Don't know about the later series, but Dahl definitely wrote the bee story (it's called Royal Jelly and is in "Kiss, Kiss" - a collection of his collection short stories).

I agree that the quality of Dahl's work is variable.

Really enjoying Inside No. 9 so far. Apparently, there's going to be a second series too.

I do wish people would stop comparing this brilliant series to "Tales of the Unexpected". TsoftheU was more like "Tales of the Bleedin' Obvious with a Twist you can see coming a mile off" to anyone who can actually remember the series when it was shown - especially once Roald Dahl stopped having any creative input (which was comparatively early on, IIRC).

I love how each of these stories has been completely different in tone but just as dark at the end. In my opinion, the writers did miss a trick last night - Stevie could have revealed that the wife/girlfriend had been attacked and killed by someone on the street on her way back from the tube station instead of just in a "car accident", making Mig all the more potentially sinister.

For the record, I think Mig the care support officer was obviously real (and obviously dead at the end!) but can't decide whether Mig, in tramp form, was just a figment of Tom's imagination - it's an ambiguity that doesn't need to ever be explained and the story is all the better for it.

Yeah it is like down and out in Beveley Hills. Where Nick Nolte tries to take over Richard Dreyfus's life and sleeps.with his wife.

The second series was commissioned before episode 1 of series 1 was broadcast.

The only thing that I didn't like about this episode was the gaping plot hole. Namely that someone who looked like Reece Shearsmith would end up with a girlfriend like Gemma Arterton.

She was imaginary. Perhaps the real Gerri was a proper minger.

I think you'll find that Reece Shearsmith has quite a few female fans, going by a lot of the comments on YouTube.

Mark Gatiss said on the DVD extras, for Psychoville I think it was, that Reece was popular because "he's very handsome"

I certainly wouldn't kick him out of bed

You could tell something weird was going on with Gerri when she was talking to him very calmly, and weirdly despite the flat, and him, being in such a state.

Something else (and it makes me sad to think of this...), I reckon Gerri really did get that role, while she was still alive, and then, when she died, they changed its name from 'Land Girl Lucy' back to 'D Day Doris'...

My ranking of the episodes so far:

1
3
2

This has already wiped its feet and entered the pantheon of great comedy series for me.

Stupendous writing as ever from the guys.

I just checked the BBC iPlayer on my Sky On Demand as I wanted to watch the second episode again. I noticed that episode 4 is already available to download! (just do a search for inside no 9). I wonder if this is intentional or if they just made a mistake. I'll be leaving it until next Wednesday in any case.

I really enjoyed episode 2, but it didn't fit in. Up until the end, it was pure farce, really. It was cleverly done nad made me laugh, but it didn't make me think like both the other 2 have.

I agree that it didn't really fulfil the dark undertones that the series seems to be built around. Episodes one and three definitely had the chilling revelation at the end thing going on, which worked really well. But I think episode two was still good in its own right as an entertaining story.

I really like this series a lot. As another poster said earlier on in the thread it somehow seems to work better in some respects with the characters being less cartoony than in other series involving Reece and Steve, and strikes a different chord.
Although the other series of LOG and Psychoville are still good in their own right with cartoony characters and all.
This Inside number 9 seems to work in a different way. With the characters being more like real people it somehow makes it just a bit more chilling as we can relate to them more.

When it was suddenly revealed that Tom was suffering a nervous breakdown after the death of his wife Gerri, it wasn't just the twist which was effective, it was the emotional gut punch that went along with it. It was such a tragic context provided along with the situation.
I think that this was the best ending of the three episodes so far.

This series is definitely a keeper and the next series won't come around quick enough for me.

I think it will definitely become a cult series that when people look back at it in hindsight will be seen as a series that started out relatively quietly that many people won't have heard of first time around.

Does anybody know what sort of ratings this has had so far by the way?

Although this show has been compared by some people with Tales of the Unexpected, it may be more comparable in some ways with a series from the late 70s called Ripping Yarns written by Michael Palin and Terry Jones.

Especially concerning the similarities between some of the Monty Python and League of Gentlemen team members going off into pairs and writing their own short story based television comedy dramas.

Overnights
Episode 1: 1.06m
Episode 2: 0.94m
Episode 3: 1.00m

That is a shame! This could be huge. It is my new favourite thing on tv. Reece Sheersmith plays a nasty piece of work really well (The way he spoke about treated Migg at the start) Without really over doing it

Also i was totally expecting the twist to be that Migg would actually take over the toms life. And people would see Migg as tom, Tom would be stuck locked out of his own mind by Migg.

So they twisted it well there.

He often seems to get the nastier characters to play. The Vicar and Mrs Levinson in LOG immediately spring to mind. I don't mean to sound horrible but he does seem to have a naturally sneery face. On a side note he was the least friendly when I met them all at a book signing. He's probably lovely really. The nicest was Mark Gattiss by the way. I wonder if he'll star in any of the Number 9 episodes. Would be great if he did.

Mr Jelly in psychoville also. He was brilliant in this episode though. The bit where he says he needs to close the door as it is freezing outside and his face as he realises what he is saying and who too is just brilliant

Usually, the LoG boys can do no wrong in my eyes so it's great to see this corker from SP and RS. The OH gave up half way through the second episode, I'm going to have to force him in front of the TV and MAKE him try again.


Always had a soft spot for Reece but following him on Twitter is a chore because he's soooo miserable and always moaning about things!

Some interesting tweets from Mr S yesterday...

Reece Shearsmith ‏@ReeceShearsmith
Such insane theories about last nights's episode! Really wasn't that complicated... but by all means - run with it!

Reece Shearsmith ‏@ReeceShearsmith
Hope there are more reasons to like "No 9" that just the "twists".We didn't ever set out to write "twists".There won't always be "twists".

Reece Shearsmith ‏@ReeceShearsmith
Next week - I do not appear. But I think it's one of the funniest episodes. (Not sure if the two are related):

I tweeted Reece once in a friendly way and his reply was very snarly.

It's dark in the sense that it's eerie but it doesn't have that uncomfortable perverseness that there was in some of The League of Gentleman sketches. Not as grotesque- more conventional.

Indeed - it's more about the potential darkness in people's lives than the gallery of grotesques in League of Gentlemen