The Riddle of the Sphinx (Inside No. 9) was characterised by Pemberton as a thriller in the style of Anthony Shaffer's 1970 play "Sleuth", while Shearsmith identified the episode as particularly theatrical, in the style of "Sleuth" and Ira Levin's 1978 play "Deathtrap". BBC executives, according to Shearsmith, saw the episode as a cross between "Sleuth" and Willy Russell's 1980 play "Educating Rita" that read as if it had been authored by psychopaths. The executive producer Jon Plowman suggested that the first half of the episode plays out like a radio play. The word-play and tea-drinking in this part of the episode are, in the writers' opinion, very
Willy (TV series) Willy (TV series) Willy is an American sitcom which aired on CBS from September 1954 to June 1955. The series stars June Havoc and was produced by Desilu Productions. June Havoc stars as Wilma "Willy" Dodger, a lawyer from rural New Hampshire who, because of the lack of clientele, relocates to New York City to represent a vaudeville troupe. Mary Treen and Whitfield Connor appeared in two episodes of "Willy" as Emily Dodger, Willy's sister, and Charlie Bush, Willy's boyfriend. "Willy" was produced by William Spier, Havoc's third and last husband. In the premiere episode a young Aaron Spelling plays