Review for Not Going Out : Series 3

Introduction

The sitcom. Every year it seems to be pronounced as dead, killed off by things like The Office. But then something comes along that takes that theory out into the car park and beats the living whatsit out of it.

Not Going Out is one such sitcom. It's a very traditional "old fashioned" sitcom. But it is very funny.

Somehow I'd managed to miss it on TV (we very rarely watch live TV now, most stuff is timeshifted). But having heard many good things about it, I decided to check out series 3 on DVD. The eight episodes of this series are as follows:-

Pregnant

By Lee Mack

When Lucy announces that she is pregnant, Lee wonders if the father might accidentally be him. He can't bring himself to tell Lucy how he thinks it might have happened but Tim guesses. He is outraged at the thought of his friend and his sister together but Lee has already started to warm to the idea of being a dad…



Winner

By Andrew Collins & Lee Mack

Lee is insufferably smug when he wins £1000 in a writing competition with an essay entitled 'Disability in the Workplace'. Lucy is moved to tears when she reads the essay and had no idea that Lee was so sensitive. Tim, however, is more sceptical and with good reason, because when a journalist turns up to interview the winner she is expecting to meet a disabled author.

Amy

By Darin Henry & Lee Mack

Over-excited by the appearance of a lesbian couple in their building, Lee and Tim ask them over for dinner, little realising that their adolescent attempt to get their jollies will backfire when Lucy discovers a side to herself that she never knew existed.



Party

By Lee Mack and Daniel Peak

When Tim and Lee try to organise a surprise party for Lucy's 30th birthday their ideas of what makes a good party differ widely. Tim likes a few games of charades while Lee likes a do where there are no competitors for Lucy's attention. So when she turns up at the party arm-in-arm with another man Lee makes it his mission to get rid of him… without causing a scene, obviously.

Neighbour

By Simon Dean and Lee Mack

A new neighbour moves in upstairs and his constant noise drives Lucy to distraction. She begs Lee and Tim to get him to stop but neither is man enough. Tim takes the tag of wimp to heart and rushes off to join a boxing gym while Lee, in an attempt to impress Lucy, makes the mistake of confronting the man in his own flat, where he finds a creepy psychopath with the eyes of a cold killer.

Speech

By Lee Mack

Lucy is stressed. She has an important speech to make at a Recruitment Conference and nobody to help her write it. Lee sees an opportunity to impress her and offers his services but at the expense of Tim, who also thinks he's the best man for the job. What starts off as a small job now turns into a competition between Tim and Lee to not only see who can come up with the wittiest lines but also to establish which of them Lucy likes best.



Marriage

By Lee Mack

Lee is horrified when he hears that Lucy is considering marriage to Pavlov, a mechanic from the old Eastern bloc, just so that he can stay in the country. But he is a lone voice in trying to stop it, because one by one, as Lucy's family and friends hear Pavlov's tragic tales of life back home, they are persuaded that he is a perfect match for Lucy.

Absent Father Christmas

By Daniel Peak and Lee Mack

Lee's father turns up at the flat unannounced. This is the man who walked out of the family home when Lee was four, never paid his maintenance and ate Lee's goldfish. Lee wants him out of the flat but Lucy tells him that the only way forward is to forgive and forget. Unfortunately, Lee's dad's behaviour makes this virtually impossible for Lee to achieve.

Video and Audio

A 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer which is exactly as first broadcast, and a DD2.0 stereo soundtrack, which is just fine.

Extras

A short behind the scenes feature, "Not Going Out on Location" which is a nice little bit fun. Having enjoyed the show so much, I wanted more, but this will do.

Conclusion

Brilliant. How did I miss this first time round? And why on earth did the BBC cancel it after this series? Luckily both of us saw sense. I've now seen it and loved it, and the BBC have brought it back for a fourth series this autumn.



This is a good old-fashioned sitcom, and that doesn't have to be a bad thing. You don't have to write a clever mockumentary to be funny. Some good old fashioned gags and puns can do the job just as well. The writing is very reminiscent of Mack's stand up and presenting style (as you might expect) and it is very funny.

During the second episode (co-written with the Film Editor of the Radio Times) I was weeping with laughter. This show is hilarious, and great performances from all of the lead actors (Lee Mack, Sally Bretton, Tim Vine, Miranda Hart) help to make it that way.

Very highly recommended.