Reece Shearsmith

Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton might just have pulled off their most audacious trick ever with Dead Line, the apparently malfunctioning "live" Halloween episode that comprehensively wrong-footed even IN9's savvy audience. It went down as a spooky collective experience to rival Ghostwatch, one of its obvious influences. Some months before that, the (relatively) ordinary episodes in series four of the horror-comedy anthology had delivered several classics, from Shakespearean merriment to old-showbiz pathos and, in Once Removed, a fiendish feat of reverse storytelling. Shearsmith and Pemberton are simply masters of their craft, regularly succeeding this year at things other comedians couldn't even imagine.

Best of 2018: comedy

Returning greats and a memorable newcomer.

If the nifty writing was the star of previous episode Zanzibar, this one was a showcase for performance. Not just from Steve Pemberton, who gave us all manner of vintage comedy 'bits', but also from Reece Shearsmith. [...]

This terrific episode was empathetic, moving, and entertaining throughout. The mystery over just what occurred in Bernie Clifton's dressing room gently pulled us through the first half, while the emotion took over in the second. Topping it all off with that glorious Morecambe and Wise-style song and dance number ("Misery might let you win a Bafta..." touché) was an additional treat. The previous episode had a large cast and dialogue going a mile a minute, but this two-hander felt no less full.

It would have been impressive enough if Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton had merely followed through with their promise of a live version of their superlative comedy horror anthology series. Instead they chose to take a chainsaw to the entire concept of the live episode itself and produced the year's outstanding half hour of TV in the process. Dead Line began as a creaky TV play about a misunderstanding over a missing phone, but then the "technical difficulties" started, with the programmes' sound and vision flickering intermittently. Many assumed that it was a Beeb balls-up and switched off, but those who stuck around were treated to a deliciously meta-horror story based on rumours of evil spirits haunting the old Granada studios - all told completely live, of course. In a year where - between Bodyguard, the World Cup and Love Island - appointment TV's return was widely trumpeted, this was one occasion when you really "had to be there".

An Audience with The League of Gentlemen transcript

A transcript of two interviews - and an audience Q&A - with The League of Gentlemen.

The story behind Psychoville's two-take episode

With much discussion at the moment around how the sixth episode of Netflix's The Haunting Of Hill House was shot in just five long takes, let's revisit an episode of Psychoville which accomplished a similar feat back in 2009.

Best comedy books and DVDs of 2018

There are lashings of laughter for Christmas. Bruce Dessau rounds up the pick of the comedy crop on screen and on the page.

Behind the scenes with The League of Gentlemen

Photographer Sarah Lee was given exclusive access in Royston Vasey for The League of Gentlemen's last performance of their live tour. Gareth McLean reflects on 20 years of the League and speaks to the gents themselves.

Inside No.9 review: Halloween special: 'Dead Line'

The way it was done, the sheer audacity of the whole thing left one almost open-mouthed in admiration and amazement.