“The door is ajar, rather than closed.”
Fans of the darkly comic stylings of Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton have bid farewell to their hit anthology series Inside No. 9, which has enjoyed a remarkably long run on BBC Two and iPlayer.
Each half-hour episode tells a self-contained story, confined to one location and featuring an all-new cast of characters, which has presented quite the writing challenge for the dynamic duo over the past decade.
The pair are now moving on, having satisfyingly reached the milestone ninth season, but they aren’t locking the door to No. 9 forever, with a stage show confirmed to be on the way and potential for a revival somewhere down the line.
For now, here’s everything Shearsmith and Pemberton have said about wrapping up Inside No. 9 as well as what the future might hold for the fan-favourite series.
Why won’t there be an Inside No. 9 season 10?
The creators have said they were “determined” to get to nine seasons of Inside No. 9, and admitted that it now feels like a natural time to put a pin in the acclaimed anthology.
Steve Pemberton told Radio Times: “I don’t think we regret deciding to finish. Numerically, it’s our little in-joke – nine series of Inside No. 9. It could easily have stopped after five series, but we were determined to get to that landmark.”
Previously, he told fans at a screening that writing season 9 was “hard” because the show had already attempted “so many ways” of telling a story that they had to be careful not to “repeat” themselves.
On that note, Shearsmith added: “There will be a sadness to [ending the show], but also massive relief that we’ve got to the end without compromising on the high bar we set ourselves.
“We’ve done 55 different stories now, and to have not repeated ourselves or started to wane feels like an achievement. We’re very proud.”
So, the primary reason why Inside No. 9 is ending is to ensure that it goes out on a high note, rather than suffering the kind of gradual decline in quality that has befallen numerous other shows before it.
Is there an Inside No. 9 stage show?
Inside No. 9 fans are getting quite the farewell present from creators Shearsmith and Pemberton, with the long-rumoured theatrical version finally moving forward.
Titled Stage/Fright and due to start performances in January of next year, the mysterious project is hoping to capture all the elements that made the TV series such a delight.
The creators said: “Inside No. 9 viewers go into each episode not knowing what to expect and we want this to be the same for the theatre show, with the ability for each audience to experience the performance for the first time and go on that theatrical journey with us.
“On TV we have done everything from knockabout farce to psychological drama to full-on horror. We’ve chosen the subtitle Stage/Fright, which does suggest something theatrical and something unsettling.”
They added: “But to say any more would spoil the surprises and we would never do that. We want to deliver the perfect West End night at the theatre… we might even crack out a song if you’re lucky!”
Could there be an Inside No. 9 revival?
While we shouldn’t expect any further episodes of Inside No. 9 in the short term, co-creator Pemberton has said he isn’t opposed to the idea of a special or revival somewhere down the line.
The actor and screenwriter cited his earlier collaboration with Reece Shearsmith – The League of Gentlemen – which returned to television in 2017 after a 15-year absence for three anniversary specials.
Pemberton initially told The Sun: “We’re not saying it’s over for good. After all, The League of Gentlemen came back, but we won’t be looking to make any more episodes for the time being.”
At an event months later, he added: “It absolutely could [come back]. And that’s why we’ve said the door is ajar, rather than closed. You could easily do specials and stuff like that.
“But for us and for the poor audience… I think it’s good to know we are finishing after [season] 9, but we won’t say, ‘Lock the door and throw away the key’.”
Inside No. 9 is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. You can buy Inside No.9 tickets for West End show Stage/Fright now.
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