Inside No.9 Live Halloween Special 28/10 10pm

[Icehaven]

I think the story only works if it's a live / "real" event, otherwise how can the creators justify flicking to an episode of Most Haunted for a bit, etc? It's the best way to tell that story so it's justifiable for me and lifts it up from merely being a gimmick.

Yes but if it hadn't actually been live and had been filmed in advance it'd still look exactly the same and the same things would have happened. Nothing actually happened in it that needed it to be live (apart from the channel changing moment) and viewers would have been none the wiser. I appreciate there's a desire/legal requirement to not say something's live when it isn't, it's just a lot of effort to go to do a live broadcast which is then indistinguishable from a pre-filmed drama. I get that it being supposedly live was vital to the story but it's just that it would have still looked the same to us at home if it wasn't.

[ishantbekeepingit]

Are people really that big fans of The Devil of Christmas?  Honestly I thought it was a bit flat and boring, and the payoff didn't really kick.  Maybe it's because I didn't grow up on those corny old TV films (but I did enjoy those lovely candle trails).

[buzby]

https://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/inside-no-9-live-staging-a-halloween-prank/5134149.article

Cheers for that - it does show that the monitor was showing live pictures in-camera rather than being composited in too:

[Queneau]

Are people really that big fans of The Devil of Christmas?  Honestly I thought it was a bit flat and boring, and the payoff didn't really kick.  Maybe it's because I didn't grow up on those corny old TV films (but I did enjoy those lovely candle trails).

I wasn't a massive fan either. Not awful by any means but I'm currently in the process of watching old episodes and that won't be near the top of my selections.

[Norton Canes]

Bernie Clifton's Dressing Room would have been a fantastic one to have attempted live.

[Queneau]

Steve Pemberton has tweeted saying "Enjoy The Apprentice: You're Fired at 10pm on BBC2 tonight." Probably nothing.

People on Twitter seem to think that they'll be some involvement from Pemberton and Sheersmith.  It's that they are frustrated at not getting the Halloween slot, surely?  Rightfully so that they should be annoyed.  Stupid fucking scheduling.

[neveragain]

Are people really that big fans of The Devil of Christmas?  Honestly I thought it was a bit flat and boring, and the payoff didn't really kick.  Maybe it's because I didn't grow up on those corny old TV films (but I did enjoy those lovely candle trails).

I know I'll sound like a blindly devoted obsessive* but yes I love that episode too. Adore it all; the initial what-the-fuckery, the evoking of 1970's TV plays in every respect (most enjoyably the acting), Derek Jacobi's chummy commentary and an ending so nasty I had to stand up just so I could have a sit down. I like to imagine the whole crew were in on it. Fanciful yes but all the more horrifying.

*There are episodes I have issues with (Last Gasp, Private View, And The Winner Is...) but they're in the minority and they all have a lot to enjoy about them as well. Several (including The Trial of Elizabeth Gadge, Séance Time and Zanzibar) I didn't enjoy as much on first viewing but have grown on me. The Bill could have done without the last shot of Glenister but it doesn't spoil it that much.

[Icehaven]

People on Twitter seem to think that they'll be some involvement from Pemberton and Sheersmith.  It's that they are frustrated at not getting the Halloween slot, surely?  Rightfully so that they should be annoyed.  Stupid fucking scheduling.

I almost totally agree, with the only slight counter being that on actual Halloween more people would probably intend to watch a horror film or two (either scheduled or otherwise) and watch this later on catchup (which would spoil the sound fuckup misdirection somewhat) but that's just speculation tbh, I still think it'd have been better on Halloween.

[Johnny Yesno]

I reckon this has been my favourite telly of the year so far.

I thought it was going to be all about the mobile phone story. I was taken in by the care that went into that scene, particularly the shot where they turned day into evening in a single camera pan.

I was fooled by the audio dropouts, in part because I was watching on Box Of Broadcasts and had the subtitles on. They were lagging behind significantly right from the beginning and I couldn't work out if this was a technical issue or if it was because they were live.

When the programme was interrupted, I would have probably fallen for it if I hadn't seen that this thread was already about nine pages long, so I knew to keep watching. It's all very well knowing that something bad is going to happen, but it's not much help if you have no idea what it is. I was half expecting some kind of jump scare, but I also knew that's not really their style. It was very unsettling.

I did laugh when Rees was reading Twitter.

'What's going on with Inside No 9? Is this part of the twist?' Oh, do fuck off!

I also liked the dig at doing a Halloween show that wouldn't get shown on Halloween. Some excellent plausible deniability, there.

Overall, I agree with everyone who has said that this episode was too short.

[olliebean]

I was fooled by the audio dropouts, in part because I was watching on Box Of Broadcasts and had the subtitles on. They were lagging behind significantly right from the beginning and I couldn't work out if this was a technical issue or if it was because they were live.

Just had a look on iPlayer and disappointingly, the subtitles said "Inaudible" and "Silence throughout" during the silent bits, which would have been a bit of a bloody giveaway. Is that what they said when you watched it?

[gib]

Just had a look on iPlayer and disappointingly, the subtitles said "Inaudible" and "Silence throughout" during the silent bits, which would have been a bit of a bloody giveaway. Is that what they said when you watched it?

Yes. The subs before then were live typed with the usual delay and inaccuracies you'd expect from live telly. Unless the ghost wrote them in advance of course.

[Johnny Yesno]

Just had a look on iPlayer and disappointingly, the subtitles said "Inaudible" and "Silence throughout" during the silent bits, which would have been a bit of a bloody giveaway. Is that what they said when you watched it?

No, there was OMINOUS MUSIC. and then nothing during the silence except for llull'llllll (which is the kind of gibberish BoB produces when there's a sound like a siren or something) until the sound returned.

[Johnny Yesno]

Music/audio nerds: this 30-minute vlog from the composer might interest

https://www.youtube.com/embed/f-y6n30XQGo

That is superb. I like the bit about Stephanie Cole corpsing.

[Isnt Anything]

I did wonder if the live subtitler was in on it or whether they were as much in the dark as we were, and somehow had to cope with everything that was happening !

[Icehaven]

When the programme was interrupted, I would have probably fallen for it if I hadn't seen that this thread was already about nine pages long, so I knew to keep watching.

I saw that too but just presumed someone must have blamed Jeremy Corbyn for the sound problems.

[ishantbekeepingit]

I saw that too but just presumed someone must have blamed Jeremy Corbyn for the sound problems.
[/quote
Is there any proof that he wasn't responsible?

[Queneau]

Typical of anti-soundistism Corbyn.

[Beagle 2]

It did actually remind me of Ghostwatch in that as soon as the "technical hitches" began, I groaned. I'm not sure I've ever enjoyed a show that's done this sort of thing, and I was disappointed that we didn't get a "proper" live episode, I though that would have been pretty great.

But there were a fair few times that I laughed out loud and the creativity was enjoyable and admirable. Also, kudos for getting Stephanie Cole on board - she's been one of the good guys ever since I clocked her in the audience for a Stewart Lee show a couple of years back. Well, before that as well to be fair.

[KennyMonster]

Is it Pemberton doing the voiceover on the Aunt Bessie's ad with the music from Granstand?

[yesitsme]

Is it Pemberton doing the voiceover on the Aunt Bessie's ad with the music from Granstand?

So many plot holes in that ad.  I mean, why would Aunt Bessie....

[zomgmouse]

Quite enjoyed this though I imagine watching it live would have heightened the experience.

As an aside, does anyone know where I can get a copy of Ghostwatch? Keen to see it.

[Jerzy Bondov]

Easy to come by these days on DVD and well worth it

[Captain Z]

Or watch it for free in realistic 1992 TV quality:

https://archive.org/details/Ghostwatch

[worldsgreatestsinner]

Reece & Steve are on the new Evolution of Horror podcast ep, talking about the live special and the LoG tour

https://evolutionofhorror.libsyn.com/inside-no-9-league-of-gentlemen-with-reece-shearsmith-steve-pemberton

[garbed_attic]

Reece & Steve are on the new Evolution of Horror podcast ep, talking about the live special and the LoG tour

https://evolutionofhorror.libsyn.com/inside-no-9-league-of-gentlemen-with-reece-shearsmith-steve-pemberton

heh literally just came onto this thread to post the same! It's a stellar podcast. Mike is a cutie

[Mango Chimes]

Thanks for that – enjoyed the Reece and Steve chat and would've like it to go on much longer, it's a shame he only got a junket slot. Surprised the host guy genuinely was tricked by the Hallowe'en special (and thought it went out on Hallowe'en).

I've been catching up on old episodes of this that I'd missed, and re-reading old threads I've been surprised at some of the negative reactions here and there. I'm usually one of the more negative cunts, but for example I really enjoyed the Monkey's Paw episode and that got a rougher ride here. And the Sphinx was phenomenal – had a very Chan-Wook Park vibe to it for me.

I've also, after listening to that podcast, tried yet again watching the first episode of The League Of Gentlemen and I still don't really like it...