Not Going Out enters ‘new chapter’ with forthcoming series

Lee Mack’s studio sitcom will return for a new series on the BBC in June…

The UK’s longest running UK sitcom currently on air, and newest member to the elite group of sitcom centenarians – when the 100th episode aired during the BBC’s 2023 Christmas schedule – will see the story of wise-cracking Lee and long-suffering wife Lucy enter a new chapter.

First going out in 2006, the show introduced us to Lee, a juvenile and lazy slacker drifting from one job to another – a man unburdened by ambition or drive, living off the good graces of his Californian landlady.

That was before Lee’s best friend’s sister Lucy (Sally Bretton) bought the flat he lived in, setting in motion a will-they-won’t-they chain of events that led to the unlikely couple marrying in a highly emotional series seven finale and Lucy having a baby shortly after. Next in Lee and Lucy’s lives, series eight jumped forward eight years into their marriage and into the midst of a chaotic family life with three children.

Series 14 now rolls the story on several years again, with the couple moving away from their suburban ’empty nest’ and finding plenty of time to focus on each other… what could possibly go wrong?

The storyline for the six episodes is summed up in a brief synopsis: ‘In ‘House Move’ Lee and Lucy decide to move house and view the home of their dreams when Lee asks to use the loo, causing unwanted tension with the vendor; in ‘Doll’ Lee brings a battered box back from the tip and gets a shock when he opens it in front of Lucy to reveal a sex doll… but doesn’t realise what he’s actually dealing with.

‘In the third episode ‘Campervan’ Lee borrows a dilapidated campervan from his cousin to take Lucy away for the weekend. She is not impressed by either the accommodation or the location. Being stuck in the middle of nowhere, they can’t escape the strange woman who knocks at their door…; in ‘Oasis’ some might say that Lee and Lucy were foolish to have tried to buy tickets to see Oasis in concert, because when they lose their place in the long online queue, they start to blame each other.

‘The next episode ‘Dragon Castle’ sees Lee and Lucy as extras on the set of a famous TV mini-series. Unfortunately, Lee gets ideas above his station and sets his sights on an acting role; and in episode six ‘Hotel Room’ Lee uses his collection of free discount vouchers to stay overnight in a mid-range hotel, he makes sure that he takes advantage of all the hotel’s complimentary services.’

The sitcom is now the UK’s all-time second longest running by number of series, and fifth by number of episodes, stars Lee Mack (as Lee) and Sally Bretton (as Lucy). Over 13 series regular cast have included: Bobby Ball, Abigail Cruttenden, Hugh Dennis, Megan Dodds, Deborah Grant, Miranda Hart, Tim Vine, Timothy West, Geoffrey Whitehead and Katy Wix.

“Not Going Out continues to be an important show for the BBC and, when it was last on air, it was in the top two most watched comedies on iPlayer alongside Ghosts, with audiences in 2025 still watching the back catalogue (13.2m viewer hours in the last year) without any new episodes. The last episode, the series 13 Christmas Special (and 100th episode) averaged 4.6 million viewers. The BBC have recommissioned the show for a further six episodes (series 15) in 2026.” – Avalon Productions

Not Going Out is produced by Avalon for BBC One and BBC iPlayer.