Not Going Out, starring Lee Mack, is arguably the best comedy of recent times and it's now reached its milestone 100th episode.
Yes, the Not Going Out Christmas special 2023 will be the 100th of the much loved sitcom. The Christmas episode will see Lee and Lucy try to have the perfect family Christmas, obviously it all goes wrong!
The show is never short of a laugh and Lee has been helped by a terrific cast that has included over the years Tim Vine, Katy Wix, Miranda Hart, and of course, Sally Bretton who's been at Lee's side in every series apart from the very first as Lucy.
The first series actually starred Megan Dodds as Kate and, while that series is also a great watch, it really seemed to get going when Lucy arrived, creating a will/they won't they vibe.
But what are the best Not Going Out episodes (all available now on BBC iPlayer)? Well, What to Watch has ranked them and we promise some seriously funny moments… [we also have a best 100 TV shows of all time list for you to enjoy].
10. Season 9 episode 1 Home Improvements
How could Lee mess up something simple like mowing his father-in-law's lawn? Well, he not only messes it up, he also manages to set fire to it! Lucy's parents, Wendy and Geoffrey, announce they're off for a weekend away and Lucy volunteers to clear up their house.
Lee heads out to mow the lawn. Cue a fantastic scene where Geoffrey reveals he's spent four grand on an artificial lawn just as you can see Lee through the window mowing it! Later, having had the lawn replaced, Lee celebrates with one of Geoffrey’s cigars, only to ignite the new artificial lawn when he tosses a match onto it! Brilliant!
9. Season 11 episode 1 Small package
Lee thinks his new phone has arrived, only to discover the package contains a manhood enlarger! A furious Lucy points out Lee has opened a package she'd taken on behalf of their neighbour.
So, erm how do you return a product like that to your neighbour? Well, of course, Lee makes a complete balls up of it! First, he can't deliver it because the man's entire family is at the door. So, Lee buys a new one! As Lee's lies build, so does the comedy as everything gets increasingly farcical. Even poor Toby gets roped in and does a cockney accent worthy of Dick Van Dyke. And there's a great twist at the end. Terrific.
8. Season 3 episode 5 Neighbour
Lucy is being driven mad by her neigbour playing his music loudly. Lee reckons someone should say something, but Tim warns that he could be a serial killer! As it turns out Tim's not far off! Lee tries his best, but the neighbour is truly terrifying.
That should be it, but then Lee leaves a note for the chap which he regrets and ends up breaking into the flat to retrieve it! To cover his tracks, Lee then tries to make the flat look like it’s been burgled. Unfortunately, the neighbour works out Lee was behind it and is about to make short of work of Lee. Luckily, Tim walks in and, having had too many steroids down the gym, knocks the guy out!
7. Season 4 episode 1 Drugs
We all love Daisy being the hero of the hour and she rescues the boys in this great episode. Tim takes the wrong coat and discovers a huge bag of drugs in his pocket. Lee says don't worry, they can flush away the evidence and no one will ever know. The only problem is Tim has sewn a name tag into his coat, which the drug dealer now has!
Lucy tells Tim not to worry, there must be a hundred Timothy Adams in London. "Not Timothy Gladstone Adams!" says Tim. Eventually, they find the dealer, who strings them both up! Thankfully Daisy walks in with a faulty nail gun and accidentally shoots the dealer, thus saving Tim and Lee from an ugly death.
6. Season 2 episode 4 Baby
Tim and Lee in charge of a baby, what could go wrong? Well, everything of course, as the dynamic duo find themselves in a big pile of poo. Lucy is shocked to discover that her boyfriend Guy is a grandad ["Does this make you a step granny?" asks a thrilled Tim] and a family crisis means that Lee and Tim have to look after the poor little boy.
They last about five minutes before it appears the child has swallowed a tiny ball, cue lots of nappy investigations to see if it's come out the other end. Eventually, they head to the hospital, where they play spot the ball with an ultrasound and are of course caught out by Lucy!
5. Season 5 episode 3 Camping
Lee, Lucy, Daisy and Tim head on a camping trip with predictably disastrous and hugely funny results. To make things interesting, Lee challenges Lucy to do the trip without any tech, including her mobile. So, they have to use a map and of course, get horribly lost and end up in some seriously spooky woods. And they’re not alone! There are men with masks, so Tim and Lee flee to the car.
We especially love this for the moment when Daisy gives Tim some home truths after he blasts her for not bringing a camping knife when they're apparently under a crazed clown attack. "Oh yeah and what were you going to do with a knife posh nuts? Offer to slice their cheese? Or take the foil off their bloody chardonnay?" You tell him, Daisy!
4. Season 5 episode 6 Drunk
Yep, it's the one where Lucy and Lee make a "sex tape"! Well, they think they have, but they can't remember after getting smashed on a devilish drink called Braindead. What's worse than making the tape, is they think it's got mixed up with Tim and Daisy’s boring holiday video.
A crisis looms as Lee and Lucy learn that Tim, Daisy, and Lucy’s parents are about to watch the tape! The only option left for Lee and Lucy is to break into her parents' house to steal the tape back. But unfortunately, they manage to set off a load of noisy musical dolls! It’s worth an entry in our list just for the scene where an angry Geoffrey snaps his fingers to make the dolls stop!
3. Season 8 episode 4 Hot Tub
Not Going Out isn’t afraid to be silly and this truly madcap episode guest starring Emma Bunton and Susie Dent from Countdown's Dictionary Corner is fabulously silly.
Anna introduces the idea that everyone has a hot tub celebrity fantasy date. "The way it works is you get one celebrity to spend a fantasy evening with in a hot tub," she explains. Anna turns out to have more than one! Lee's is Emma Bunton, while Toby's is Susie Dent. But Lucy picks her actual dentist! Mad with jealousy, Lee is determined to meet Emma Bunton and gets the perfect chance when Toby reveals he's attending a charity event with the Spice Girl.
Lee and Lucy then start a photo war of sending snaps of themselves with their chosen hot tub partner ending with Lee actually in a hot tub with Emma! To cap it all off, Toby, to Anna’s fury, ends up in a hot tub with Susie Dent to Lee singing the Countdown theme!
2. Season 7 episode 5 Pointless
Getting Lee and Daisy to appear on Pointless is a simply brilliant idea and is predictably hilarious!
On discovering Lucy likes Pointless host Alexander Armstrong and is into a man with "brains", Lee sets out on a mission to impress her on the quiz. And he has the perfect chance when Daisy lands a spot on the show and needs to pick a partner. But how to make sure he goes on rather than Lucy? Easy! He sneakily watches the show on catch-up and then pretends he knows all the answers when Lucy watches it later on. The only problem is now he has to actually go on and as Toby puts it, "What were you thinking when you agreed to display your intellect on national television?".
Once on Pointless and facing humiliation, Lee breaks into Richard Osman's dressing room to look at the answers! Richard works out what’s going on, but can't prove it, leading to a classic scene where Lee and Richard are fighting over the Pointless trophy!
1. Season 5 episode 4 Running
Not Going Out really shines when Lee and Tim get into a mess and they get into a right pickle in this classic episode, which features the all-time best moment in the series above, where Lee and Tim try to hide in bed with a prostitute as Lucy looks in through the window (how this is the case is explained below!).
The episode opens with Lee training for a race only to quickly get injured. He gets a sports massage to ease the pain, but he discovers she's offering more than just a massage! Lee tries to boot her out of the flat but Lucy arrives and the prostitute tells Lucy: "If you’re a hooker as well, make sure he pays you first".
Lee and Tim then go on a quest to find Claudia so she can prove Lee was telling the truth… and end up getting arrested! Luckily they’re released but still need to find Claudia. "To the brothel," shouts Tim, just as a policeman walks past! They find the brothel and Claudia, and to avoid a beating hop into bed with her. Cue Lucy walking past!
