A Christmas special to kick off season 8 of "Inside Number Nine" and one that I enjoyed very much, but couldn't help wishing had gone in a slightly different direction.
Dr Jasper Parkway (Steve Pemberton) arrives at Church in the middle of the night, he has booked the church for a 'Champing' experience, sleeping overnight in the pews. The warden, Dick (Simon Callow) meets him, but it's clear that Parkway wants to be alone to get down to his agenda. He's further disappointed to discover that a couple, Pierce (Reece Shearsmith) and Posy (Shobna Gulati) have also booked the church last minute. As his frustration grows, he sees a figure, dressed in a red cloak in his peripheral vision, and decides to investigate.
So, my problem is perhaps mine alone. I want most episodes of "Inside Number Nine", particularly the Christmas episodes to be horror ones and, staying away from spoilers, ultimately that's not really what this one ends up being.
That level of minor disappointment aside, what we got was yet another cleverly plotted episode, that's a little light on laughs until Pierce and Posy arrive on the scene - even they though have a sad back story that is expertly teased out through conversations between them. They also explain what's really going on in the episode, though it's not until that is overlaid with the conclusion that it is revealed. Interesting that we don't get more of an insight into Dr Parkways goals, it did leave me feeling a little conflicted about his fate.
That it wasn't all that I hoped for is, certainly, my problem - as what it is, is another excellent addition to what must be the most consistently excellent anthology series ever produced.