The first location has been revealed – and it’s been a long time coming.
Get ready, Inside No. 9 fans! Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton have cooked up another batch of wickedly funny tales destined to delight and disturb viewers on BBC Two and iPlayer.
The long-running anthology series poses quite a writing challenge, with each 30-minute episode telling a self-contained story set in a single location.
Each season brings larger-than-life characters played by some of the brightest stars on British television, with Amanda Abbington, Mathew Horne and Asim Chaudhry on the line-up this time around.
Shearsmith and Pemberton said: “We are thrilled to invite viewers inside a new set of funny and frightening number 9s; take your shoes off, make yourself at home and switch your devices to Do Not Disturb. Well, it might work.”
No doubt fans will be savouring this latest instalment, following recent comments from Pemberton that suggest the series could be ending soon.
Here’s what we know so far about Inside No. 9 season 8 so far.
Inside No. 9 season 8 release date speculation
There’s no confirmed release date for Inside No. 9 season 8 just yet, but the BBC has announced that the show will return to BBC Two and iPlayer in spring 2023.
The previous season debuted in April 2022, so it’s possible that the show could return to that month once more, with scripted dramas often adhering to a roughly annual production cycle.
Inside No. 9 season 8 cast
In January 2023, the BBC announced the full line-up for Inside No. 9 season 8, revealing another roster of big comedy names joining series creators Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton.
Fans can expect appearances from Amanda Abbington (We Are Not Alone), Anita Dobson (EastEnders), Asim Chaudhry (People Just Do Nothing), Phil Daniels (House of the Dragon), Frances Barber (Uncle Vanya) and Claire Rushbrook (My Mad Fat Diary).
Leon Herbert (Ghosts), Mathew Horne (Gavin & Stacey), Menyee Lai (Stay Close), Moyo Akandé (Guilt), Robin Askwith (The Madame Blanc Mysteries), Samantha Spiro (Sex Education), Sheila Reid (Benidorm) and Ayda Kiiza complete the season 8 cast.
As usual, specific roles are being kept tightly under wraps until closer to broadcast.
Inside No. 9 season 8 episodes
![""]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2023/01/inside-no-9-steve-pemberton-reece-shearsmith-ae35920.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"\"")
Each episode of Inside No. 9 takes place in a different location, and the one unifying feature is that each one incorporates the number ‘9’ in some capacity.
Season 8 began with Christmas special The Bones of St Nicholas, an episode set in a disused church where a group of campers were spending the night. The number ‘9’ corresponded to a pew.
The only other setting revealed so far is a London bus, where conductors played by Shearsmith and Pemberton will cross paths with an unknown individual played by Robin Askwith.
The writing duo have long resisted fan requests for an episode set on a bus, so their decision to finally have a crack at it provoked a huge response on social media.
Is there an Inside No. 9 season 8 trailer?
There’s no trailer for Inside No. 9 season 8 just yet, but we’re expecting to see one in the coming weeks. Watch this space.
Inside No. 9 is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Check out more of our Comedy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what’s on.
Try Radio Times magazine today and get 12 issues for only £1 with delivery to your home – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the Radio Times View From My Sofa podcast.