Inside No. 9’s Steve Pemberton reveals Reece Shearsmith feels show ‘never quite had acclaim’ it deserved

Virgin Radio

4 Jun 2024, 14:42

Steve Pemberton has revealed he often has to lift the spirits of his Inside No. 9 co-creator about the success of their popular anthology show.

Speaking with Radio Times magazine, both Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith opened up about their feelings ahead of Inside No. 9’s final episode airing on Wednesday 12th June.

“One of the joys of working with another person is you don't feel alone and that takes the pressure off both of us,” Pemberton shared during the duo’s interview. 

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He then revealed: “I think Reece is a more glass-half-empty person than me. For example, he feels that Inside No. 9 has never quite had the acclaim that other shows get, it hasn't had that global recognition.

“I spend a lot of time talking him down - and up - from those feelings, because Inside No. 9 has had such an amazing reaction, such acclaim! It's won many awards, including BAFTAs for direction, performance, for show, for writing - you can't get much better. And it is respected throughout the industry. We're both very, very proud of it."

Pemberton added: “If I do have a concern about the show ending, it's to do with feeling creatively wrung out - it's not the fear that no one will want to work with us, or that no one will remember us. I think we've made our mark.”

Shearsmith himself explained how watching Omnibus on Morecombe and Wise recently helped him frame his feelings about the programme and his and Pemberton's legacy.

“Working together structures our lives and it feels like we've done it for a long time. I found an episode of Omnibus on Morecambe and Wise the other day in which they talked about what they'd achieved,” he explained. “Eric says the fear of it all going away is always there; that you've gone so far, but at any point, you're going to be exposed as being a fraud.

"That really resonated with me,” Shearsmith said. “I do pinch myself that it hasn't gone away and the little man hasn't rung up to say I have to give it all back.”

While Inside No. 9 will sadly be coming to an end later this month, the creative pair are currently in the process of developing a theatre show which will hit London’s West End next year.

Sharing the news about the production, the pair celebrated: “We’ve been asked about doing a live show ever since the series first started on the BBC, probably because each episode is like a mini-play…

“We are currently writing the script even as it goes on sale, but we are certain there will be plenty of new material and surprises for fans and new-comers alike,” they then teased. “There’ll be something old, something new, something butchered and something… BOO!”

Inside No. 9 continues BBC Two and BBC iPlayer Wednesdays at 10pm.