8 Best Anthology Shows Ever
6. Inside No. 9
Written by Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith, Inside No 9 is a British anthology series that has run on the BBC for five seasons. Each episode runs to a short half hour duration, tending to follow a range of narratives with a dark twist. The writers star as characters in each instalment, which are all linked by the inclusion of the number nine.
In each short story, a new cast plays a new set of characters in a seemingly often comedic setting to begin with.
During the episode, circumstances turn for the worst as the characters and audience figure out the shocking twist ending together. As it reached its fifth season, the narratives have followed a selection of surreal plots including murderous magicians, a bill paying gone wrong, failed Shakespearian actors and a police stake out in a graveyard.
In 2018, the pair created a one-off live episode for Halloween, in which during the episode, an array of situations appeared to go wrong with the recording.
Watchers speculated online as the sound went out in the first scene and tweeted the two actors that they were still live - only to discover that these "technical difficulties" were part of the set up for the episode. This episode alone is enough to entice anyone to binge watch each series so far.