"The 12 Days of Christine" is the second episode of the second series of British black comedy anthology series Inside No. 9. It first aired on 2 April 2015 on BBC Two. It was written by Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith, and directed by Guillem Morales. The episode tells the story of Christine, a young woman living in a small flat, over 12 years in her life, focussing on key days and life events in that time. Christine is played by Sheridan Smith, while those who play an important part in her life are played variously by Tom Riley, Stacy Liu, Michele Dotrice, Paul Copley, Pemberton, Jessica Ellerby, Joel Little and Dexter Little. Shearsmith plays the Stranger, an unknown figure apparently haunting Christine.
"The 12 Days of Christine" departed from the usual black comedy of Inside No. 9 to instead focus on drama. The story was interpreted in a number of different ways by commentators, who differed in their understanding of Christine's life and confused perspective, and the identity of the Stranger. Reviewers responded extremely positively to the episode, which was awarded five out of five stars in both The Times and The Telegraph. Critics variously commended the performances of the actors, particularly Smith, the poignancy of the plot, and the impact of the unforeseen ending.
Production
The second series of Inside No. 9 was written in 2014, and then filmed from the end of 2014 into early 2015. "The 12 Days of Christine" follows the life of Christine over 12 years, with the story told through scenes showing the key events in that time. Shearsmith described this as a very unusual episode structure and storytelling method, but felt that, in this case, it was effective. On writing the script, Pemberton and Shearsmith immediately thought of Sheridan Smith as a performer who would be suitable to play Christine. Both had previously worked with her, and the pair hoped that she would be willing to accept the role. Smith had been a long-time fan of the writers' work, and enjoyed the way the format of Inside No. 9 allows standalone stories. She was "gripped" by the script, and accepted the role; during filming, she said she was "over the moon" to be working with Pemberton and Shearsmith.
As each episode of Inside No. 9 features new characters, the writers were able to attract actors who might have been unwilling to commit to an entire series. "The 12 Days of Christine" starred Smith as Christine, around whom the story revolves. Adam, Christine's partner, was played by Tom Riley, and Stacy Liu played Fung, Christine's roommate. Christine's parents—Marion and Ernie—were played by Michele Dotrice and Paul Copley, while Christine's son Jack was played by Joel Little and Dexter Little. Christine's colleague Bobby was played by Pemberton, and Adam's colleague Zara was played by Jessica Ellerby. Shearsmith plays the Stranger, a mysterious man who repeatedly appears to Christine. For the second series on Inside No. 9, Pemberton and Shearsmith were permitted to build two sets; the first was for "La Couchette", the first episode of the series, and the second was for "The 12 Days of Christine". The two were built alongside each other at Twickenham Studios. Smith described the fake flat as "lovely", explaining that it was "a full set; bedroom, bathroom, working taps – everything". She considered the flat's 1970s decor "really cool" and "funky".
Plot
Christine (Smith) arrives home to her flat with Adam (Riley), whom she has just met at a New Year's party. Thirteen months later, it is Valentine's Day and Christine chats with her flatmate Fung (Liu) at home. Christine is dating Adam, but receives a card from her first boyfriend, whom she has not seen since childhood. On Mother's Day, Christine's mother Marion (Dotrice) visits. Marion reveals that Christine's first boyfriend died when he was 16, which Christine had forgotten. Marion urges Christine to marry Adam; Christine's father Ernie (Copley) has Alzheimer's disease and is deteriorating. The following year, Adam moves in with Christine at Easter. Christine begins to prepare a surprise for him, but is disturbed when an egg smashes on a nearby wall. In her kitchen, she is approached by an unknown man, the Stranger (Shearsmith) who says "I'm sorry".