In a London graveyard, Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith tell us what to expect from the Inside No.
If the photoshoot forInside No.
As four series ofInside No.
Halloween specialDead Lineinvolves a churchyard, hence the choice of interview venue.
says a delighted Shearsmith), but because theyre dissenters too.
FromLeague Of GentlementoPsychovilletoInside No.
9, Pemberton and Shearsmiths work falls outside of the establishment.
Comedy-horror-drama, or drama-horror-comedy, its hard to categorise.
Its sole constant is surprise.
You never know what youre going to get.
We know very little about what were going to get withDead Line.
As a live episode, it wont be filmed on location.
Itll be a multi-camera set-up, explains Pemberton.
But it wont be likeThe Devil Of Christmas!
It should just be a good episode ofInside No.
9that happens to be live as well, weve tried to make it as detailed as any other episode.
Its just slowly coming together now, says Shearsmith.
9came from the BBC.
When someone puts that challenge down it is really impossible to ignore, says Pemberton.
Shearsmith explains, It harks back to the ethos ofNo.
Its an unusual prospect for us, says Pemberton.
Weve never done anything like this before.
The need to get it right on the night is familiar to both from their time in the theatre.
As is the experience of drying on stage.
Its not necessarily nerves though, it is adrenaline, he says.
You just get this look in your eyes of I dont know what to say next laughs Pemberton.
Well just have to watch each others backs, says Shearsmith, and attempt to muddle through.
After forty-seven dates on theLeague Of Gentlementour, hes not that nervous.
As long as we rehearse it well enough we will be alright.
Were confident about it.
Its only a half-hour, adds Pemberton.
Its not like a two-hour play, so we should be okay.
Anyway, Pemberton laughs.
People also want, especially with anInside No.
9episode, to be scared.
They can expect that fromDead Line.
With it being a Halloween episode it is quite a spooky story, promises Shearsmith.
And funny as well, so a bit of both.
Its not a comedy romp in the way that some of the others are a bit more farcical.
This one is definitely in the horror genre.
We wanted to draw on the lovely Halloween special creepiness of EC Comics andTales From the Darkside.
If he could, he says hed have it every day of the year.
For a birthday present, Pemberton once took him to a haunted house event.
We found a face in a mirror, didnt we?
But then it turned out to be a bit of wax that hadnt been rubbed in properly.
Neither has had any actual supernatural experiences in real-life.
There were some spooky goings-on, says Shearsmith, but it was all in our minds.
It was Mark [Gatiss]!
I was all set to believe it and then he confessed it was him all along.
As part of the spooky celebrations, Shearsmith often goes to Jonathan Ross famous Halloween party.
His costume of choice?
I try and think of things that are a bit leftfield.
One year I went to Jonathans with my son.
I played Anthony Hopkins and my son was dressed as the dummy Fats from the filmMagic.
I walked around carrying my son all night, but he weighed a tonne!
Pemberton prefers to stay in for Mischief Night, taking the kids out trick or treating.
Hes had to rethink putting out one particular decoration though.
Prior to rehearsals starting,Dead Linehas been planned to the last detail.
Lets hope it is scary in the right way!
A couple of elements in the live episode promise to be technically challenging.
Until we get in the sets and physically do it, you cant know, says Pemberton.
Itll be alright on the night!
Dead Line airs on Sunday the 28thof October at 10pm on BBC Two.
Be there and be scared.
