in 3 very different styles.

“The Devil of Christmas” is perhaps the darkest of all Inside No.9 episodes. Filmed in the style of 70s British horror such as the Tales of the Unexpected series, it shows what seems to be a family experiencing problems with the legend of Krampus, whilst on a winter break. However, we quickly realize what we are actually watching is a movie, with audio commentary being provided by the director of the film. It is a disturbing and gripping episode that owes a lot to Christmas horrors of the past.

“Love’s Great Adventure” is an episode much more grounded in the here and now, and tells the story of an ordinary working class family struggling under the financial pressures of the season. British soap-opera actress Debbie Rush is the heart and soul of an episode which is equal parts heartbreaking and heartwarming.

“12 Days of Christine” is perhaps the most talked about and most praised episode of the 5 seasons of Inside No.9. Writers Pemberton and Shearsmith play small parts in an episode that is completely owned by Olivier-award-winning actress Sheridan Smith in the titular role.

In this episode we see Christine’s life changing with the seasons, but it seems no matter the time of year the young woman is haunted by odd visions and strange happenings. It’s possibly the most moving episode in the show’s run and is guaranteed to stay with you for a long time after the end titles have rolled.

So this holiday season if you find yourself yearning a TV equivalent of a chocolate assortment box, maybe give Inside No.9 a shot. You can dip in and out, with a bite of whatever your taste-buds fancy, without having to commit to a whole bar of any one genre. Although, like most chocolates, I promise Inside No.9 is hard to put down once you’ve had a taste.