pemberton and shearsmith are fans of classic horror films, and the episode displays inspiration from the likes of alfred hitchcock's filmography and the hammer horror films. pemberton called the episode the "most genre" of the series, while shearsmith described it as their attempt to produce a "full on ... gothic horror-esque" episode. the writers utilised the horror norm of a gothic mansion rather than bringing horror into a normal home. this route, shearsmith suggested, has now become atypical. the setting allowed the writers to mix modern elements with traditional gothic horror, sometimes for comedic effect (a reference to "something called broadbands"), and sometimes to add to the horror (mobile phones cannot be used, as the characters are in a "dead zone"). while the writers did want the episode grounded in reality, they also wanted to make more use of gothic horror tropes than they had in other episodes of "inside no. 9". "the harrowing" was advertised with a poster homage to classic horror films. the poster was designed by graham humphreys, a graphic designer known for his work on horror film posters. the episode's name was taken from the harrowing of hell, the story of jesus christ's descent to hell in christian theology.