Inside Number 9 viewers fell victim to a prank after the well-anticipated bus episode was replaced with a fake game show.
Fans tuned into the episode they thought was called 'Hold on Tight' with Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton dressed as bus conductors.
But the script flipped to a replacement quiz show service on TV, which ended with a contestant's head being blown up on the show.
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The show, called 3 by 3, was hosted by comedian Lee Mack who was tasked with asking general knowledge questions.
Contestants included three co-workers, a group of choir singers, and the Oakwood family.
But the audience was left gobsmacked after seeing a contestant's head obliterated in front of host Lee, who appeared to rush off in panic.
The Oakwoods, which was made up of mum Margaret and daughter Catherine, were being asked questions by the host.
But Margaret failed to get the last question right and her head exploded after she became trapped in the sound-proof question box.
The bizarre concept was the brainchild of Reece Shearsmith, Steve Pemberton and Robin Askwith, who put together promotional material to trick the audience.
Shearsmith and Pemberton even went to the extent of tweeting in real-time asking whether they were on-air.
Things became stranger when the broadcast seemed to be haunted, leaving the viewers that were left in tears.
Den of Geek reported that around one in five viewers fell for the prank and changed the channel, while those who held tight were treated to an eventful night.
Fans started to notice something was wrong – with several pointing out a glitch "when the ghost started banging on the window during A Quiet Night In."
In response to the scene, one fan said they "nearly crapped myself."
One viewer hailed the trio "geniuses", while another said it was "one of the best twists" they'd ever seen.
Hoax participant Askwith took to Twitter to share the incredibly "hard secret to keep" and said it was "interesting to watch the anger and despair turn to delight".
Co-writer Pemberton tweeted: "Huge thanks to the amazing Robin Askwith for being so game. What a star."
A series of publicity shots were taken of the trio as their characters Clarke, Wolfie and Mr Cole.
An episode synopsis was also released by the BBC, which read: "Wolfie and Clarke love their bus – but perhaps not as much as the mysterious Mr Cole and his dolly-bird nieces. As Clarke would say, 'plenty of room up top!'"
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