Season 7 of Inside No 9 has been confirmed by creators and stars Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith. All six episodes of season 6 can be enjoyed on-demand via iPlayer, as well as all of the previous seasons.
In a statement, the comedy duo said: "Little did we know when we started Inside No. 9 in 2014 that we would end up with as many episodes of it as Countryfile. We are delighted and exhausted in equal measure at the prospect of two more series-worth of tall tales and fearsome fables.
"However, we will endeavor to showcase the very best of what the BBC can do in every genre with 30 minutes of story-telling and some half-decent wigs. We might even try a Countryfile episode, no one would expect that…"
Here's what we know so far!
What should we expect from Inside No 9 season 7?
The Inside No 9 creators haven't given away any plot details for season 7, but fans have been told to expect the format they've known and loved since the very first installment.
The BBC confirmed that "series six and seven will stay true to the show’s anthology format with each series containing six brand new half-hour films, each set in a different location. The style and tone change each week, combining a different mix of horror, thriller, drama and comedy — always aiming to surprise, delight, unnerve and amuse."
Based on one promotional image, it looks like an episode is set in a school but other than that no plot details have been confirmed so we'll have to be patient!
We do have details for the first episode Merrily, Merrily too, with the official synopsis as follows:
"Lawrence has arranged a reunion with his old university chums at a remote lake. A lot of water has passed under the bridge since then of course. As they strike out across the empty lake, the conversation takes them into choppier waters."
Who's in the cast this time?
Confirmed names for Inside No 9 season 7 are Jason Isaacs (Harry Potter), Daniel Mays (Line of Duty), Sophie Okonedo (The Escape Artist), Jessica Hynes (There She Goes), Diane Morgan (Motherland), Daisy Haggard (Back To Life), Annette Badland (EastEnders), Siobhan Redmond (The Replacement) and Ron Cook (Hot Fuzz).
Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton's The League of Gentlemen co-star Mark Gatiss will join them for an episode, also known for his work on Sherlock.
Is there a trailer?
Yes! The wait is finally over Inside No 9 fans, because our season 7 trailer has arrived and even though it's only 30 seconds long there's more than enough to grab your attention.
It's set against a rather chilling cover of Louis Armstrong's hit What a Wonderful World, and we once again see Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton in a variety of different roles. There's even some animated clips too, do we have an animated episode on the cards?!
Inside No 9 Season 7, episode 1 recap
Merrily, Merrily saw Darren (Steve Pemberton), Laurence (Reece Shearsmith) and Callum (their League of Gentleman co-star Mark Gatiss) as old university friends reuniting on a pedalo, and are unexpectedly joined by Darren's new girlfriend Donna (Diane Morgan).
Throughout the course of the episode, we learn some deeper truths about each of the characters, and it is revealed that Laurence actually brought his old friends to this location to tell them about the death of his wife, and to pay tribute to her, something that didn't go according to plan as the four board the pedalo.
The episode takes a dark turn when Laurence jumps off the pedalo to swim to a vigil he'd set up to honour his late wife, while his friends are left there on the dark, freezing cold lake concerned about their friend.
It ends on a poignant note reminiscent of Charon, the son of Erebus and Nyx, whose duty it was to ferry over the Rivers Styx and Acheron those souls of the deceased who had received the rites of burial.
In payment, he received the coin that was placed in the mouth of the corpse, something that we see Laurence doing at the end of the episode before he turns around to be greeted by his wife.
Inside No 9 Season 7, episode 2 recap
Mr King followed the arrival of primary school teacher Alan Curtis (Shearsmith) when he joins a rural Welsh school to replace the former Mr King. But Alan struggles to engage with the students who miss their old teacher, and he tries his best to redeem himself.
Meanwhile Steve Pemberton plays Mr Edwards, the headmaster of the school, and he soon reveals to Alan that a student has complained about some inappropriate conduct, and asks him if they can confirm he didn't show inappropriate images to a student by taking a polaroid of his genitals.
Alan later discovers multiple of these polaroids in the headmaster's office, leading him to suspect there's been a sexual abuse cover up, but the truth is equally as sinister and it turns out Alan is the next victim.
In a disturbing final scene, we see the school children gluing Alan to the chair and performing their "environment assembly" which is actually a front for cult activity, where they're selecting their next Corn King in their harvest festival, who will be sacrificed, so although we don't see it, it's safe to assume that Alan met a rather grisly fate before they seek out a new Mr King...
