# Not Going Out (2006)

> A childish northern chancer and his sensible middle-class best mate cause mayhem in a fancy London penthouse shared with flatmates.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/1309

## Facts

- Seasons: 15
- Episodes: 104
- Episode runtime: 30 min
- Status: Returning Series
- Genres: comedy
- Created by: Lee Mack
- Network: BBC One
- Cast: Lee Mack, Sally Bretton, Megan Dodds, Katy Wix, Bobby Ball, Tim Vine, Miranda Hart, Geoffrey Whitehead
- TMDB rating: 7.6/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0862614/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: none
- Tone: breezy, cozy, silly, farcical, warm

## What critics say

Audience reception is positive, with the sitcom praised for its reliable lighthearted farce and chemistry between its leads, though ratings have wavered across seasons.

## Synopsis

Not Going Out (2006-present) is a British sitcom created by Lee Mack for BBC One. Lee Mack plays Lee, a childish northerner living in a fancy penthouse apartment in London, who drifts through a string of short-lived jobs such as janitor and ice cream man while chasing romance with female flatmates. His best mate Tim (Tim Vine) is the sensible, Daily Mail reading middle-class foil who is always there to stop Lee getting into trouble, or at least to try. Sally Bretton plays Lucy Adams, and Katy Wix and Abigail Cruttenden round out the flatmate circle, with cleaner Barbara adding further chaos. The engine of each episode is simple: a scheme, a job or a date goes wrong and the friends scramble to contain the fallout. Across fifteen seasons and more than a hundred half-hour episodes, the show runs as a continuing comic saga with recurring characters rather than standalone stories. Its tone is breezy, cosy and affectionately silly, with a steady stream of innuendo and British farce. Fans of Man About the House, Friends and Outnumbered will find the same blend of warm ensemble mayhem and gentle absurdity.

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- [Vicious (2013)](https://ember.film/tv/42578)
- [Mum (2016)](https://ember.film/tv/58530)
- [Peep Show (2003)](https://ember.film/tv/773)

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