The Not Going Out Christmas special 2023, going out on Christmas Eve, will be the 100th episode of Lee Mack’s much-loved sitcom.
Yes, it really has hit 100 episodes, making it one of the UK's longest-running sitcoms — although it hasn’t quite matched the 295 episodes there were of Last of the Summer Wine!
Not Going Out started way back in 2006, with the first series starring Lee Mack and Megan Dodds as Kate, Lee's landlady and the ex-girlfriend of Tim (Tim Vine). Megan left the show at the end of the first series and Beyond Paradise star Sally Bretton joined as Lee's new landlady Lucy, Tim's sister. Wind forward and Lucy is now Lee's wife!
We have ranked the best Not Going Out episodes if you'd like to catch the very best episodes (who can forget the one where Lee and Tim end up in bed with a prostitute only for Lucy to walk past the window?). Here's everything we know about the festive episode...
Not Going Out Christmas special 2023 release date
The Not Going Out Christmas special will air on BBC One on Christmas Eve at 10 pm. It will also be available on BBC iPlayer. See our Christmas TV guide for more shows to enjoy.
Cast
Joining Lee Mack and Sally Bretton are Hugh Dennis as poor Toby. Abigail Cruttenden as his extremely irritable wife, Anna. Plus Deborah Grant as Lucy’s mum and Geoffrey Whitehead as Lucy’s dad.
Plot
Well, what could go wrong? Lee wants to put on the perfect family Christmas! The aim is to have a "normal Christmas where nothing goes wrong". Of course, they deserve some luck after all in previous Christmas escapades they've got stuck in a haunted house and trapped in a shop with a gun-wielding robber. Feeling charitable, they invite Wilfred, a lonely pensioner from a nearby care home, to join them for Christmas dinner. They just need to make sure Wilfred doesn't have a drop of alcohol or things might turn messy…
With Toby and Anna helping, plus Lucy's mum Wendy and dad Geoffrey, surely they can have that lovely Christmas at last? Well, we’re guessing not! Expect chaos!
Is there a trailer?
Sadly not yet.
