cold comfort inside cold comfort fourth episode second series british dark comedy anthology television programme inside episode written directed broadcast april bbc cold comfort composed stream fixed camera desk andy protagonist smaller pictures screen style feed cold comfort filmed half days like quiet night series highly experimental directorial debut episode starred volunteers crisis support line crisis story follows andy starting centre taking particularly disturbing teenage girl andy begins struggle offered support supervisor liz bird andy later joined members comedy group family voiced family appearing screen extras playing unnamed centre volunteers television critics writing times writing guardian characterised cold comfort somewhat weaker episodes series critics including writing radio_times comedy critic writers sunday_times complimentary commentators praised format writing performances especially offered differing views episode conclusion plot atmosphere production second series inside written filmed end early idea cold comfort began centre having kept newspaper article subject potential inspiration writers idea setting allowed story grow pair visited large number locations including number colleges settling rejecting look like offices days location completed filming half casting cold comfort stars andy new volunteer supervisor according typically write inside scripts particular actors mind roles typically write roles specifically unsure long time characters initially considering having play andy play george said felt like obvious option characters switched thought slightly unusual way episode inside features new characters writers able attract actors unwilling commit entire series star respectively liz michael volunteers centre characters liz strongly differing approaches roles volunteers detachment liz involvement approaches advantages jane desk adorned including ornaments pictures idea served viewers suspicious start chosen able add humour keeping tight necessary episode lines improvised character michael begins work centre episode considered having mentioned sent wood green reference stage version based included final episode hall provide voices people centre voice actors drawn comedy group family performing members hughes watching family performance invited members star inside suggested appear screen extras playing unnamed centre volunteers voiced ivy old woman previously starred actors series direction addition writing starring cold comfort directed episode episode second series jointly directed directorial debut pair know writing series episodes directing meaning writing unlikely influenced knowledge intended try directing second series inside offered opportunity directed episodes series unable return second took directorial duties episodes decided direct remaining said interview pair considered directing episodes appear scheduling concerns left cold comfort episodes feature writers heavily contrast said knowing going directing episodes deliberately chose cold comfort fixed cameras filming lot simpler said filming complex initially anticipated lovely directed liked choices loves work said found directing episode exhausting found little time rest filming directly involved filming involved making directorial decisions picture sound episode progresses footage streamed fixed camera booth centre setting streams cameras displayed screen style feed idea inspired clip serial killer interview cia seen online main feed smaller feeds giving different views scene writers felt multiple screens served narrative function raised tension episode viewers simply watch characters taking calls seen moving forth smaller screens having initially keen things happening away main feed somewhat frustrated result extra moving numerous occasions episode felt series filmed manner bit wearing eye style single episode format presented certain technical difficulties episode filmed long takes long minutes cuts meant actors errors result don normally said episode brilliantly tense incredibly boring timing filming precise scenes cut earlier start later anticipated example earlier introduction cut final episode unused versions scenes included violent version george attack liz version final scene gunshot gunshot removed recommendation inside executive producer led debate example preferred original version episode sound arranged phones actors speak real time wanted voices recorded studio later added voice identify key story presented particular technical challenge writers wanted ensure identity revealed time voice heard production team recorded playing number actresses recorded versions playing hall chosen lend voice recorded voice imitating hall version hall respective performances merged final episode time viewers hear voice hall episode progresses voice represent production team cheating viewers viewers experiences filtered andy experiences time viewers hear like andy experience teenage girl episode filmed real time george visible making calls meaning hides plain sight footage playing george office final episode filmed separately rest episode camera set george office visible main cameras compared cold comfort quiet night second episode series inside sentiment echoed critics episodes highly experimental quiet night silent cold comfort filmed fixed camera writers felt suits anthology format hand according cold comfort static listening sense polar opposite quiet night episodes series different tone felt cold comfort extreme experiment plot andy starts volunteer comfort support line crisis death sister supervisor george takes procedure calls andy experienced liz finds calls difficult volunteer shares mutual liz advises emotionally invested andy takes year old girl problems home says taken drug andy sings shine finishes longer line immediately takes elderly woman distraught cat died responds hangs following day george thinks liz breaking rules taking personal gets angry later andy upset listened final moments liz complaint george conduct tells took soldier tears mother committed suicide following death cat andy realises man mother previous night george advises andy face repercussions asks andy help michael new centre calls speaks michael claiming taken andy phone shouts hanging following argument george liz asked leave small party held party calls asking speak andy andy tells hoax caused old woman death says andy fault repeats andy said old woman cat andy stays late goes george office realising works accuses arrived says came bag plans evidence footage contact police looking footage discover george calls unbeknownst george approaching office hastily leaves sees andy inside george arrive work day shows new volunteer replacing liz having found george similar calls years andy plans police andy answers phone george voice george says wanted listen warns told dead woman son andy works background stands points gun andy head reception critics responded positively cold comfort characterised weaker previous episodes series writing times described cold comfort small trial elizabeth days said cold comfort offers promising set doesn simple logical series writing times gave episode stars considering weaker typical inside reviewed episode guardian felt episode tools suspense lacks element surprise best series hand writing radio_times described cold comfort brilliance said real volunteers watching episode remains gripping reviewers sunday_times called episode freelance journalist called episode easily funniest awarding stars characterised successful aims summarised memorable executed comedy drama robinson felt writers celebrity guests episode writing entertainment website den geek said episode set fantastic guest stars comedy critic praised performances episode said performance particularly good critics sunday_times said fine form commentators commended episode writing owen felt plot took going television critic discussed unusual style cold comfort saying argue writers stage careers don need experiment makes television like push writing daily_mirror episode makes great use split screen footage said set gave episode haunting flavour viewers andy streams cameras makes viewer intrigued anxious claimed episode played inherent footage said split screen set increased tension gimmick good worked pleasing novelty makes inventive genre critics writing sunday_times said set proves effective described creepy pay independent said ending testament fact writers know play audience like impressed saying ultimate twist tale crude insight offer help need little series standards owen similarly found motives considered surprisingly final shot fully earned plausible confessed episode able sic ending cited sources steve episode commentary retrieved march
Cold Comfort (Inside No. 9)