Inside No 9

Top writers discuss their craft: “First drafts don’t have to be perfect, they just have to be written"

Reece Shearsmith, Jed Mercurio, Melvyn Bragg (Chair), Heidi Thomas and Steve Pemberton (Credit: Paul Hampartsoumian)

Melvyn Bragg was talking at a special live edition of The South Bank Show, featuring four of the UK’s leading TV writers – Jed Mercurio (writer and creator of hit police corruption thriller Line of Duty); Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith (black comedy anthology Inside No. 9); and Heidi Thomas (period drama Call the Midwife) – discussing their craft.

Inside No. 9 returns for live Halloween special

Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton (Credit: BBC)

The live episode is the twenty-fifth story to come out of the RTS award-winning series. The comedy duo, who will write and perform in the live special, will be joined by guest star Stephanie Cole (Still Open All Hours).

Dead Line focuses on the unfortunate Arthur Flitwick (Steve Pemberton), as he discovers a mysterious old mobile phone in a local graveyard.

Unknown to him, the phone is tied to dark mystical forces and when Flitwick attempts to contact the owner, his good deed goes punished and he is forced into his own living nightmare.