Inside No. 9
- TV comedy drama
- BBC Two
- 2014 - 2024
- 55 episodes (9 series)
Dark comedy anthology series from Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton. Each episode focuses on the goings-on around something to do with the number 9.
Streaming rank this week: 116
Episode menu
Inside No. 9 Live - Dead Line
Notes
The 25th episode of Inside No. 9, Dead Line was broadcast and scored completely live. It was originally intended to be broadcast on Halloween night itself, but had to be moved to accommodate BBC Two's schedules. The script was rewritten to reflect this.
Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith interview
Broadcast details
- Date
- Sunday 28th October 2018
- Time
- 10pm
- Channel
- BBC Two
- Length
- 30 minutes
Cast & crew
| Steve Pemberton | Arthur Flitwick |
| Reece Shearsmith | Rev. Neil |
| Stephanie Cole | Moira O'Keefe |
| Robin Berry | Alan Starr (Coronation Street Crew Member) |
| Chandrika Chevli | Laura Howarth (News Reporter) |
| Sophie Jugé | Ghost |
| Connie Wilkins | Ghost |
| Yvonne D'Alpra | Radio Advert (Voice) |
| Rich Keeble | Radio DJ (Voice) |
| Emma Stannard | Radio Advert (Voice) |
| Beccy Wright | BBC Two Continuity Announcer (Voice) |
| Reece Shearsmith | Writer |
| Steve Pemberton | Writer |
| Barbara Wiltshire | Director |
| Jon Plowman | Executive Producer |
| Steve Pemberton | Associate Producer |
| Reece Shearsmith | Associate Producer |
| Adam Tandy | Series Producer |
| Claire McCarthy | Producer |
| Rebecca Kerley | Line Producer |
| Jackie Ramsamy | Archive Producer |
| Simon Rogers | Production Designer |
| Tracey Gillham | Casting Director |
| Yves Barre | Costume Designer |
| Christian Henson | Composer |
| Marcus Whitney | Make-up Designer |
| Martin Kempton | Lighting Designer |
| Gregor Sharp | Commissioning Editor |
Video
Interview with cast & crew of Dead Line
When Inside No. 9, the genre-defying anthology series, showed the groundbreaking live episode 'Dead Line' at Halloween, they created one of the great TV moments of 2018. In this session we revisit the episode and talk to the show's creators Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton, along with director Barbara Wiltshire and long-standing producer Adam Tandy.
Featuring: Reece Shearsmith, Steve Pemberton, Barbara Wiltshire & Adam Tandy.
Press
How Inside No. 9 wanted to decapitate Mrs Brown
The creators of Inside No. 9 have revealed that they considered decapitating the sitcom character Mrs Brown in their groundbreakingly live episode Dead Line.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 6th May 2021It 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".
Gwilym Mumford, The Guardian, 19th December 2018Inside 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.
Dodo's Words, 19th November 2018Inside No. 9 Live: staging a Halloween prank
Executive producer Adam Tandy lifts the lid on the delicate staging of an elaborate hoax.
Adam Tandy, Broadcast, 31st October 2018Inside No. 9: the road to devilish deception
Where did The Sun and their quoted source, The Daily Star, get the Inside No. 9 Granada Studios story? Is it possible they were fed it as part of the show's mischief...
Louisa Mellor, Den Of Geek, 30th October 2018Inside No. 9's live episode was exceptionally clever
Television history, urban myth, horror tradition, all bound together and delivered at a breakneck pace through live television.
James Cooray Smith, The New Statesman, 30th October 2018Inside No 9, live Halloween episode, review
The League of Gentlemen graduates deploy retro-horror with some very post modern twisting.
Sean O'Grady, The Independent, 29th October 2018TV review: Inside No. 9
I'd love it if some people came in to the show half way through and bought in to the harrowing events that were inflicted upon us.
Alex Finch, Comedy To Watch, 29th October 2018Inside No 9: Dead Line review
Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith love a gimmick, coming up with ever-inventive ways to present each of their Inside No 9 stories.
Steve Bennett, Chortle, 29th October 2018Tantalisingly, all Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith will give away about this live special is that it's Halloween night and a man is making his way home through the graveyard of a church when he finds a mobile on one of the graves. His attempt to contact the owner unleashes a dark chain of events. Be there and be scared.
Mike Bradley, The Guardian, 28th October 2018Inside No 9 Live, review
A prank pulled off with aplomb, this was a televisual trick and treat.
Michael Hogan, The Telegraph, 28th October 2018How will Inside No 9's live Halloween episode work?
Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith discuss the scariest TV project they've ever worked on...
Sam Peters, Radio Times, 28th October 2018Late Coronation Street stars 'haunting Granada Studios'
Coronation Street stars from years gone by are haunting the soap's old set at the Granada Studios in Manchester.
The spooky goings-on are thought to have got so bad, that BBC Two show Inside No. 9 has even pulled out of filming there.
Julia Pritchard, The Sun, 26th October 2018