10 Best TV Shows Of 2018 (So Far)

5. Inside No. 9

Inside No 9
BBC

A Shakspearean comedy told in iambic pentameter. An episode about a murder told in reverse chronology. Another about an old double-act reuniting that reveals itself to be a tragic tale of loss and regret. And that's just half of Inside No 9's fourth season.

The BBC series doesn't have the biggest audience, and it doesn't seem like many people outside of the UK are even aware of its existence, but that makes it one of the best hidden gems on TV, and S4 was its best yet.

There aren't many shows where you merely sit and gawp at the sheer invention and creativity on display as they pack shock upon twist upon rug-pull in just 30-minute chunks, each one of them a tightly-wrapped package that's full of surprises, all of them dark, funny, weird, and brilliantly layered.

With League of Gentlemen's Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith writing and starring in each episode, the show maintains a clear identity even if all that really links the instalments is the number nine. They might be better known for League, but this is every bit as good (and perhaps even better).

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Contributor
Contributor

NCTJ-qualified journalist. Most definitely not a racing driver. Drink too much tea; eat too much peanut butter; watch too much TV. Sadly only the latter paying off so far. A mix of wise-old man in a young man's body with a child-like wonder about him and a great otherworldly sensibility.