Digital Spy already had a sneaking suspicion that Lee Mack’s old-school sitcom is invincible, and now the comedian has confirmed it: Not Going Out is Not Going Anywhere.
Not for a while, anyway.
Appearing on this evening’s (June 7) edition of The Graham Norton Show, Mack – who writes and fronts the BBC One series – confirmed the fate of Lee, Lucy, and the family.
Not only is Not Going Out definitely returning for one more series – 13 whole years after it first aired, fact fans – it’s returning for three!
BBC/Avalon/Mark Johnson
Confirming that three more runs of the show had been commissioned by the Beeb, Lee joked that he and the writing team were having to “mine more from [their] real lives”.
“The problem with mining things from your own life is that you then watch it with your wife,” he said.
“So, the guy I write with and I have a rule now that we just blame the other person and say things like, ‘You won’t believe this, but they also do that thing in bed!'”
BBC/Avalon/Pete Dadds
Related: Lee Mack nearly ended Not Going Out over alcohol advertising
When Not Going Out was confirmed for series 9 and 10 back in 2016, Mack reassured fans that he would keep the show going for as long as he’s asked. Ain’t that the truth!
“I’ll do it as long as I’m asked because I actually like doing it,” he explained, revealing that he doesn’t care about achieving that short-lived, cult series status.
“I know you’re supposed to do the traditional way of doing six episodes, then maybe another six, and finish and call yourself a classic – but I like to really drag it out!
“I’ll do it to death.”
Tonight’s (June 7) The Graham Norton Show welcomes Mack, Stephen Fry, Fleabag‘s Andrew Scott, Paloma Faith, and Bastille to the sofa at 10.35pm on BBC One.
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