A family struggle to make ends meet in the run up to Christmas.

The first three episodes of this season of Inside No. 9 have proven just how versatile the show’s format is. From broad football comedy to dark Psychoville crossover to family drama, it truly is a different experience each week.

Trevor and Julia (Steve Pemberton and Debbie Rush) want to have the best possible Christmas for their family, but they’re struggling to pay the bills and their largely absent son is hiding from a loan shark. The half hour drama follows the format of an advent calendar – we get a relevant snippet of each day in December – normally in chronological order, but crucially we miss out door 9 until later, when its relevance is revealed.

The acting is phenomenal, with no week link in the entire cast. Your heart breaks at the position the family find themselves in, and yet love carries the day, against all odds.

Verdict: It’s a shame that this wasn’t on at Christmas, but such is the nature of TV scheduling. Whatever time of year you watch it, it’s a wonderful piece of drama. And there’s Ultravox over the end credits! 9/10

Nick Joy