Inside No. 9: Affect, Form, Genre (edited collection)
‘Half-hour nothings, every fourth one a dud.’ That’s how Steve Pemberton, playing a fictionalised version of himself, describes Inside No. 9 (IN9)to Reece Shearsmith (also playing himself) in ‘Plodding On’, the closing episode of the ninth series of the BBC anthology series. In the context of the metafictional finale, the line is knowingly dismissive of Pemberton and Shearsmith’s award-winning and critically acclaimed creation, which they wrote, performed, and occasionally directed for more than a decade, leading to IN9 becoming BBC Two’s longest-running comedy series.[1] For the dedicated following of audience members amassed, and the army of recognisable guest stars featured throughout the nine series from 2014 to 2024, IN9 is anything but ‘half-hour nothings’, with few, if any, ‘duds’.
One of the consistent strengths of IN9 as a series is how deftly it incorporates such a wide array of genres, forms and styles; doing so without compromising on finely crafted scripts, complex characters, and emotional heft; all delivered within the constraints of a thirty-minute running time and (mostly) a single location: the eponymous and ever-changing ‘Number 9’. Even after the TV series has come to an end, Pemberton and Shearsmith continue to innovate, with a stage production, Stage/Fright, due to open in London’s West End in 2025.
IN9 has become known for its dark tone – be that through Gothic horror or black comedy – as well as regularly offering twist endings. But an equally strong trend is the pair’s focus on careful storytelling, populated by authentic figures and shot through with affective depth. For every episode of IN9 that evokes shock, fear, or repulsion, there is another which offers tenderness, hope, and joy.
This edited collection will be the first academic study of IN9, offering a rich and wide-ranging exploration of the series. It aims to interrogate how the series has continually played with form, genre and affect in ways that hark back to its televisual, literary, cinematic and theatrical forebears, whilst establishing IN9 as an important and influential series in its own right.
The edited collection has already had advance interest from an academic publisher. The provisional deadline for submission of contributions accepted for inclusion in the volume will be in Spring 2025.
Contributions may address (but are not limited to):
- The recurrence of genre tropes and conventions throughout IN9, how these are reinforced or subverted within the series, and how they offer intertextual connections beyond the series.
- The series’ relationship to theatre and theatricality, be that through references to dramatists and their works (e.g. William Shakespeare in ‘The Understudy’), drawing on the forms and styles of dramatists (e.g. the work of Alan Bennett in episodes such as ‘Thinking Out Loud’), or through Pemberton and Shearsmith’s citation of the BBC’s Play for Today (1970-1984) as a direct influence on IN9.
- The series’ engagement with history, whether through a period setting (e.g. the seventeenth century in ‘The Trial of Elizabeth Gadge’) or through contemporary stories tied to specific periods from the past (e.g. the connection to 1970s Britain in ‘Wise Owl’)
- The series’ connection to and representation of British national identity, particularly as a BBC production.
- The use of symbolism and iconography within the series, whether in individual episodes (e.g. the folkloric traditions woven through ‘Mr. King’) or across the series (e.g. the hare figurine that appears in every episode).
- Exploration of the series through critical theories including, but not limited to, feminist theory, queer theory, and disability studies.
- Exploration of the series through scholarly disciplines including, but not limited to, philosophy, politics, and sociology.
- Experimentations with and subversions of screen language, e.g. the consistent use of CCTV feeds in ‘Cold Comfort’, or the single doorbell camera point of view of ‘Mulberry Close’.
- Experimentations with and subversions of narrative, literary and dramatic form, e.g. the incorporation of silent cinema performance techniques, mime and slapstick in ‘A Quiet Night In’, or the use of iambic pentameter and verse drama in ‘Zanzibar’.
- The use of paratextual materials in crafting and marketing the series, such as Pemberton setting the Guardian crossword under the pseudonym ‘Sphinx’ on the day the episode ‘The Riddle of the Sphinx’ first aired; or the creation and circulation of advertising and publicity materials for non-existent episode ‘Hold On Tight!’ in order to keep the details of real episode ‘3 by 3’ from being revealed.
- The use of individual guest stars within episodes, and how their presence contributes to or subverts expectations of their wider cultural status.
- The way in which IN9 connects to Pemberton and Shearsmith’s wider careers as writers and performers, whether through direct connection (e.g. ‘Death Be Not Proud’ featuring characters from Psychoville) or indirect allusion (e.g. ‘Merrily, Merrily’ as a League of Gentlemen reunion with Mark Gatiss)
In the spirit of IN9’s resistance to regularity, contributions are invited in three forms:
- Full-length chapters discussing multiple episodes of IN9 through a critical lens (approx. 6,000 words)
- Mid-length essays which offer a deep dive into an individual episode of IN9 (approx. 4,000 words)
- Short ‘notes’ exploring one aspect of the series with concision (approx. 2,000 words)
(Please note: all word counts are provisional at this stage and are subject to change.)
Please send an abstract of no more than 300 words accompanied by a biographical note of 100 words to drbenjaminbroadribb@gmail.com by Monday 16 September 2024. Please ensure you state which of the above categories you intend your submission to become.
If you feel you have a suitable idea that doesn’t fit into the above categories, please email to discuss your proposal before submission. If you have any questions, you would like any more information, or you would like to discuss an idea before submission, please feel free to get in touch.
[1] Daniel Dylan Wray, ‘“The show happened by accident”: cult comedy Inside No 9 shuts its doors’, Guardian, 8 June 2024. Available online: https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/article/2024/jun/08/inside-no-9-steve-pemberton-reece-shearsmith-bbc-two-tv-comedy (accessed 11 July 2024).