Inside No 9 laughs at The Bones of St Nicholas

Winning formulas – everybody in TV land is looking for them.

That’s why, when a show becomes a massive hit, producers desperately dissect it to find out what makes it so appealing before putting their own spin on it in an attempt to create another ratings winner that will grab a similarly huge audience.

That’s why for every X Factor there’s The Voice of The Masked Singer, or for every Strictly Come Dancing there’s another half a dozen shows trying to capitalise on its success – although the likes of Dance Dance Dance and So You Think You Can Dance haven’t managed to do so yet.

But it happens with drama and comedy too; when you think about it, very little is truly original these days – which is why we should all treasure Inside No 9.

It’s spooky, scary, disturbing and very, very funny. It can be the stuff that nightmares are made of, but can also leave you in hysterics – of the amusing kind rather than the ‘off-your-rocker’ type.

Since it began airing in 2014, the show has won numerous accolades, including gongs at the Banff World Media Festival and Royal Television Society Awards; in 2019, Pemberton won the Bafta for Best Male Comedy Performance, and last year, both he and Shearsmith nabbed Best Scripted Comedy.

Fans were thrilled when it was announced that, following the broadcast of its triumphant seventh run earlier this year, the duo would be back for more in the near future.

“Reece and Steve are extraordinary talents,” said executive producer Josh Cole when the news broke. “Very few comedies reach nine series, and even fewer scale the hare-raising heights of Inside No 9. We’re delighted to be making two more series of a true comedy classic.”

The first of them debuts this week with a festive-themed episode entitled The Bones of St Nicholas. It focuses on Dr Jasper Parkway, who is looking forward to spending Christmas Eve in a reputedly haunted church. However, his evening is about to be spoiled by Pierce and Posy, who arrive with their own sleeping bags, while the eccentric warden Dick won’t leave him alone either. But why, exactly, is Jasper so keen to be alone?

Previous episodes have often attracted wonderful guest stars, and this is no exception – joining Shearsmith and Pemberton on screen are ex-Coronation Street actor Shobna Gulati and classical thespian Simon Callow. Both were thrilled by the prospect of taking part.

“It’s a very sparky, original series,” claims Callow. “Mention of it always provokes gargles of admiration. I thought, ‘I’d like to be part of that!’”

“It has its own unique genre of TV, something you can’t put in a box,” adds Gulati. “Often a perfect blend of drama, comedy and horror. To be a part of this is very special to me.”

It’s not the first time we’ve been treated to a themed show – in 2016, another festive edition, The Devil of Christmas, aired, while in 2018, the wonderful live Halloween episode Dead Line caught many unawares.

If The Bones of St Nicholas is only half as good, we’re onto a winner again – and it won’t just be special to Gulati; we’ll all feel as if we’ve received an early gift.