Steve Pemberton

Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith's twisted anthology comedy returns for a Christmas special, with Pemberton, Jessica Raine and Rula Lenska hamming it up gleefully as a family getting more than they bargained for while on an Alpine holiday. Initially, it's a homage to 70s TV melodrama. But a voiceover - director's commentary or something more sinister? - lends an uneasy undertone, and soon the spoofy chuckles are over.

Before the third series starts, Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton are treating us to a seasonally-twisted special of their anthology comedy, Inside No.9.

It is Austria, Krampusnacht, December 1977. Julian Devonshire (Steve Pemberton), his pregnant wife Kathy (Jessica Raine), their son Toby and mother-in-law Celia (Rula Lenska) arrive at the alpine chalet for a family holiday.

They are shown around by Klaus (Reece Shearsmith) who tells the family about the local legend of The Devil of Christmas. All the good children are given gifts by St. Nicholas, and all the bad ones are punished by the demonic Krampus.

But who has been good, and who has been bad?

How could I have doubted them? The two darkly brilliant men who write and star in this series, Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith, have never once let us down. Whether in The League Of Gentlemen or in this creepy anthology series, They simply do not put a foot wrong.

I was initially underwhelmed by this Christmas special. It was good but nothing spectacular ... and then it reared up and slapped me out of my complacency. It grabbed me by the lapels and shook me hard and reminded just me who I'm dealing with. The show is styled like a 70s BBC drama: streaky lights, shaky sets, wooden acting, clumsy shifts in focus and a wildly panning camera. It tells the tale of Krampus, The Devil of Christmas, who is stalking an English family as they take a winter break in a cosy Austrian chalet. A director's commentary is tacked onto the programme mocking its production values and gossiping about the actors - but nothing is as it seems and there's a fine twist. It's weird, bizarre and brilliant.

Inside No 9: The Devil Of Christmas preview

Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton have taken a leaf out of the Garth Marenghi's Darkplace playbook for the much-anticipated return of Inside No. 9, give or take a decade.

Inside No. 9 - The Devil Of Christmas review

Like with all of Inside No. 9 however, the real twist in the tale comes at the very end. Of course it would be bad of me to spoil it, which just goes to show what incredible writing talent Shearsmith and Pemberton have. The horror and dark twists certainly come as a surprise, while the commentary provides the humour. It is worth watching a few times because you can easily miss some gags.

Inside No. 9: The Devil Of Christmas review

The Inside No. 9 Christmas special is an expertly layered treat for fans of vintage horror.

Preview: Inside No. 9 Christmas Special

Inside No. 9 makes its long-awaited return with a festive special on 27th December, entitled 'The Devil of Christmas'.

Preview: Inside No 9 - The Devil Of Christmas

A new series of Inside No 9 starts in early 2017 but as a brilliant curtain raiser here's a one-off episode with a Yuletide theme. The Devil of Christmas is set in December 1977 in an Alpine chalet where a nice middle class English family has arrived to enjoy a skiing holiday.

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