Inside No. 9 stuns fans with fake bus episode reveal
Your trip on the buses has been cancelled.
Inside No. 9 viewers were victims of a prank by creators Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton last night, as the long-requested bus episode was replaced by a faux game show.
Fans were delighted when the first picture of the season 8 cast included the duo dressed as conductors of a London bus, with Robin Askwith playing an eccentric customer.
The BBC has been promising the episode – titled 'Hold on Tight!' – for the past week, but in a twist befitting of the public transport theme, viewers instead caught a replacement service on television last night.
It took the form of a game show hosted by comedian Lee Mack, which began with little indication that it was an Inside No. 9 episode – that is, besides the title: 3 by 3.
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The format sees three teams of three people compete in a series of general knowledge rounds, with contestants including a group of choir singers, a trio of co-workers, and the Oakwood family – who seem a bit off.
While Mack's presentation of the programme is natural and charming as ever – after all, he was just nominated for a BAFTA for ITV's The 1% Club – there are early signs that not everything is as it seems.
We won't spoil the twist here, but rest assured that viewers were left picking their jaws up off the floor, while some also mourned that the bus episode they had looked forward to doesn't actually exist.
On Twitter, hoax participant Askwith said it was "a hard secret to keep", adding it was "interesting to watch the anger and despair turn to delight".
Meanwhile, co-writer Pemberton sent a message of appreciation to Askwith for going along with the prank, which involved him telling his own fans to tune into the episode.
"Huge thanks to the amazing Robin Askwith for being so game," he tweeted. "What a star."
Several publicity shots were taken of the Shearsmith, Pemberton and Askwith as their Hold on Tight characters Clarke, Wolfie and Mr Cole, while an episode synopsis was also released by the BBC.
It read: "Wolfie and Clarke love their bus – but perhaps not as much as the mysterious Mr Cole and his dolly-bird nieces. As Clarke would say, 'plenty of room up top!'"
The prank comes after years of fan demands for an Inside No. 9 bus episode, which have been greeted with much scepticism by the creators, who feel there wouldn't be an interesting enough story to tell in that setting.
With only one season left to go after next week's finale, this latest development seems to cement that Shearsmith and Pemberton won't be fulfilling that particular request – but that won't stop fans dreaming up their own ideas.
Inside No. 9 is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Check out more of our Comedy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.
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Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
