Reece Shearsmith

Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton return with a portmanteau offering. Framing the stories, we watch as a location manager on a Most Haunted-style show inspects the dilapidation of Ravenhill Psychiatric Hospital. This is spooky enough in itself, but not nearly so nasty as dark tales starring the likes of Mr Jelly, Joy and David. In context, the script has to work harder than usual to provide light relief. Which it does. Lomax offers a lady customer a fiver for some soft toys: "And that's only because I'm curious about your Bagpuss."

A Halloween message from Reece Shearsmith

Well - it's finally upon us. All Hallows Eve - the one night of the year when it's alright to inject apples with poison and hand them out to children...

A special edition of the macabre comedy thriller from The League of Gentlemen's Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton. It centres on a television location manager, Shearsmith, who has taken his camera with him to the abandoned ruins of the fictional Ravenhill Psychiatric Hospital. He is investigating stories about the ghost of its evil former governess, Edwina Kenchington (Eileen Atkins), for a Most Haunted style programme. In true Psychoville style, the episode is both hilarious and unsettling. Four eccentric tales of terror unfold, each featuring one of the regular characters from the series - the bitter, one-handed children's entertainer Mr Jelly (Shearsmith), the deranged midwife Joy (Dawn French) and her baby, the blind millionaire Mr Lomax (Pemberton), and the serial-killer enthusiast David Sowerbutts (Pemberton again) and his mother. The Mr Jelly one - which sees him opening the door to two mysterious trick-or-treaters - is the strangest, and the funniest. Artfully written and well acted, like the previous award-winning series, this may at times be too odd and too disturbing for some viewers to stomach.

Trick or treat?

Steve Bennett meets Psychoville's Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith.

Psychoville live chat: Reece Shearsmith

Reece Shearsmith will be live online from 12.30 on Friday ahead of Sunday's Psychoville Halloween special. Leave your questions for him here.

Psychoville Halloween special: in pictures

What could be more terrifying than spending Halloween in the company of Psychoville - Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton's BBC2 comedy horror show? And what fresh frights are in store?

Psychoville Halloween: Pemberton & Shearsmith interview

In the run-up to the Psychoville Halloween special, we caught up with writers Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton to talk horror, comedy and Most Haunted...

Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith interview

The chameleon creators of Psychoville talk about the weird and woeful things get their creative juices flowing.

Steve Pemberton & Reece Shearsmith interview

Psychoville is back on BBC2 with a terrifying Halloween special starring Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith...

Psychoville: Reece Shearsmith studies the fragments

Roll up Psychoville fans - nearly time to come out and play again. Yes you know who you are; in the words of the late (?) Mr Jelly - "Don't be ashamed".