Bernie Winter's Dressing Room is a classic episode from Pemberton and Shearsmith, this show has the ability to make you laugh, and the ability to move you. I find the show at its best when it manages to surprise you unexpectedly, and with the appearance of Len's daughter they really did manage to do just that. I felt it had remnants of The Twelve days of Christine, both in the way it moves you and in the general delivery, though not quite up to that standard (let's face it not much is) it was still a definite success. Shearsmith and Pemberton were both superb, flawless delivery, two very, very good actors and performers, they managed to capture the characters beautifully. Those that didn't like this one, I'm sure subsequent watches will show this one's a grower.
14 Reviews
Inside Number 9 only appears to get better.
southdavid11 January 2018
Following last week's warm hearted season opener, you might have thought that the boys would dive to a darker place for the second week, instead they deliver perhaps the most personal and touching episode they've ever done.
The episode tells the story of Len and Tommy, who performed together in the eighties as "Cheese and Crackers" a comedy double act who (inexplicably) seemed to be on the rise until an incident in Bernie Winter's dressing room drove them apart for 30 years. Reunited for a one off performance, following a letter from Len's daughter, the pair reunite to rehearse their old routine and attempt to work out their differences.
It's clear that Sheersmith and Pemberton do have a some affection for the era of Comedy that they likely grew up in, that the general public don't share, for acts like Little and Large, and Cannon and Ball. Despite that, they point out that much of what was acceptable back then, (sticking on a Chinese hat and doing a funny voice) just wouldn't fly in today's climate and then they mix in a sprinkling from their own real life career to show just how fast things change.
The episode is almost a two hander, the pair mixing in as much pathos and emotion as they do laughs. Sian Gibson, joins them at the end, as Len's daughter, for a final development that I didn't see coming, although in retrospect felt like I should have.
Far from running short of ideas in this fourth series, Inside Number 9 only appears to get better. Long may it continue.
The episode tells the story of Len and Tommy, who performed together in the eighties as "Cheese and Crackers" a comedy double act who (inexplicably) seemed to be on the rise until an incident in Bernie Winter's dressing room drove them apart for 30 years. Reunited for a one off performance, following a letter from Len's daughter, the pair reunite to rehearse their old routine and attempt to work out their differences.
It's clear that Sheersmith and Pemberton do have a some affection for the era of Comedy that they likely grew up in, that the general public don't share, for acts like Little and Large, and Cannon and Ball. Despite that, they point out that much of what was acceptable back then, (sticking on a Chinese hat and doing a funny voice) just wouldn't fly in today's climate and then they mix in a sprinkling from their own real life career to show just how fast things change.
The episode is almost a two hander, the pair mixing in as much pathos and emotion as they do laughs. Sian Gibson, joins them at the end, as Len's daughter, for a final development that I didn't see coming, although in retrospect felt like I should have.
Far from running short of ideas in this fourth series, Inside Number 9 only appears to get better. Long may it continue.
Poignant
safenoe7 December 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I saw this episode on a flight, and thankfully the airline had good taste to have Inside No. 9 on the program. Anyway, there's a real twist at the end, which makes you reflect on the nature of friendship and comedians. Sian Gibson adds a special touch at the end, where the penny drops.
Ten out of nine
matthewbyrne-9618331 October 2018
Rod Hull and Emu; Bob Carolgees and Spit the dog; The Crankees. It wasn't so long ago that these acts drew large audiences. Bernie Cliftons Dressing room works so well because the sketches performed both mock that era while bringing genuine laughs. We are treated to the clowning and comedy skills of Pemberton, as well as the pair's writing skills. This episode has everything and is stands up to repeated viewing better than the other great number 9s.
WOW
ecedeniztoros15 September 2019
Wow. So far the best Inside No.9 I've seen.
unitedsmith9 April 2020
This Mark's two firsts for me. First time watching Inside no.9, thanks to this Covid19 lockdown, and first time I've written an IMDB review, because thos episode was such perfection.
I'm really enjoying Inside number 9. Episodes like The Bill and The 12 days of Chrissie are standout favourites for me, but THIS episode, takes the crown so far.
The acting = perfect
The 'story' = perfect
The inside number 9 factor = perfect
I was absolutly blown away with this episode, truly cannot praise this enough.
Take a bow guys !
Thanks you for creating such incredible tv
Childhood Memories
bullseyemonster30 May 2019
Masterclass
Shoob8815 April 2022
My favourite episode.
reubenw1233 September 2019
Bernie Clifton's Dressing Room
Prismark1010 January 2018
I always admired Bernie Clifton who managed to keep a comedy career going despite the loss of both his legs!
Len and Tommy better known as Cheese & Crackers, a comedy duo at the fag end of the days of variety in the late 1980s. They are brought together for a gig 30 years after they broke up.
Tommy, now calling himself Thomas is a successful businessman who has left his past comedy life behind, seemingly lost his funny bones and does not know what he is doing here.
Len still thinks he is the joker of the pack, his routines are 3 decades behind the times, some of his impressions cannot be done thanks to Operation Yewtree.
As the duo rehearse, issues from the past emerge which led to them breaking up and it was all due to an incident in Bernie Clifton's dressing room.
A comedy with a solemn and melancholic twist. It was almost a two hander from Pemberton and Shearsmith, a tribute to those comedy acts that never got anywhere near to being the next Morecambe & Wise or even Mike & Bernie Winters.
The best bit was Pemberton doing the hat routine which was a riff of something Tommy Cooper used to do.
Len and Tommy better known as Cheese & Crackers, a comedy duo at the fag end of the days of variety in the late 1980s. They are brought together for a gig 30 years after they broke up.
Tommy, now calling himself Thomas is a successful businessman who has left his past comedy life behind, seemingly lost his funny bones and does not know what he is doing here.
Len still thinks he is the joker of the pack, his routines are 3 decades behind the times, some of his impressions cannot be done thanks to Operation Yewtree.
As the duo rehearse, issues from the past emerge which led to them breaking up and it was all due to an incident in Bernie Clifton's dressing room.
A comedy with a solemn and melancholic twist. It was almost a two hander from Pemberton and Shearsmith, a tribute to those comedy acts that never got anywhere near to being the next Morecambe & Wise or even Mike & Bernie Winters.
The best bit was Pemberton doing the hat routine which was a riff of something Tommy Cooper used to do.
Sentimental Swansong
eppingdrwho2 February 2020
This episode is Blackpool, the two Ronnies, morecambe and wise, nostalgia, and many other things. It's twee but has a message behind it. The sentiment is important and the writing is again very good but it doesn't quite pack the punch some episodes do.
Not as innovative as Zanzibar but it still packs an emotional wallop!
The-Last-Prydonian30 January 2018
30 years have elapsed since the Northern comedy-act of Len and Tommy appeared for the last time on stage together. Known as; Cheese and Crackers, Tommy walked out on the act after an embarrassing drunken incident involving Len. With circumstances forcing Len to ask his former comedic partner to pair up with him again to perform with him once more, Tommy reluctantly does and does little to disguise his lack of enthusiasm. It proves to be an emotional reunion to say the least.
After the previous week's inspired series opener which showcased Messrs Shearsmith and Pemberton at their most inventive they were going to have to go some way to top; Zanzibar in terms of it's creativity. With; Bernie Clifton's Dressing Room it proves to be something of an odd episode to follow up as while indeed excellent it still lacks the imaginative spark of that premiere outing. I find it something of an error of judgement that; Zanzibar didn't make it further down the line in terms of it's chronological air-date although one can only assume that both actors/writers wanted to open the series with with something of a stylish flourish and indeed they did. Assuming it was their decision.
Shifting this minor negative criticism to one side, the aptly titled; Bernie Clifton's Dressing Room proves to be another tour de force accomplishment as both stars pull off what is for the most part a double header of an episode. Set solely in the confines of what appears to be an old village hall where washed up comedian Len (Steve Pemberton) has awaited the arrival of his former friend and comedy partner Tommy (Reece Shearsmith). To say it's something of a a uncomfortable reunion would be be a bit of an understatement, with a dour Tommy clearly burning with resentment as well as cynicism. This is contrasted neatly by Pemberton's more gratingly upbeat and jovial Len, a man delusionally happy in his cheery optimism. The two actors bounce off one another effortlessly as "Cheese and Crackers", who are essentially chalk and cheese. You really feel the bitterness and apathy that Tommy has for Len, a point that is hammered home all the more so when the latter attempts to upstage the former during their rehearsals much to Tommy's considerable annoyance.
Although it would be easy to dismiss Tommy as being an embittered has-been, it's due to his ex-partner's irksome buoyancy and his propensity for grandstanding and recalling their past glory days (if they could even be called that) that it's hard not to sympathise with him. Tommy being the voice of reason that consistently challenges Len about the nature of their outdated material pointedly skewering his misplaced optimism while the other hopeful in his delusion that they can be a success again. It's the very essence of dark, comedic tragedy which they deliver so well. There is a palpable air of bitter-sweet nostalgia with this offering, what with it's thematic spin on two men both, one all be it rather reluctantly harking back to their past days as a double act during their hey day back in the 80's. With references to similarly forgotten acts like; Little and Large and Cannon and Ball, there does appear to be a genuine melancholy invested within the story from both it's stars. Two men who clearly have an affection for these now dated and bygone comedy teams who have seemingly slipped in to the ether. It's a poignancy that lends something to the impact of it's inevitable surprise conclusion that wonderfully turns everything we've just witnessed on it's head emotionally. It's not the most sublime of twists, which has been pulled off similarly before on numerous other occasions but still works remarkably well and is pulled off with some panache.
Both actors do throw themselves in to their roles although it is Shearsmith who is ultimately deserving of plaudits as the pessimistic Tommy who's scornful contempt masks contrary feelings that eventually come to the fore. Pemberton is obnoxiously chipper as the more loquacious of the pairing, although it's not a role that we're not all too unfamiliar from seeing from him. He does never the less manage to convey a subtle vulnerability beyond his sanguine façade, one that is adeptly mirrored with Tommy's who's is all the more apparent.
While not quite matching; Zanzibar for it's originality and energy; Bernie Clifton's Dressing Room is another fine example of it's writer and stars utilizing a minimalist backdrop to superb effect. As a tribute to a bygone era of comedy it's one that is both sentimental although without forgoing a sense of sadness which permeates proceedings. Anyone hoping for something of the more macabre and twisted that we have come to expect from the duo will be disappointed. However, with the following episode; Once Removed offering a promisingly welcome return to tonal form, I await the rest of the series with much anticipation.
After the previous week's inspired series opener which showcased Messrs Shearsmith and Pemberton at their most inventive they were going to have to go some way to top; Zanzibar in terms of it's creativity. With; Bernie Clifton's Dressing Room it proves to be something of an odd episode to follow up as while indeed excellent it still lacks the imaginative spark of that premiere outing. I find it something of an error of judgement that; Zanzibar didn't make it further down the line in terms of it's chronological air-date although one can only assume that both actors/writers wanted to open the series with with something of a stylish flourish and indeed they did. Assuming it was their decision.
Shifting this minor negative criticism to one side, the aptly titled; Bernie Clifton's Dressing Room proves to be another tour de force accomplishment as both stars pull off what is for the most part a double header of an episode. Set solely in the confines of what appears to be an old village hall where washed up comedian Len (Steve Pemberton) has awaited the arrival of his former friend and comedy partner Tommy (Reece Shearsmith). To say it's something of a a uncomfortable reunion would be be a bit of an understatement, with a dour Tommy clearly burning with resentment as well as cynicism. This is contrasted neatly by Pemberton's more gratingly upbeat and jovial Len, a man delusionally happy in his cheery optimism. The two actors bounce off one another effortlessly as "Cheese and Crackers", who are essentially chalk and cheese. You really feel the bitterness and apathy that Tommy has for Len, a point that is hammered home all the more so when the latter attempts to upstage the former during their rehearsals much to Tommy's considerable annoyance.
Although it would be easy to dismiss Tommy as being an embittered has-been, it's due to his ex-partner's irksome buoyancy and his propensity for grandstanding and recalling their past glory days (if they could even be called that) that it's hard not to sympathise with him. Tommy being the voice of reason that consistently challenges Len about the nature of their outdated material pointedly skewering his misplaced optimism while the other hopeful in his delusion that they can be a success again. It's the very essence of dark, comedic tragedy which they deliver so well. There is a palpable air of bitter-sweet nostalgia with this offering, what with it's thematic spin on two men both, one all be it rather reluctantly harking back to their past days as a double act during their hey day back in the 80's. With references to similarly forgotten acts like; Little and Large and Cannon and Ball, there does appear to be a genuine melancholy invested within the story from both it's stars. Two men who clearly have an affection for these now dated and bygone comedy teams who have seemingly slipped in to the ether. It's a poignancy that lends something to the impact of it's inevitable surprise conclusion that wonderfully turns everything we've just witnessed on it's head emotionally. It's not the most sublime of twists, which has been pulled off similarly before on numerous other occasions but still works remarkably well and is pulled off with some panache.
Both actors do throw themselves in to their roles although it is Shearsmith who is ultimately deserving of plaudits as the pessimistic Tommy who's scornful contempt masks contrary feelings that eventually come to the fore. Pemberton is obnoxiously chipper as the more loquacious of the pairing, although it's not a role that we're not all too unfamiliar from seeing from him. He does never the less manage to convey a subtle vulnerability beyond his sanguine façade, one that is adeptly mirrored with Tommy's who's is all the more apparent.
While not quite matching; Zanzibar for it's originality and energy; Bernie Clifton's Dressing Room is another fine example of it's writer and stars utilizing a minimalist backdrop to superb effect. As a tribute to a bygone era of comedy it's one that is both sentimental although without forgoing a sense of sadness which permeates proceedings. Anyone hoping for something of the more macabre and twisted that we have come to expect from the duo will be disappointed. However, with the following episode; Once Removed offering a promisingly welcome return to tonal form, I await the rest of the series with much anticipation.
Episode 402
bobcobb30111 June 2018
Warning: Spoilers
I was not quite sure where they were going with this one, but by the end I realized what a quality episode it was. From the old school comedy bits (even keeping the racist parts in tact for authenticity) to the reveal in the end this was well done.
I can't score it higher because it did drag at points, there really wasn't 30 minutes of content here, but it was well-done.
I can't score it higher because it did drag at points, there really wasn't 30 minutes of content here, but it was well-done.
Even worse than the last episode.
13Funbags14 January 2018
There's nothing worse than watching a great show die a disgraceful death. While the third series made some changes to the style of story they were going for, it was still good. I don't know what this rubbish is supposed to be. It has no entertainment value and is very difficult to watch. This is the first time I saw the twist coming halfway through the episode. I wish I could just walk away but I can't. I have to see how low they go.
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