Lee Mack, the creator of Not Going Out, has yet again defended the show.
Lee, 55, has been writing and starring in the BBC comedy series since 2006, when it returned for a 13th season earlier this year.
The comic, who plays Lee alongside Sally Bretton’s Lucy in the series, came out about some of the criticism the programme has received over the years ahead of the upcoming Not Going Out Christmas special, which will commemorate the 100th episode.
When asked if the programme debuted during the “peak of the dark comedy movement” in 2006, Lee said, “Yeah, we were not in fashion at all.” The night before we shot the pilot, there was a programme on ITV called The comedy is Dead about how the studio-based comedy is now a thing of the past.
‘There were a lot more studio sitcoms at that time – Goodnight Sweetheart, My Family, Birds of a Feather… I think there might be only us and maybe Mrs Brown’s Boys now.’
He added, referencing some of the critics’ comments: ‘They’ll often say this type of sitcom is from the seventies. I always find that odd because if you ask people to list their favourite sitcoms ever, they’re all from the seventies – Fawlty Towers, Dad’s Army, Steptoe & Son.
‘There’s something unique about a British studio sitcom with a live audience. And look at the continuing success of Friends on streamers. The main thing I learned is to increase the jokes – American sitcoms just have so many more jokes.’
The Guardian’s Sam Wollaston has been among critics commenting on the sitcom over the years, calling it ‘unoriginal and utterly undemanding’ in 2017, despite admitting it was ‘not totally unfunny.’
The show, which has had as many as six million viewers at its height, was previously cancelled in 2009, but was brought back due to audience indignation.
Admitting it was series three and fans had been coming up to him in the street to praise him on the show, Lee said of the cancellation: ‘It got cancelled perfectly at the right time because the internet was kicking off.
‘Nowadays you get asked to sign something on a weekly basis but it was quite unusual at the time and that’s when I realised it was having an impact.
‘People were coming up to me in the street and saying thank you just for making them laugh – I realised it is quite important to make people laugh.’
Speaking at a screening of the upcoming Christmas episode, Lee also spoke about the future of the show, insisting ‘discussions are ongoing’ with the BBC about more episodes, Radio Times reported.
He said, ‘We’re talking about it now. I’d love to do more, I love doing it, it’s great fun, I love the cast but […] it’s not always my decision, these things. I just wait for someone to say, “There’s a bag of money, get on with it.”‘
The show has changed quite a bit over the years and Lee admitted they ‘don’t know’ what they’ll ‘do with the future of it.’
Not Going Out’s 2023 Christmas special is set to air on December 24 at 10pm on BBC One.
Source My Celebrity Life.
