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Post by Nalkarj on Dec 5, 2018 1:12:28 GMT
@fjh recommended this BBC show–it’s about halfway between an old-fashioned Agatha Christie whodunit and a modern horror flick, with a vein of black humor–and I watched “The Devil of Christmas,” which was good but had a nasty twist-ending. Watching “The Riddle of the Sphinx” right now. The dialogue’s really good in this one. And all the episodes seem to be available on Dailymotion. Has anyone else seen this show?
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Post by Nalkarj on Dec 5, 2018 1:15:13 GMT
I’m trying to figure out the crossword clues before they give them away–I always like cryptics.
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Post by Nalkarj on Dec 5, 2018 1:30:23 GMT
This one is just gross! Pretty good, but–ugh!
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Post by Nalkarj on Dec 5, 2018 1:37:07 GMT
What a bizarre show. This episode is pretty much a crossword-themed reworking of Shaffer’s Sleuth, but it takes a Hannibal Lecter-worthy turn at the end. I think I liked this one a bit more than “The Devil of Christmas”–though I also think it would have worked better with just the two lead characters.
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Post by Nalkarj on Dec 5, 2018 2:27:32 GMT
Lordy, these are addictive (mostly because they’re so short and so well-done!).
I just saw “La Couchette,” which is (thank God) less disturbing than the other two. If “The Devil of Christmas” parodies ’70s TV with a touch of Deathtrap and “The Riddle of the Sphinx” is borrowing from Sleuth, “La Couchette” parodies Murder on the Orient Express (name-checked in the dialogue).
The scene with the German (you know what I mean if you’ve seen it) is pointless and unfunny, but there’s some good humor, even if it’s less dry and witty than “Sphinx,” and the double-twist at the end is perfectly apropos. It takes a bit long to get going, though, and unfortunately there aren’t many clues.
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Post by sostie on Dec 5, 2018 11:37:49 GMT
@fjh recommended this BBC show–it’s about halfway between an old-fashioned Agatha Christie whodunit and a modern horror flick, with a vein of black humor–and I watched “The Devil of Christmas,” which was good but had a nasty twist-ending. Watching “The Riddle of the Sphinx” right now. The dialogue’s really good in this one. And all the episodes seem to be available on Dailymotion. Has anyone else seen this show? Some of my fave episodes were Sardines, Cold Comfort , 12 Days Of Christine and A Quiet Night In. The latter two especially. This years live Halloween Special was great but would probably lose a lot of impact if not seen when originally broadcast
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Post by Deleted on Dec 5, 2018 12:19:14 GMT
It's a cracking programme👍
I love the twists, and that they are essentially character driven stage plays.
Reminiscent of Tales of the Unexpected.
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Post by Nalkarj on Jun 3, 2021 17:16:38 GMT
Has anyone else seen this show? It’s my favorite thing on television/streaming right now, so absolutely superb. Beautifully written, acted, directed. Hyper-ingeniously plotted. Each one’s like a mini-movie, and under 30 mins., too! Season 6 is broadcasting in the U.K. now; I’ve been watching on Dailymotion. I just watched “Lip Service” (S6:E3), which is a great example of what Inside No. 9 does so well: convincing the viewer that he is watching one kind of story and revealing in the end—indeed, often in the last two or three minutes—that the real story is totally different. I’ve never seen another show so skilled at misdirection (the title of a Season 5 ep, fittingly). Top 5s or 10s are more than welcome. Here’s my Top 5 (so far): “Sardines” (S1:E1)—a hilarious modern variant on an English country house whodunit. Camerawork somehow prevents claustrophobic setting from becoming suffocating. Christiean least-likely suspect trick at its most surprising. “The Bill” (S3:E2)—tribute to Roald Dahl, filled with his black humor. Wonderful dialogue, Mametesque twist. “The 12 Days of Christine” (S2:E2)—as good as everyone says. Poignant Sheridan Smith performance, best use of twist I’ve ever seen. “Once Removed” (S4:E3)—displays the show’s plotting at its most hyper-ingenious. It’s not the backward gimmick, which is something of a cliché now, but the layers of the plot revealed by the backward gimmick, all adding up to that pit-in-your-stomach last first twist. “Misdirection” (S5:E4)—this makes the list largely because I love stage magic. The misdirection is good, but some others are stronger in this regard (“To Have and to Hold,” “The Stakeout,” “Lip Service”). I just love the character dynamics and the tricks. So many others could have made this list, too. What say you?
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