The stars behind brilliant comedy Inside No 9 says they had to call it a day while people still find the show funny and surprising.
Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith admit they have no regrets about saying goodbye and have opened up about putting the series to rest. From playing murderous Cambridge professors and cat burglars to killer magicians and call centre employees, the double act have taken on all kinds of twisted characters throughout the run.
They are retiring their award-winning dark comedy but not before one last series – which fittingly happens to be the ninth. The programme returns to screens in less than two weeks for its final season and fans are bracing themselves for an emotional farewell. But Steve and Reece said the time is right.
Despite picking up multiple Baftas and a steady rise in ratings, the duo know there couldn't be a better time to officially close the door to No 9. “We feel really lucky to have got to nine,” says Steve in a chat to OK! Magazine. “We don’t have any doubts that it’s the right time to leave it while people are still enjoying it and finding it surprising. The moment a show becomes predictable, it’s dead for us.
“We’re not treating it too differently to any of the series really – it’s always manic. People keep asking us how we feel, but we’re just focusing on making this. I think filming the last episode will be hard.” Reece, 54, adds, “These scripts have been in our heads for a long time, so it’s nice when you finally get to do them. It probably hasn’t dawned on us yet that it’s the last one.
“We didn’t know we’d be doing it for 10 years. Every series was a surprise to us. We’ve done so many different things – a lifetime of ideas. We just wish it was Inside No 2, then we’d have been done years ago! We’ve been talking about one episode called The Curse Of The Ninth for a long time – it’s about a superstition in classical music that once you’ve composed your ninth symphony, you’re going to die. We thought it was good thematically to save this one for the ninth series – hopefully we won’t drop dead next week!”
Last May, BBC Two announced that Inside No 9 had been rescheduled, and aired what was billed as a new game show hosted by Lee instead. When the episode ended with a studio in chaos and a contestant’s head exploding, viewers realised they had been fooled by Steve and Reece.
Reece continued to Radio Times: "When the last episode is only available on iPlayer, then it really will feel like it’s concluded. "There will be a sadness to it 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."
The final six instalments of Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton's anthology series will start with Boo To A Goose, the 50th episode in the series, which will guest star Mark Bonnar (Guilt), Susan Wokoma (Cheaters), Joel Fry (Game of Thrones), Philippa Dunne (Derry Girls) and Charlie Cooper (This Country).
The synopsis for the full season teases: "From the elegance of an Edwardian country house to the grim reality of the last train home, from nosy neighbours to grave robbers, from illicit visits to the toilet to a ticking clock in a sinister escape room, this ninth collection is sure to send the series off with a bang.
"A deadly mixture of classical music, dubious morals and murders at midnight, Shearsmith and Pemberton present six more films to delight and disturb their many fans around the world as they open the door marked No. 9 for the final time."
Inside No 9 airs Wednesday 8th May at 10pm on BBC Two
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