the scene of the gun at the end of cold comfort and the immediate cut to shine playing during the credits left me absolutely floored. hearing such a cheerful song but sitting there in horror is such a punch to the gut, amazing television.
12 Days of Christine is definitely one of the best pieces of television I’ve ever seen I also adore Cold Comfort. It’s usually an episode I recommend to people as a first episode as I think it works really well and has all of the marks of a classic Number 9 episode
One thing I did like about Nana's Party is the bit right at the beginning where an emergency ambulance is shown outside the house and a paramedic is rushing towards the house. When I watched it for the first time I just assumed that there would be a death somewhere in the episode and it certainly played out that way with the scenes. It was almost inevitable someone would die. Remember that in every single other episode of the show so far there has been at least 1 death. So the big twist is that actually nobody dies and the "paramedic" is actually a stripper. I found that very clever.
That's what kept me interested throughout the episode, and the final scene with the paramedic is hilarious, but the rest of the episode is borderline unwatchable.
You have 12 Days of Christine absolutely spot on. I honestly think it is the greatest TV show ever made. Sheridan Smith broke me. As great as Pemberton and Shearsmith are, this will never be bettered.
@@paulflint6254 I have a real issue with main characters talking directly to the audience . I find it hugely irritating, so maybe it was that. I can’t even tell you the ending/twist it left no impression on me
La Couchette is one of my absolute favourite Inside No. 9 episodes. Overall season 2 is pretty good. Nana’s party is not my favourite, but I don’t think it’s that bad.
Oh wow, that's interesting! I very rarely hear people speak about La Couchette as an all-time favourite! But it is certainly a solid one, thank you for sharing! :D
I feel that 'The Trial of Elizabeth Gadge' was MASSIVELY overlooked when it first aired since it had the absolute GIANT of '12 Days of Christine' to follow. No episode could ever match up
Re - The VVitch - The trial of Elizabeth Gadge was filmed before It was released. Steve actually mentioned that it is one of his and Reece's favourite recent horror films at the recent event at the Barbican. You may not be surprised to know Mr Warren is Reece's day inside no role he has played and his favourite guest star is David Warner (he will be pleased you picked up on the attention to detail they brought to making the script as authentic and ridiculous as actual 17th century witch trials as possible)
Been looking forward to this one (I got a lump in my throat at your discussion of 12 days of Christine- you explain wonderfully why people love it). And Cold Comfort is an amazing episode - as you say Steve is such an amazing actor (as is Reece)
One of my favourite series of the show - Christine and Cold Comfort are complete masterpieces for very different reasons. Christine is one of the best things I've ever seen on TV. Nana's Party is the only episode I didn't really like - La Couchette and Elizabeth Gadge are delightfully silly and Seance Time (while not as good as The Harrowing for me) freaked me out and amused me in equal measure. The final jump scare really got me!
Elizabeth Gadge is the episode that had to take the bullet of following 12 days of Christine. Almost any episode you put after was going to suffer a sense of deflation, and while I also don’t think it’s their best episode at all it’s probably marked down a little unfairly because of that positioning in the run.
Ah, well, we'll have to disagree on Nana's Party there. Funny how you mentioned Hitchcock, because it's done according to his principle. First you see the Ambulance, and then you're worried for the whole episode, who it was/will be called for. The twist is: nobody, it's not an ambulance, nobody even dies this episode at all! I was so immersed in the suspense when watching for the first time, I even missed the tragedy of the alcoholic sister. The actress is phenomenal, the portrayal is flawless. And one should pay more attention to her, watching the next time. This one definitely is no worse than the Sardines.
Well 12 Days of Christine - the best half hour of a TV series in the last decade, if not longer let alone in the No 9 series! However Cold Comfort I thought cheated the audience. The voice wasn't Reece Sheersmith at the start and only became his towards the end and I thought that was not what we come to expect from the boys. It was a cheat, not a misdirection. It cheated us and because of that I would put it behind Nannas Party :-)
On my first watch I quite liked Nana's Party, I loved the fact that the twist was that there was no real twist, there's so much tension building up throughout the episode. But then on a second watch, there's no tension and it's a drag. The only thing worth watching is the devastating character of Reece's guy in the episode.
I think your being a little harsh with nanas party, it has funny bits and has a comfort build up of problems. The worst episodes are the ones attempting to be scary like the harrowing and seance time
I think Nana’s Party is the boys’ take on Alan Ayckbourn. While it’s definitely not a favourite, it’s definitely not worse than Last Night of the Proms!
