look for inspiration, he claimed, it would not have worked. The episode is split into four, corresponding to the four seasons, and features music from Vivaldi's The Four Seasons. It takes its name from the nursery rhyme "Diddle, Diddle, Dumpling, My Son John". "Diddle Diddle Dumpling" starred Shearsmith as David, Hawes as David's wife Louise, Rosa Strudwick as the couple's daughter Sally, and Pemberton as Chris, a family friend. Danny Baker voiced a radio presenter, and Baynton appeared as Ted. When contacted about appearing in Inside No. 9, Hawes was starring in The Durrells. However, as "Diddle Diddle Dumpling" would take only a week to film, she was able to move straight from The Durrells to Inside No. 9. Her respective characters, despite having close names, were very different. According to Pemberton, Hawes had hoped to dislike the script so that she could turn down the role. When she read it, however, she could not resist. "Diddle Diddle Dumpling" was the Inside No. 9 producer Adam Tandy's favourite episode of the series, while Pemberton considered it one of the best. Shearsmith identified David as one of his favourite characters from the series, and said that he fondly remembered working with Hawes, whom he praised as a performer. Hawes commended Inside No. 9, the episode's script, and Morales's direction, expressing how much she had enjoyed working with Pemberton and Shearsmith, as well as the amount she had laughed during the filming process. Plot Spring David, a middle class stay-at-home dad, lives with his wife Louise and daughter Sally. While out jogging, he encounters a single slip-on dress shoe. David keeps an eye on the shoe, and, by the time Louise arrives home that evening, has moved it to the dinner table. Louise drops it on the floor, though David's attention remains on it. Later, in daytime, David chastises Sally for playing with the shoe, and Louise is angry that he has hung posters advertising his find that feature their phone number. Summer The family celebrate Sally's birthday, while the shoe sits under a sofa. Later, Chris, a family friend, visits. He may have a job for David, but, to Louise's horror, David begins talking about his "project". Louise has binned the shoe; David is mortified, and Louise challenges him to not speak about the shoe for two minutes. He fails, and storms out to search the bin. Louise and Chris share