And the Winner Is...

The Inside Number 9 team take aim at awards committees. I suspect they shoot rather near the mark.

The panel consists of several actors, a director, a writer, a journalist and for the first time a member of the public who is out of her depth. They need to whittle down the shortlist for the best actress and come to an agreement regarding the winner. The nominees include the grand dame noted for playing the stern one who gradually softens up (Maggie Smith?) The young actress who made her way from the soaps. The one who always wins for anything she does each year (Meryl Streep?)

It is rather novel to hear Zoe Wanamaker speaking with her native New York accent. She plays the actress who has slept around and never watched any of the performances but she can spot a winner. Noel Clarke plays the director who takes a swipe as the ethnic minority judge put their to discuss the ethnic minority nominee.

An unusual gentle change of pace with this episode. Shearsmith and Pemberton take more of a backseat here as performers, it still has a satirical bite. The eventual winner worked hard for her award.

I found this to be a fun and amusing instalment. The cast work very well together and bring an interesting script to life. The ending is fun too. I like how self-absorbed the characters are.

At the Royal Academy of Motion Picture Arts a host panel of judges, which is made of judges who make up different sectors of the film industry gather to vote on who will win best actress award. Presided over by Giles Grindley-Orme, the panel consists of feisty Hollywood star Paula, TV critic June, veteran actor Rupert, producer Gordon, second-rate writer Clive and Jackie who has been specially selected as a member of the general public. Their combined refusal to decide upon who should win the coveted award inevitably descends in to in-fighting and a clash of egos and an accusation of in-objectivity. Eventually a winner is chosen thanks to their superb performance.

After taking something of a poignant and to an extent cynical look at the world of show business with; Bernie Clifton's Dressing Room three weeks previously, Messrs Shearsmith and Pemberton interestingly once again set their sights on the entertainment industry once more. This time taking a satirical bite at the motion picture industry; And the Winner is... takes a less affectionate swipe at a business which is renowned for it's potential shallowness, back-biting and self absorbed personalities. Maintaining that minimalist self contained feel that some of the series best episodes have utilized to sublime effect with stories like; Sardines and Zanzibar, this outing predominantly takes place within Room number 9 of the Academy. It's a less claustrophobic setting than both aforementioned episodes but it no less makes for a powder-keg of heated emotions. Sure this does mean that the series show-runners inevitably resort to caricatured stereotypes as they essentially parade each of their dramatis personae who each represent a division of the motion picture industry.

It is with this mind however that it's to each of the casts individual talents that they manage to bring each of their characters to life. Glaringly exaggerated for comedic effect with Zoe Wanamaker's arguably the most blatant stereotype as the quintessential parody of the glamorous, brassy, ageing Hollywood star. Struggling somewhat with a somewhat stilted U. S. accent she still manages to still be effectively waspish value as the amusingly embittered and apathetic Paula. Noel Clarke, best known for his former semi-regular role as Mickey Smith in; Doctor Who (which is slyly referenced by himself early on) makes for ideal casting as Television director Gordon given his past credentials in the field, with Kenneth Cranham on fine acerbic, crusty form as jaded veteran actor; Rupert. Fenella Woolgar provides further spiteful support as the unexpectedly woebegone TV critic and journalistic "nobody" June, with Phoebe Sparrow rounding up the guest cast, offering something of a contrast to the motley members of the judging panel as the, bubbly, sweet-natured Jackie. A young woman who is essentially the odd one out being a member of the general public.

Regulars and showruuners; Shearsmith and Permberton of course make up the entirety of the list of thespianic talent, and are on dependable top form as brown-nosing screen-writing hack; Clive and the ever jaunty and diplomatic Giles who is lumbered with the unenviable task of being the chairperson to the panel.

As a satirical stab at the motion picture awards judging process, ...And the Winner is efficient in tearing lumps out of it's discernible targets who for the main collectively make for a range of pretentious, puffed up has-been and wannabe egos who aren't averse to verbally ripping chunks out of one another. Having really no genuine vested interest in selecting a winner, their overall indifference is explicitly felt. It's with the character of Jackie that we get one seemingly unassuming who although naive and almost eternally chipper eventually cuts through the mire of turgid rationalisations given by her fellow panellists with non-confrontational grace and humility. It invariably leads to the stories inexorable final twist which I have to confess that I partially saw coming, and therefore comes across as a punchline to a joke that being predictable dulls it's impact. Given what is the general macabre tone of the series; like previous episodes that include; The Last Gasp, Nana's Party this is mild fare despite the biting satire.

Equalling; To Have and To Hold as the weakest of what has been thus far the to my mind the strongest series to date; and which could have potentially benefited from being more of a molasses black comedy with a darker, more nihilistic edge to it. That's not to say it's not skewering enough in it's critique of the motion picture awards industry and it's members but it feels like something that should have been slightly greater than the sum of it's parts. It ultimately however manages to be more rewarding viewing than the aforementioned; The Last Gasp and Nana's Party.

A story about actors, their vanities and insecurities. Their insensitive opinions and behaviour - all of this rings true, these days too true with the current revelations about Noel Clarke (playing a boorish director) adding a very discomforting level of interpretation that was (unless Pemberton and Shearsmith were truly creepily prescient) not intended at the time. Relatively gentle twist at the end compared to the discomfort portrayed. Good show with newly added layers of meaning.

It was, in retrospect, unlikely that this series of "Inside Number 9" was going to be able to maintain the standard it's established throughout the whole fourth run and whilst "And The Winner is . . " is by no means bad, it pales in comparison with what's come before.

The episode revolves around the machinations of a room of actors and industry professionals trying to determine who wins Best Actress at an unnamed awards ceremony. Despite the great real actors that took part in the episode, the characters that they play are a bit too clichéd to get much joy out of. Fenella Woolgar is a disgruntled journalist, criticising because she can't create; Kenneth Cranham is an aging RSC thespian; Phoebe Sparrow is a dull member of the public, who likes everyone; Noel Clarke is a young popular director desperately avoiding the professional advances of fellow jury member Clive, played by Reese Shearsmith, who has a script he's trying to sell; and finally Zoe Wannamaker is a fading star, about to embark on a disappointing West End run, who recites the soundbites her assistant provided because she hasn't watched any of the performances in question.

It's a decent premise for an episode, and I would imagine the tangential reasons provided to justify why someone isn't suitable of winning is probably closer to the truth than anyone actually involved in award shows would like to admit, but when Shearsmith and Pemberton don't bring anything from the horror side of their repertoire, usually the comedy makes up for it - unfortunately, this one just isn't funny enough to make up the difference.