Inside No. 9
- TV comedy drama
- BBC Two
- 2014 - 2023
- 49 episodes (8 series)
Dark comedy anthology series from Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton. Each episode focuses on the goings-on around something to do with the number 9.
- The final series is coming in May
Streaming rank this week: 369
Episode menu
Series 3, Episode 2 - The Bill
Further details
After a tiresome game of badminton a group of friends go for a night out at a local restaurant. They indulge in some tapas and a few drinks, which sounds like a lot of fun - but ultimately somebody has to pay the bill at the end of the night.
What has started out as a pleasant evening ends with a shocking twist, as an argument about who is going to pick up the bill erupts - and then spirals out of control.
Broadcast details
- Date
- Tuesday 21st February 2017
- Time
- 10pm
- Channel
- BBC Two
- Length
- 30 minutes
Repeats
Show past repeats
| Date | Time | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Monday 29th October 2018 | 11:40pm | Gold |
| Friday 5th April 2019 | 12:00am | Gold |
| Friday 5th April 2019 | 11:00pm | Gold |
| Thursday 16th May 2019 | 10:35pm | Gold |
| Friday 17th May 2019 | 1:15am | Gold |
| Sunday 21st June 2020 | 12:20am | Gold |
| Sunday 6th September 2020 | 10:00pm | Gold |
| Monday 7th September 2020 | 1:00am | Gold |
| Saturday 2nd July 2022 | 11:55pm | Gold |
| Tuesday 4th July 2023 | 11:20pm | Gold |
Cast & crew
| Jason Watkins | Kevin |
| Philip Glenister | Craig |
| Ellie White | Anya |
| Steve Pemberton | Malcolm |
| Reece Shearsmith | Archie |
| Callum Coates | Tim |
| Reece Shearsmith | Writer |
| Steve Pemberton | Writer |
| Guillem Morales | Director |
| Adam Tandy | Producer |
| Jon Plowman | Executive Producer |
| Steve Pemberton | Associate Producer |
| Reece Shearsmith | Associate Producer |
| Joe Randall-Cutler | Editor |
| Simon Rogers | Production Designer |
| Tracey Gillham | Casting Director |
| Yves Barre | Costume Designer |
| Stephan Pehrsson | Director of Photography |
| Helen Speyer | Make-up Designer |
| Christian Henson | Composer |
| Matthew Scrivener | 1st Assistant Director |
Press
Inside No. 9 review: 'The Bill'
Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith's script is, as always, simply extraordinary, working across several different levels at once.
Dodo's Words, 26th February 2017The kicker for this horror-com's third season had Philip Glenister and Jason Watkins in juicy roles they must have salivated over - a one-act drama featuring their caricatures, subverted - and could have phoned in, but thankfully didn't. This argument over a restaurant bill was dark, biting, often blink-and-you'll-miss-it hilarious, ultimately prosaically disappointing, but that just made me want more. Bring it on.
Euan Ferguson, The Observer, 26th February 2017Inside No. 9 series 3 episode 2 review: The Bill
Inside No. 9 returns with a very fraught, very funny episode co-starring Philip Glenister and Jason Watkins.
Louisa Mellor, Den Of Geek, 22nd February 2017Inside No. 9 - ' The Bill'
Four friends disagree over which of them should pay for dinner in a restaurant, with macabre results...
Dan Owen, Dan's Media Digest, 22nd February 2017Preview: Inside No 9 - The Bill
In some ways, maybe because of the mundane contemporary setting, this feels like quite a low-key opener for the series proper. But despite the ordinary surroundings The Bill pings off in all sorts of extraordinary directions when you least expect it. But of course I'm not going to say which directions here. You'll just have to watch.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 21st February 2017Preview - Inside No. 9: The Bill
Following on from The Devil of Christmas, Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith's series of dark comic one-off stories return.
Ian Wolf, On The Box, 21st February 2017First in a new series of Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith's merrily macabre anthology, although the recent Christmas special counts as one of this run's six, so it's really episode two. It's a chamber piece about four businessmen - including Philip Glenister and Jason Watkins, AKA That Bloke Who Pops Up In Everything - bickering over who gets to pay the bill in a restaurant. Tensions rise, secrets bubble to the surface and it all goes rather badly. A tight, gloriously stressful half-hour.
Luke Holland, The Guardian, 21st February 2017Inside No. 9: Pemberton & Shearsmith interview
Anthology series Inside No. 9 returns for its third series tonight at 10pm on BBC Two. We chatted to creators Pemberton and Shearsmith...
Louisa Mellor, Den Of Geek, 21st February 2017Inside No 9's creators on mixing comedy with creepy
Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith on why horror and comedy isn't a scary mix.
Ben Dowell, Radio Times, 21st February 2017Preview - Inside No. 9: The Bill review
It's been a while - the Yuletide release of the none-too-festive Devil of Christmas notwithstanding - but Inside No 9 has returned in style.
Steve Bennett, Chortle, 21st February 2017Inside No. 9: 'The Bill' explores toxic masculinity
It's a spare, effecting and manipulative half hour that takes as long as possible before it lays all the cards on the table.
Andrew Allen, Cult Box, 21st February 2017Pemberton and Shearmith shine Inside No.9
If Inside No.9 has somehow passed you by you need to give it a go. We live in a bland time for TV comedy and three series in this remains a gold standard and a breath of fresh air. I can't wait to see what the duo have in store in the four remaining episodes and we already know there's a fourth series for 2018!
Luke, The Custard TV, 21st February 2017Inside No 9 review
Inside No 9 is an underrated retro treat, a throwback to the good old Seventies and their one-off TV plays. This was a devilish confection with a haunting aftertaste. Don't have nightmares. And, no, I didn't have a starter.
Michael Hogan, The Telegraph, 21st February 2017Inside No. 9: Glenister and Watkins were brilliant
Jason Watkins and Philip Glenister became the latest big names to join Shearsmith and Pemberton's already impressive list of co-stars - and I sincerely hope they refused a fee. No one should be paid for having this much fun.
Ian Hyland, The Mirror, 21st February 2017TV review: Inside No. 9 - The Bill
A masterclass of suspenseful writing and comic ingenuity, Inside No. 9 has returned with a vengeance and we can't wait to see what next week brings.
Anneka Honeyball, The National Student, 21st February 2017Inside No. 9 review
There have been episodes with greater atmosphere, invention or ideas. But as a 30-minute exercise in darkly comic suspense, this did the trick.
Mark Butler, i Newspaper, 21st February 2017Inside No 9: 'A laugh is the same as a scream'
As the darkly funny anthology series returns, creators Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith explain why comedy and horror is a marriage made in hell.
Rachel Aroesti, The Guardian, 20th February 2017Preview: Inside No. 9 'The Bill'
Jason Watkins puts in a great performance as penny-pinching Kevin, whose line delivery and facial expressions generate a lot of the episodes's laughs.
The Velvet Onion, 20th February 2017