", "Reece Shearsmith on crafting Inside No. The caretaker, Klaus, tells them about a local legend of Krampus, the Devil of Christmas. The Devonshires arrive at the alpine chalet for a holiday. But somebody has to pay. One Radio Times reader will win a pair of Premium tickets to see Crazy for You with an overnight stay at The Waldorf Hilton hotel, including a pre-theatre meal in Homage restaurant and breakfast. The whole Krampus-haunting has been a rouse to literally scare Julian to death. Would an entire crew collude in something so horrific? Our protagonists are the typical 1970s white, middle class English family so prevalent in the aforementioned shows. Originally arriving as a Christmas special back in 2016, "The Devil of Christmas" is another wonderful dive into horror, but with the trademark wit and invention that we'd come to appreciate from Shearsmith and Pemberton. The Devonshires arrive at the alpine chalet for a holiday. [9], Critics praised the cast for their hamming and effective delivery of what Bennion called the "stilted, stagy dialogue";[31][14][28][21] Toby Dantzic, writing for The Telegraph's Saturday Review, called the acting "stellar". The Devil of Christmas is the first episode of the third season of the British dark comedy anthology series, Inside No. Makes me want to watch this episode again. I'm glad this was one of the first ones I watched, as the twist is truly spine-tingling. Tell us in the comments section below! The Devil Of Christmasopened up like a Matryoshka doll,revealing a different face each time. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Inside No. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. "Kathy" screams, and the tape cuts just as the machete is about to fall. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". The caretaker, Klaus, tells them about a local legend of Krampus, the Devil of Christmas. It would be easy to dismiss Jessica Raines talents here, but anyone whos seen her elsewhere (Doctor Who fans will recognise her as Emma Grayling from 2013s Hide, and Verity Lambert in the Mark Gatiss dramatisation An Adventure in Time and Space.) 9. He needs his medication, but Kathy watches him die, holding his empty pill bottle for him to see. Browse our new catalogue to inspire you with homeware, gardening tools, books and more! The Den of Geek quarterly magazine is packed with exclusive features, interviews, previews and deep dives into geek culture. [15] For Hughes, it "was a lovely sting in the tale, and one of which Dahl would almost certainly have approved". Inside No. [15], Commentators noted that the ending was genuinely unsettling and dark. The styling was heightened to the extent we all knew what we were laughing at, but pulled back just before it went full Garth Marenghi. Maybe it was one of the locals trying to scare the gullible tourists.. This film was never supposed to have any artistic merit, its just footage of a woman being murdered. The new Krampus advances, armed with a machete; the older Dennis explains that "Kathy" understands what is about to happen, and that we are witnessing genuine fear. This was the 'Inside No. You have entered an incorrect email address! 9, "Inside No 9, TV review: Toilet humour with a twist Pemberton and Shearsmith are in a different league", "Inside No.9, S2Ep6, Sance Time, TV review: Hide behind your sofas this is horror with a capital AHHH! 9 'The Devil of Christmas' (2016) Honest Review - YouTube 0:00 / 7:06 #ReeceShearsmith #StevePemberton #InsideNo9 Inside No. The slightly shaky emphasis zooms, the rogue camera straying into the edge of shot, the audible yet ignored sound of somebody banging into something on set it was a carefully done thing and spot-on as pastiche. @Louisa_Mellor, Louisa Mellor is the Den of Geek UK TV Editor. Stylistically, it took heavy inspiration from classic 1970s anthology programmes, such as Beasts, Thriller, Tales of the Unexpected and Armchair Thriller, and was filmed using authentic equipment. The characters- their acting. The story is based around Julian and his family staying in an Austrian ski chalet at Christmas. A fantastic bit of work. 9will be shown on BBC Two in early 2017. Kathy offers Simon a glass of celebratory champagne, but he is more interested in tying her to the bed for what she takes to nothing more than kinky fun. But somebody has. What did you think of Number 9s The Devil of Christmas? The Devonshires arrive at the alpine chalet for a holiday. Published: Monday, 19th December 2022 at 12:01 am, Reece Shearsmith teases 'spine-tingling' Inside No. The Inside No. EntitledThe Devil of Christmas, the Christmas special is set in Austria in the 1970s and features the mythological character, Krampus. "Kathy" screams, and the tape cuts just as the machete is about to fall. Everything down to the aspect ratio and color contrast is designed to replicate the feel of VHS comfort (maybe betamax). I wasn't really a fan of this one although I love the same source material that the guys here were referencing. We have provided full studio services to 13 series of the double BAFTA award-winning Sky 1 comedy entertainment show A League of Their Own, We're home to one of British televisions most popular comedy late-night panel quiz shows, ITV2s Celebrity Juice, We provided studio and post production services to both series of BBC Ones live music series, Sounds Like Friday Night. 9 Weird Welsh Mythical Creatures that will blow your mind. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. [10] This entailed the use of non-standard methods and technologies. Of course not much skiing takes place. A bespoke temporary gallery built in a neighbouring studio supported vision control and lighting for the classic equipment, and housed camera base stations, monitoring and a vision mixer crate, with a vision mixing panel remoted to the production control room. Seasonal special of Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith's anthology of comedy dramas. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. [10] For Pemberton, the 1970s style of the episode was a literal representation of what, metaphorically speaking, Inside No. All rights reserved. Its here that Raines previously stiff acting pays off, and as she screams and squirms with such palpable terror, the contrast is so believable that its almost uncomfortable to watch. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognize unique visitors. Now they're back, with a festive ghost story called The Bones of St Nicholas which is set in a reputedly haunted church - and according to Shearsmith, viewers should be prepared for a "spooky", "Christmassy" treat. 2023 BBC Studioworks. 9as a whole. 1st episode of the 3rd series of Inside No. The movie ends as Kathy agrees for Simon to tie her up in bed, only for him to reveal he really is the Krampus, and turn into a monster. After all, this is series whos first episode centred around child abuse and ended with all but one of the characters being burned alive. [23] The filming of the episode thus differed from the series's usual single-camera setup approach. Dennis's interviewer then terminates the police interrogation. Google DoubleClick IDE cookies are used to store information about how the user uses the website to present them with relevant ads and according to the user profile. The incredibly clever British dark comedy Inside No. Substituting their modern counterparts, vintage tube-based studio broadcast cameras and period lamps gave the studio an authentic late-70s feel. Hosted inBBC Studioworks 11,800 sq. It's Austria, Krampusnacht, December 1977. Julian later finds Kathy downstairs. The next day, scratches are found on Toby's body, and Celia leaves with the child. She is joined by Simon, still half-costumed, who chains her to the bed. Were a good three quarters into the episode by this stage and, whilst Im enjoying it almost too much, I cant help but shake the niggle that Im enjoying it solely because of my nostalgia for the shows of which it is so obviously a pastiche. The ending still has me creeped out! 9 Christmas special. BBC Studioworks has provided full studio and technical services at Elstree for a Christmas special of the highly acclaimed BBC Two anthology seriesInside No. The Devil of Christmas BBC iPlayer only works in the UK. A director talks about his old horror film. YouTube sets this cookie to store the video preferences of the user using embedded YouTube video. 9 Christmas special is an expertly layered treat for fans of vintage horror By Louisa Mellor | December 27, 2016 | | 0 This review contains spoilers. [19] The attention to detail by the cast and crew was widely praised;[32][12][22][19][8] the "dated styling" was, for Jackson, "spot on". It took me by surprise on first viewing because I was too busy laughing for the first twenty-nine minutes, but thats Inside Number 9 for you: you never know whats coming next. The episode was directed by Graeme Harper and written by Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton. St. Nicholas bestows gifts upon the good kids for Krampusnacht, while Krampus punishes the bad ones. Celia suspects Kathy, who is not Toby's mother, but Julian rebukes her. Pemberton and Shearsmith are always willing to try something different, and they never fail to give us something surreal and dark, Inside No.9 is always entertaining, generally very good, sometimes outstanding, It's a series that always tries to be different, and in The Devil of Christmas it doesn't come more different then this. Talking to a family friend about his viewing plans,I found out that two of the League of Gentlemen had made a new holiday special,which led to me unwrapping the 9th present. 9s writers added a horrid final flourish. After all, The League of Gentlemen came back, but we wont be looking to make any more episodes for the time being.". [17] For Baylis, the ending was unexpected, revealing "darkness of the shabby human kind". This was so unsettling and disturbing, the only thing that comes close in my book is "Two faces of evil" episode of Hammer's house of horrors. 9 | The Devil of Christmas Connor kicks of Krampus Month on Unleash The Ghouls this December with a review of this spine-tingling Inside No. I never saw the twist ending coming that's for sure. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the Radio Times View From My Sofa podcast. "Were not saying its over for good. The twist just left me sitting in silence for a while. Simon claims to be Krampus, and the scene ends with Kathy screaming as "Krampus" cackles. [25] It was praised as a fitting start to the series[22] and as an entertaining Christmas special in its own right. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. "[23] For Shearsmith, the result was that "it looks shit, but it's brilliant". That night, Julian finds that Kathy has scratches on her back, and the pair discover that her boots are stuffed with switches. Krampus unmasks himself as Klaus in a disguise; he is really Simon, with whom Kathy is having an affair. [33], Though Jackson considered the ending "overwrought", he felt that it "pulled the rug"; "turning on a sixpence, the screams of 'Kathy' turned truly horrifying; the tackiness suddenly real and disturbing". The new Krampus advances, armed with a machete; the older Dennis explains that "Kathy" understands what is about to happen, and that we are witnessing genuine fear. Delightfully humorous to the deeply unsettling, this season of Inside No. The Devonshires arrive at the alpine chalet for a holiday. Fulcher explains that there is a final scene. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. The ending, critics noted, was extremely dark; though many offered considerable praise for the final twist, a minority criticised it as gratuitously unpleasant. David and Louise's world is changed forever by a random discovery in a local street. Perfection! Kathy grows more and more fraught, whilst Julians blas dismissal of these horrors is nothing short of hilarious, the patronising, misogyny of the dialogue matched only by Pembertons superbly impassive delivery. Inside No.9 - Commentary of The Devil of Christmas - YouTube BBC iPlayer - Inside No. 9 - Series 3: 1. The Devil of Christmas Finally, having Rula Lenksa, whose voice is so redolent of these kinds of upper middle-class teleplays, added yet more verisimilitude. The cast are perfect and each deliver performances to move this to another level. Even the music is uncannily apt. Inside No.9 Wikia is a FANDOM TV Community. The episode itself, which plays like a straight. And of course the reveal of the Devil coming for Webster shows how Webster wasn't the best person either. Celia calls to say she and Toby are safely home, and Kathy admits that her child is not Julian's. Avuncular veteran director Dennis Fulcher, voiced by Derek Jacobi, wasnt simply revisiting his former film, he was under interrogation for the murder at its denouement. 9 Series 6 Episode 5 Review: How Do You Plead? Kathy fears that, as per the legend, the Krampus will return a third time and kill her and Toby. When Kathy becomes hysterical (the incredible Jessica Raine hamming it up to perfection), insisting that Toby is about to be taken away by Krampus, Pemberton delivers the best line of the episode as Julian dispassionately chides Kathy, calm down, you mustnt excite yourself.. Few shows could pass off such a combination, and Inside No 9 once again makes it look easy. That night, both Toby and Celia are out of bed, and the figure of the Krampus is seen. 9. Is this relevant? Try 12 issues for 1 today - never miss an issue. Please enable JavaScript to take full advantage of iPlayer. A Christmas episode of Inside No 9 could either be a jolly romp like Zanzibar or a harrowing horror spectacle like the Harrowing. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. The cameras keep rolling as plastic sheeting is put under "Kathy" by two stagehands for a scene that was not in the script. Retired director Dennis Fulcher is interviewed about The Devil of Christmas; a low-budget horror movie he made in the 1970s. Toby, get dressed. 9 is a cure for box set fatigue: Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith talk series three", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Devil_of_Christmas&oldid=1122926989, Pages containing links to subscription-only content, Short description is different from Wikidata, Television episode articles with short description for single episodes, Pages using infobox television episode with unnecessary list markup, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0, This page was last edited on 20 November 2022, at 17:42. . "Inside No. 9" The Devil of Christmas (TV Episode 2016) - IMDb The vintage kit was supplied by Golden Age Recreations and the camera configuration comprised of three heavyweight Ikegami HK 323 and one lightweight Ikegami HK323P. 9Producer, Adam Tandy, said:Studio D has the heritage and familiar atmosphere that I remember from when I worked at Elstree in the 1980s. What is a Caulbearer and Why is it Spooky? [3] A third series was confirmed by the BBC in October 2015. Inside No. 9 - 'The Devil of Christmas' | headphonedaydreams 50 seconds. 9, but instead of our usual single-camera dramas, we wanted to do something a bit different for Christmas. Macabre, comedic, cleverly plotted,. That night, Julian finds that Kathy has scratches on her back, and the pair discover that her boots are stuffed with switches. The movie is played as Dennis gives commentary. I though only Papa Lazaroux could leave me this unsettled. 9 had been doing since the first series.[11]. [30], Both the comedic and horrific elements of the episode were praised. Before the twist that turned him from an entertaining old hack to a remorseless killer, there was also fun to be had in Jacobis script, with its references to Worzel Gummidge, Pertwee andDoctor Who. She described it as a "deliciously dark masterclass in the twisted, unsettling stuff that the League of Gentlemen and Psychoville creators do so well",[8] but claimed that "a growing sense of doom" was more prevalent than "belly laughs". Ditto for Steve Pembertons emphatic delivery as the doomed patriarch, which felt as much part of the era as his gold chain, chest hair and cropped silk kimono. Professor Squires commence a battle of wits. Watch Inside No. 9, Season 3 | Prime Video - amazon.com Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favour of fair use.#ReeceShearsmith #StevePemberton #InsideNo9 The show's new Christmas special, The Bones of St Nicholas, is set to air this week. For the most part, critics responded extremely positively to "The Devil of Christmas"; it was awarded five out of five stars by Adam White of The Telegraph,[20] four out of five stars by James Jackson of The Times,[9] and selected as "pick of the day" by Gerard Gilbert of i.