Sardines (Inside No. 9)
"Sardines" | |
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Inside No. 9 episode | |
Episode no. | Series 1 Episode 1 |
Directed by | David Kerr |
Written by | Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith |
Produced by | Adam Tandy |
Featured music | Christian Henson |
Original air date | 5 February 2014 |
Running time | 30 minutes |
Guest appearances | |
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"Sardines" is the first episode of the first series of the British
The story takes place entirely in the bedroom of a country house, with much of the filming taking place inside the wardrobe. Pemberton and Shearsmith wrote the episode with the intention of evoking a feeling of claustrophobia in viewers. In addition to the writers, the episode starred Katherine Parkinson, Tim Key, Luke Pasqualino, Ophelia Lovibond, Anne Reid, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Anna Chancellor, Marc Wootton, Ben Willbond and Timothy West. The cast and writing were praised by television critics, and the episode was chosen as pick of the day in a number of publications. On its first showing, "Sardines" was watched by 1.1 million viewers, which was 5.6% of the audience.
Development and production
The comedy writers and actors
The format of the series also pays homage to Tales of the Unexpected, The Twilight Zone, and Alfred Hitchcock Presents.[5] Pemberton and Shearsmith returned to writing more macabre stories, according to the latter, as they "always feel slightly unfulfilled if [they] write something that's purely comedic, it just feels too frivolous and light".[6] During the filming of "Sardines", Shearsmith professed excitement to be working on Inside No. 9, saying that "being in the middle of filming a third series of Psychoville would be utterly depressing".[4] Pemberton and Shearsmith aimed for a simpler experience than Psychoville, describing "Sardines" by saying the episode is "just about some good actors in a wardrobe with a good story".[4] As each episode of Inside No. 9 features new characters, the writers were able to attract actors who might have been unwilling to commit to an entire series.[2] In addition to Pemberton and Shearsmith, "Sardines" starred Katherine Parkinson, Tim Key, Luke Pasqualino, Ophelia Lovibond, Anne Reid, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Anna Chancellor, Marc Wootton, Ben Willbond, and Timothy West.[7] West had previously starred in Tales of the Unexpected,[8] and Shearsmith said that, due to this prior appearance, "it was a great nod" to have West in the episode.[9] "Sardines" has more characters than any other episode of the first series of Inside No. 9, and these characters were written before casting took place. Pemberton recalls the fun he had in selecting a cast for the episode, aiming to bring together a very varied group of actors who would work well as a group.[3]
Pemberton described the concept of "Sardines" as "a simple idea", and he was happy that the pair did not "have to worry about the consequences of it", due to the format of the series.[10] The writers were inspired by a large wardrobe in their workspace. They had already written several other episodes for the series, and confinement was a recurring theme; the possibility of putting characters into a wardrobe gave them the opportunity to develop the theme to a more extreme level. The story was not initially about the game of sardines.[11] Pemberton said that the writers "talked about various ideas of why [the characters] were in a wardrobe", but that the pair "were certainly not working out [their] Freudian psychobabble".[12] A list of characters was written before the script, and the script included the introduction of a new character every three pages.[6]
"Sardines" was written so that a feeling of
Plot
External videos | |
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"Boo" Carl finds Rebecca and Ian in the wardrobe | |
"Someone make a noise..." Mark and Liz share a moment, unaware that Rebecca, Carl, Stuart, Geraldine and Ian are watching from the wardrobe |
Rebecca and Jeremy host their
Ian, Rachel, and Geraldine join Rebecca and Carl. Geraldine says that the room is normally locked, but Rebecca rebukes her. Stuart rejoins the group after using the toilet. As the group talk, Mark (Jeremy's boss) and his wife, Liz, enter the bedroom, unaware of the people in the wardrobe. The pair talk candidly before beginning foreplay on the bed. Geraldine shouts to alert them, and the wardrobe occupants pretend they did not hear Mark and Liz's conversation. Mark and Liz reluctantly enter the wardrobe. As the doors close, Rachel's boyfriend Lee re-enters the room, but as the wardrobe has become more cramped, Stuart and Lee hide under the bed, while Ian moves to the en suite. Stuart and Carl argue, and it is revealed that Carl has a fear of intimacy. When "Stinky" John enters the room, the others claim there is no room in their hiding places, so he hides behind a curtain. Jeremy enters and tells Rebecca he is going to pick up another guest from the train station, but as he turns to leave he mistakenly calls her "Rachel". Andrew, Rebecca and Carl's father, enters and becomes annoyed when he sees people hiding in different places. He takes charge, forcing Jeremy, Stuart, Lee, and Stinky John into the wardrobe, then follows them in.
Everyone becomes uncomfortable, not least because of John's odour. Geraldine passes around mints as Andrew tells Mark that he no longer has contact with Dicky Lawrence, a potential business contact of Mark's. Andrew sings the "sardine song", but Carl angrily stops him. Andrew and Geraldine reminisce about a
Cast
Actor | Role | Notes |
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Katherine Parkinson | Rebecca | The bride-to-be; she is keen that everyone play the game and enjoy it |
Tim Key | Ian | Apparently a boring man who works with Jeremy and Mark |
Luke Pasqualino | Lee | Rachel's current boyfriend; at the age of 21 years, he is younger than the other characters |
Steve Pemberton | Carl | Rebecca's prudish older brother |
Reece Shearsmith | Stuart | Carl's flamboyant partner |
Ophelia Lovibond | Rachel | Jeremy's ex-girlfriend; the pair still communicate frequently using BlackBerry Messenger
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Anne Reid | Geraldine | Andrew's housekeeper and former nanny to Rebecca and Carl; though invited to serve drinks, she understands herself a guest |
Julian Rhind-Tutt | Mark | Jeremy and Ian's boss; he is keen to talk to Andrew about Dickie Lawrence, a possible business contact |
Anna Chancellor | Elizabeth | Mark's partner; she has no desire to be at the party and lies about her babysitter being ill |
Marc Wootton | "Stinky" John | A childhood friend of Rebecca and Carl; some event caused him to stop washing |
Ben Willbond | Jeremy | The groom-to-be |
Timothy West | Andrew | Rebecca and Carl's father |
Analysis
It's like the backroom of Cinderella's at Wakefield. Has anyone got any poppers or lube?[note 1]
Shearsmith's Stuart,[2] whose lines include the episode's most overt jokes[13]
We're not going down that road, Geraldine; it's a party, remember?
Rebecca rebukes Geraldine. Allusions to past unhappiness occur frequently in Shearsmith and Pemberton's work.[16]
The episode is, in effect, a one-scene,
The characters bring their respective agendas, relationships, and backstories into the wardrobe.[20] The various interconnected plotlines are seeded towards the start of the episode, and more is gradually revealed before they are resolved.[13][21] "Sardines" starts as comedic, before becoming darker;[21] as more characters arrive, their relatively cordial interactions become more unpleasant.[14] The increasingly claustrophobic environment serves to heighten the tension.[13]
The comedy is
As is typical of Shearsmith and Pemberton's work,[20] "Sardines" addresses dark topics.[2] Writing in The Daily Telegraph, Paul Kendall identified some of Shearsmith and Pemberton's "regular tropes" utilised in the episode; namely "a bunch of misfits, uncomfortable silences and allusions to dark crimes in the distant past".[16] Billen felt that the treatment of dark issues was reminiscent of the work of Alan Ayckbourn.[17] Particular themes addressed in the episode include murder, incestuous relationships, child sexual abuse, vengeance and adultery.[2][20] As the episode progresses, secrets related to these themes are revealed to be the explanation for apparently innocuous tendencies, such as Carl's dislike for the sardine song and John's aversion to soap.[22]
Reception
"Sardines" was well received by television critics. Kendall, Billen, Keith Watson, and Dan Owen (writing for The Daily Telegraph,[16] the Metro,[23] MSN[8] and The Times,[17] respectively) each gave the episode four out of five stars, while, writing for The Arts Desk, Veronica Lee gave it five out of five.[13] The episode was labelled "pick of the day" in The Times,[24] The Sunday Times,[25] The Observer[26] and the Daily Record.[27]
Reviewers responded positively to the cast. Kendall described the acting as "top notch"
Journalists also lauded the script, with Kendall labelling the dialogue "perfectly pitched",[16] Dessau calling it "tightly written" and without wastage,[21] and Owen praising the way each character was "delivered into the story at the exact right moment".[8] Brad Newsome, writing for The Sydney Morning Herald (the episode having been shown in Australia on BBC First in 2015), said that the episode was "deftly written",[29] and Venning said the "lean, mean narrative didn't just twist and turn, it folded back upon itself to provide a totally unexpected, profoundly disturbing and deeply satisfying denouement".[20] On The Arts Desk, Lee praised the direction of Kerr, saying that he delivered "a pitch-perfect piece with no character overwritten or line overplayed".[13]
Dean, writing for The Independent, commended the writers' "weaving together of the morbid with the laugh-out loud",[2] and Mike Bradley, writing in The Observer, called the episode "wickedly funny";[26] similarly, Newsome said the episode displayed "a wicked sense of humour".[29] Dessau concurred on the darkness and quality of humour.[21] Watson was more ambivalent, saying the episode offered "more of a knowing chuckle than an outright belly laugh".[23]
Watson wrote that "the chief joy [of the episode] was the stealthy way the atmospheric story was built up layer by layer".[23] In The Times, Billen described "Sardines" as "a disciplined comedy, but a little bit of discipline, as one of the League's perverts might say, never did anyone any harm". With the exception of the ending, Billen "loved it".[17] A separate review in The Times, however, praised the twist ending; "this isn't just an inspired set-up performed by a stellar cast – it builds to a macabre and horribly imagined climax".[24] Owen was ambivalent about the ending of "Sardines", saying that it "worked very well in terms of narrative, but perhaps it landed with too much softness".[8] Mark Jones, writing in The Guardian, gave a more mixed review overall, describing "Sardines" as a "slow burner, but a decent introduction to a series".[30] Newsome called the episode a "gem of an opener".[29]
Retrospective reviews rated the episode as one of Inside No. 9's best. In The Telegraph, it was listed as the seventh best episode of the first 38; the "first episode of all set the bar intimidatingly high", according to Michael Hogan.[31] Writers for Chortle said that Inside No. 9's "very first episode established [it] as something special", ranking "Sardines" as the third best episode of the programme's first 37.[32] In The Guardian, it was listed the third best episode of the first 25,[33] while in i it was listed as the ninth best of the first 24.[34]
Viewing figures
On its first showing, "Sardines" was seen by 1.1 million viewers, which was 5.6% of the British audience. This was lower than the premiere of Psychoville, but higher than the audience towards the end of the second series. "Sardines" immediately followed the first episode of the two-part
Notes
References
- ^ "Sardines poster". BBC. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Dean, Will (5 February 2014). "Inside No 9, TV review: A top-drawer cast puts these twisted tales in a league of their own". The Independent. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
- ^ a b Pemberton, Steve; Shearsmith, Reece (17 March 2014). Inside Inside No. 9. Inside No. 9 Series 1 DVD. BBC.
- ^ a b c d "Inside No. 9, BBC2". Broadcast. 22 August 2013. Retrieved 6 February 2014. (subscription required)
- ^ Lawson, Mark (5 February 2014). "Inside No 9: How Shearsmith and Pemberton have revived a lost genre". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
- ^ a b c "Inside No.9 on BBC2: Hull-born master of the macabre Reece Shearsmith and partner Steve Pemberton back with tales of the unexpected". Hull Daily Mail. 4 February 2014. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
- ^ "BBC Two – Inside No 9, Sardines". BBC. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g Owen, Dan (29 January 2014). "Inside No 9: Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton unnerve viewers". MSN. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 28 February 2015.
- ^ a b c d "Reece Shearsmith speaks to Mark Radcliffe". Radcliffe & Maconie. BBC Radio 6 Music. 4 February 2014. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
- ^ "Inside No. 9: interview with Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton". BBC. 30 January 2014. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
- ^ a b c "Inside the wardrobe". BBC. 6 February 2014. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
- ^ Dessau, Bruce (February 2014). "New Interview: Reece Shearsmith & Steve Pemberton". Beyondthejoke.co.uk. Retrieved 20 February 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Lee, Veronica (6 February 2014). "Inside No 9, BBC Two". The Arts Desk. Retrieved 19 February 2014. (subscription required)
- ^ a b c Seale, Jack (25 January 2014). "Inside No 9 – Series 1 – 1. Sardines". Radio Times. Retrieved 20 February 2014.
- ^ a b Kerr, David (17 March 2014). Inside Inside No. 9. Inside No. 9 Series 1 DVD. BBC.
- ^ a b c d e Kendall, Paul (5 February 2014). "Inside No9, BBC Two, review". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 6 February 2014. (subscription required)
- ^ a b c d Billen, Andrew (6 February 2014). "TV review: Inside No 9". The Times. Retrieved 6 February 2014. (subscription required)
- ^ a b c Upton, David (26 March 2014). "'Inside No. 9' is a bit like a box of chocolates, albeit one full of dark, bitter sweets". PopMatters. Retrieved 21 April 2014.
- ^ a b Lambie, Ryan (6 February 2014). "Inside No. 9 episode 1 review: Sardines". Den of Geek. Retrieved 8 June 2014.
- ^ The Stage. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f Dessau, Bruce (1 February 2014). "Review: Inside No 9: Sardines, BBC2". Beyondthejoke.co.uk. Retrieved 20 February 2014.
- ^ McMullen, Marion (10 February 2014). "Dare you peek behind the door of Inside No 9". Coventry Telegraph. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
- ^ a b c d Watson, Keith (6 February 2014). "Inside No 9 matched Tales of the Unexpected for entertaining weirdness". Metro. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
- ^ a b c "Pick of the Day; Wednesday 5; Inside No 9 BBC Two, 10pm". Saturday Review. The Times. 1 February 2014. p. 40.
- ^ James, Martin (2 February 2014). "Pick of the day; Wednesday 5 February; Critics' choice". Culture, The Sunday Times. p. 64.
- ^ a b Bradley, Mike (2 February 2014). "The New Review: Television: Wednesday 5: Picks of the Day: CHOICE: Inside No 9 BBC2, 10pm". Observer Review, The Observer. p. 44.
- ^ "Record TV; Room for laughter". Daily Record. 5 February 2014. p. 31.
- The Daily Mirror. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
- ^ a b c Newsome, Brad (31 December 2014). "Inside No. 9, (premiere), BBC First, 9:30 pm". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
- ^ Wright, Jonathan; Jones, Mark; Aroesti, Rachel (5 February 2014). "G2: TV and radio: Watch this". G2, The Guardian. p. 22.
- Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 13 August 2022. (subscription required)
- ^ "Inside No 9: Every episode ranked". Chortle. 16 June 2021. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
- ^ Aroesti, Rachel (24 October 2018). "Inside No 9: the 10 best episodes so far". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
- ^ Butler, Mark (7 February 2018). "Every Inside No 9 episode ranked – from 'worst' to best". i. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
- ^ Parker, Robin (6 February 2014). "Inside No. 9 debuts with 1.1m". Broadcast. Retrieved 6 February 2014. (subscription required)
- ^ a b Farber, Alex (13 March 2014). "C4 space season blasts off with 1.6m". Broadcast. Retrieved 18 April 2014. (subscription required)
- ^ Dessau, Bruce (12 March 2014). "Preview: Inside No 9: The Harrowing, BBC2". Beyondthejoke.co.uk. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
External links
- "Sardines" at BBC Online
- "Sardines" at IMDb
- "Sardines" at TVGuide.co.uk
- "Sardines" at the British Comedy Guide