Domestic chaos for the next episode of "Inside Number 9", as murder and monsters are replaced by loveless marriages and tedious family members.
Uptight Angela (Claire Skinner) is throwing a party for her mother's 79th birthday. Her husband, Jim (Steve Pemberton) is desperate to get one over on his brother-in-law, Pat (Reece Shearsmith) and he believes his oversize fake cake is just the ticket. Pat has some tricks of his own in mind, but it's his wife, Carol (Lorraine Ashbourne) whose frustration at her lot in life, as well as her drinking problem, will make the afternoon uncomfortable.
It's a real kitchen sink melodrama this time, as the frustrations and jealousies within a family boil over. Reece Shearsmith is playing a character similar to ones he played in "The League of Gentlemen", though I'm struggling to nail down exactly which one. Claire Skinner is excellent as Angela, but Lorraine Ashbourne gets the showier role and nails it, as she runs through jealous sister, frustrated wife, embarrassing aunt and finally jilted lover, all in 30 minutes.
I've made no secret about the fact I prefer the episodes of the show that lean more heavily into the horror aspect, but even the slice of traditional sitcom fair is better than 90% of the rest of the BBC's comedic output.