Not Going Out

Lee Mack complains about alcohol adverts

Lee Mack nearly pulled the plug on sitcom Not Going Out in a row about his work "being used to sell booze".

In early 2017, Lee Mack's grumpy but gag-packed sitcom fast-forwarded into Outnumbered territory with Lee and Lucy (Sally Bretton) abruptly becoming parents to three young children. The addition of rosy-cheeked sprogs is a good fit for this special episode as the couple's warring in-laws compete for grandkid affection with gifts so lavish they threaten to outshine Santa. The late Keith Barron guest stars as a prickly toy shop employee.

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TV humour is lewd, lavatorial & lacking any form of wit

The problem, however, is bigger than just one show. For the abject and high-profile failure of The Nightly Show raises a disturbing question. What has happened to British comedy? The sheer unfunniness of much of it is beyond depressing.

Despite their household spend on Fruit Shoots and Skylanders nearing the combined GDP of Scandinavia, Lucy remains open to the idea of a Baby Number Four. Lee isn't quite as enthusiastic, so sitting down and having a frank, open discussion is the most reasonable option. Instead (and inevitably) psychological warfare breaks out, with Toby and Anna as reluctant referees. After all, is another offspring really worth all those weeks without wine?

Not Going Out review - Lee Mack's interminable comedy

It's unoriginal, unfunny and unapologetic about its retro roots. Why does anyone like this lukewarm sitcom?

Lee Mack not surprised if comics came from broken homes

Not Going Out returns for its eighth series this month, which makes the will-they-won't-they tale of a feckless man's passion for his landlady the longest-running BBC sitcom still on air.

Lee Mack's comedy has bounded forward seven years: Lee and Lucy now have three kids and a classic family sitcom set-up - stairs at the back, front door on the left, through-kitchen on the right - and jokes about how annoyed they are by each other's habits. As they spar over who's responsible for the lost romance, the relentless wisecracking style makes the ensuing screwball battle veer close to unpleasant bitterness. Still plenty of great gags, though.

Interview: Lee Mack on Not Going Out

Lee Mack confesses he's reached the age where he can usually be found beavering away in his garden shed. But you won't find him, like a lot of men approaching 50, repotting the begonias or pretending to tinker with the lawn mower. Mack's shed is where he spends hours writing the BBC1 sitcom Not Going Out, which returns on Friday for its eighth series in ten years.

Not Going Out series 8 preview

Not Going Out isn't the sort of emotive, appointment-to-view comedy that so many artistically motivated comics are making. But the rarity of being a light sitcom that's dependably funny thanks to script and character - not the dated, grating extravagance of the likes of Citizen Khan or Mrs Brown's Boys - is quite the achievement. No wonder it's future is assured. The day Not Going Out is not going out on TV is a long way off.