List of ''Not Going Out'' episodes

This is a list of episodes of the British television sitcom Not Going Out, which has aired since 2006.

Series overview

Series Episodes Originally aired
Series premiere Series finale
1 6 6 October 2006 10 November 2006
2 8 7 September 2007 21 December 2007
3 8 30 January 2009 23 December 2009
4 6 6 January 2011 10 February 2011
5 6 13 April 2012 18 May 2012
6 8 5 April 2013 31 May 2013
Special 24 December 2013
7 10 17 October 2014 24 December 2014
Special 24 December 2015
8 7 13 January 2017 3 March 2017
Special 24 December 2017
9 7 8 March 2018 19 April 2018

Episodes

Series 1 (2006)

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11"Serious"Alex Hardcastle & Nick WoodLee Mack & Andrew Collins6 October 2006 (2006-10-06)2.8313.9%
Lee (Lee Mack), sharing a flat with Californian Kate (Megan Dodds), who is the ex-girlfriend of Lee's best friend Tim Adams (Tim Vine), finds a job writing jokes for Christmas crackers. Kate, a book publisher, arranges a dinner date between Lee and Lucy Moss (Alexandra Gilbreath), a serious and earnest author who has written a book about her abusive childhood, in the hope that it will help him find his serious side. Whilst Lee is out with Lucy, Tim comes to the flat to apologise to Kate for cheating on her with 23-year-old Emma, but they end up insulting one another. Lee's date goes badly, but he continues to invite Lucy out to prove a point to Kate that he is capable of being serious. Later, Lee invites Tim and Kate to the pub to help Tim apologise, but Kate refuses to accept his apology and Lee admits that he does not want them to get back together. Lee's relationship with Lucy ends when she overhears him describing her as 'being as much fun as a suicidal tortoise'. He is sacked from his job when one of his funeral jokes is accidentally put in a cracker. Kate signs up for a course to learn clowning skills, but struggles to find her 'inner clown'. She is expelled from the group after throwing water over the instructor (Angela McHale) and throwing a custard pie down her pants.
22"Death"Alex Hardcastle & Nick WoodLee Mack & Andrew Collins13 October 2006 (2006-10-13)2.9614.1%

Tim's 94-year-old grandmother has died, and as Kate comforts him, the two grow closer, to the point where she is invited to the funeral. Meanwhile, Lee is encouraged by Kate to visit a therapist (Lorelei King), who quickly begins to suspect that Lee is secretly in love with Kate, and suggests that he talk to her about it. He turns up unexpectedly at the funeral with the intention of telling Kate how he feels, but Tim interrupts before he can. Whilst Lee is getting drinks, Tim tries to rekindle his relationship with Kate, but she turns him down, saying that the past is the past and she does not want to get back together. Kate then leaves, and Tim suggests that Lee go after her, but Lee instead decides to stay at the funeral with Tim. That evening, Kate asks Lee what he was going to tell her, but he says that it can wait.

Guest appearance of the vicar (Richard Freeman)
33"Aussie"Alex Hardcastle & Nick WoodLee Mack & Andrew Collins20 October 2006 (2006-10-20)2.8513.8%

Ruth, an Australian friend of Kate's, comes to stay. Kate persuades Lee to pretend to be Tim and explains that Ruth has never met Tim and that she has not told Ruth that the couple have split up. At the pub, Lee argues with Tim about how easy it is to impersonate a middle-class person, like Tim, but Tim finds it harder to the same with a working-class man, like Lee. When Tim visits the flat, he impersonates Lee badly with a strong Northern accent. Tim tells Ruth who he and Lee actually are. Ruth leaves.

Lee's new job is handing out leaflets at a shopping centre whilst dressed in animal costumes. He is frequently kicked by a local youth. He is sacked for throwing the youth in a canal.

Guest appearances of Ruth (Julia Morris) and Julie (Cordelia Bugeja)
44"Stress"Alex Hardcastle & Nick WoodLee Mack & Andrew Collins27 October 2006 (2006-10-27)3.2415.6%
Lee is giving Kate driving lessons, but she is an appalling driver and tests Lee's patience to the limit when she crashes the car. Lee is further angered by her suggestion that his stress is about more than just her driving, especially when Tim agrees. To prove a point, Lee agrees to let Kate teach him yoga and meditation, but his impatience and anxiety hinder any progress. Kate books Lee an appointment with an acupuncturist (Miranda Hart), but during the session he tells the acupuncturist it is a scam and they fight. Tim takes over Kate's driving lessons, and proves to be a much more adept teacher than Lee. Lee acquires some tranquillisers, which are too effective on him. Kate takes Lee and Tim for a drive in the country. When Tim reveals Lee's drug-taking to Kate, she speeds up the car in anger and crashes into a tractor. However, she somehow still manages to pass her test.
55"Kid"Alex Hardcastle & Nick WoodLee Mack & Andrew Collins3 November 2006 (2006-11-03)3.5716.6%

Kate's friends are attending a wedding in the Caribbean, so their surly 14-year-old son Nicky is staying at the flat for a few days. He is hostile to Lee. He takes Nicky to the pub, where they meet Tim. Nicky and Tim share the same taste in heavy metal music. Kate takes her friends' Great Dane to the park, where it kills a swan. Nicky wants Kate and Tim to get back together, but thinks that Lee is attracted to Kate; Lee says that he is not.

Guest appearance of Nicky (Rupert Simonian)
66"Caretaker"Alex Hardcastle & Nick WoodLee Mack & Andrew Collins10 November 2006 (2006-11-10)3.3915.6%
Kate is trying to help Lee find a permanent job, but Lee dislikes all of her suggestions. To prove a point to her, Lee finally manages to get a job as a caretaker in the same block of flats, but taking up the new post involves moving out of the flat and into one on the ground floor. Lee is hesitant to accept the job, but Tim encourages him to do so, claiming that even if he gives up after a few weeks and moves back in, Kate will still have more respect for him. On Tim's suggestion, Lee accepts the offer and moves out. However, it is revealed that Tim's actual plan is to convince Kate (who is secretly very insecure about living alone) to offer Lee's room to a new female flatmate, therefore removing her from all male attention. Kate listens to Tim and advertises the flat, but her first applicant is Pete (Duncan Duff), an intelligent and attractive male flatmate who would be a rival to both Lee and Tim. Tim therefore changes heart and urges Lee (who loathes his new job) to move back in as quickly as he can. Lee puts Pete off by telling him that Kate likes to do something unpleasant involving fish and selling tickets, and admits to Kate that his plan all along was to move back in with her. Kate agrees to let him move back in. However, as soon as he arrives, she reveals that she has heard about Lee's fish story, producing a huge specimen from behind a cushion and whacking him around the face with it. Final appearance of Kate.

Series 2 (2007)

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71"Mortgage"Alex HardcastleLee Mack, Simon Evans, Paul Kerensa & Peter Tilbury7 September 2007 (2007-09-07)3.2915.8%

With Kate having gone back to America, Tim tells Lee he is going to sell the flat, and hires a cleaner called Barbara (Miranda Hart) to clean it. Lee tries to get a mortgage so he can buy it, and in the meantime he puts off all the potential buyers, until Lucy (Sally Bretton), who unbeknown to Lee is Tim's sister, arrives saying she will rent the spare room when Lee buys it. Lucy soon decides she wants to buy it herself, and both offer to buy it from Tim. They are visited by a man called Hilary Alison (Stewart Francis), and both assume he is interested in the flat. Lee pretends it is "a burgled former asbestos mill" to put him off. Tim decides to sell it to Lee, but he cannot get a mortgage (Hilary was the surveyor) so Lucy buys it. On Tim's wishes, she rents out the spare room to Lee.

First appearances of Lucy and Barbara.
82"Gay"Alex HardcastleLee Mack, Andrew Collins, Simon Evans & Paul Kerensa14 September 2007 (2007-09-14)3.1915.7%

Lucy persuades Lee to pretend to be gay after she lies to a business acquaintance, Guy (Simon Dutton), who she was told is gay himself, by telling him she lives with a gay flatmate to prove she is not homophobic. However, Guy soon starts to get suspicious and tests Lee's sexuality by taking him to a gay bar. Later, Guy overhears Lee saying to Tim, who had started to think Lee was gay, that he is not gay. When Lucy then explains to Guy what happened, he reveals he is not gay and he and Lucy kiss.

First appearance of Guy.

Music: "I'm Coming Out" performed by Diana Ross
93"Librarian"Alex HardcastleLee Mack, Simon Evans, Paul Kerensa & Peter Tilbury21 September 2007 (2007-09-21)3.3616.9%

Lucy and Guy are going out with each other, and Guy has practically moved in. This annoys Lee who thinks Guy is too old for her. Lee soon discovers that Guy owns a lap-dancing club. While at the club, Lee and Tim see Rosie (Thaila Zucchi), a librarian that Tim has been seeing, and discover she is a lap dancer. Tim later dumps her, but then changes his mind. However, Rosie refuses to get back together. Meanwhile, Lucy dumps Guy when the discussion of the lap-dancing club pops up in conversation with Lucy sharing some regrettable opinions. But they soon get back together but agree to take their relationship more slowly.

Music: "Buttons" performed by Pussycat Dolls
104"Baby"Alex HardcastleAndrew Collins, Lee Mack, Simon Evans & Paul Kerensa28 September 2007 (2007-09-28)3.2015.2%
When Guy's daughter Chloe (Cressida Whyte) gets appendicitis, Lee and Tim are left looking after her baby son Dillon while Guy and Lucy visit her. While in their care, Dillon swallows a Subbuteo football and Lee and Tim have problems locating it and try to think of ways to get it out of his body. Using a laxative of Coconut milk, they wait to see if the football goes through his system but find nothing. Due to Dillon's surplus waste, they figure that Coconut could potentially be harmful to him and go to see Chloe at the hospital. Lee, impersonating a doctor, asks her about Dillon. However, it later turns out Dillon did not swallow it after all but a figurine instead. Lucy spends her day worrying about the age gap between her and Guy, especially when the nurse mistakes him for her dad.
115"Art"Alex HardcastleLee Mack, Andrew Collins, Simon Evans & Paul Kerensa5 October 2007 (2007-10-05)2.5812.3%
After meeting Toby (Kerry Shale) and Fliss (Kika Mirylees), two educated friends of Guy's, Lee pretends that he is an art expert with an Open University degree. Barbara tells him about a Polish artist who she says is very popular. Lee then tells this to Lucy, who is having an art exhibition. Guy, however, is not fooled by his act and gets annoyed at how he is stringing Lucy on. Toby and Fliss secretly buy the piece later thinking it is the only one in the collection. Impressed, Lucy then goes and buys many pieces of work by this artist, but the art does not sell and Lee discovers the Polish artist is not popular, but one that Barbara cleans for. Lee goes to the exhibition to try to make the sculptures sell, but Barbara accidentally breaks all but one of them. When Barbara confesses to Lucy, she's angry with Lee knowing her money has practically been wasted. Toby and Fliss return to see if Lucy is doing well and discover the remaining piece left, they then buy it giving Lucy back most of her lost income. Lucy then decides to leave the art business.
126"Dating"Alex HardcastleLee Mack, Andrew Collins, Simon Evans & Paul Kerensa12 October 2007 (2007-10-12)3.5216.6%

With Guy in Thailand, Lucy has several personal telephone conversations with him. Lee is annoyed by this, but Lucy and Barbara think that he is just jealous because he is not with anyone, and they persuade Lee to go speed dating. At the speed dating Lee meets Daisy (Katy Wix), an extremely dim hairdresser. He invites her out for a date and then for a dinner with Lucy at his apartment.

Meanwhile, Tim offends Barbara by calling her 'the help' and invites her out for a drink to make it up to her. The 'date' is unsuccessful and Barbara admits that she only agreed to come out with him because she felt sorry for him – and also to keep him away from what is happening at the flat. Tim goes back to the flat and meets Daisy, and they immediately hit it off. After the dinner Daisy dumps Lee and goes home with Tim.

First appearance of Daisy.
137"Gangster"Alex HardcastleLee Mack, Simon Evans, Paul Kerensa & Peter Tilbury19 October 2007 (2007-10-19)3.6116.8%
Guy is taking Lucy on a surprise holiday, and buys her lots of expensive – and revealing – clothes. Lee gets suspicious when a suspect package is delivered to Guy, and assumes that Guy is a gangster. However, when confronted, Guy claims it was only his passport. Lee and Tim break into Guy's office and discover several precious stones – presumably diamonds – in the package. Guy admits that it was not a passport he had delivered, but claims that the 'diamonds' are actually sapphires which he was making into a necklace for Lucy. Still suspicious, Lee steals one and has it valued, confirming that it is a diamond.

The surprise holiday is revealed to be to Sicily. When Guy and Lucy go to the airport, Barbara warns Lee and Tim that Sicily is famous for gangsters, and that Guy is using Lucy to smuggle the diamonds abroad. Lee and Tim run to the airport and confront Guy, but he explains that the sapphires are real, and that the diamond is the only one – and has been made into an engagement ring. Guy asks Lucy to marry him, but Lee asks her to say no – he may not be a gangster, but he is still not right for her. Lee returns to the flat alone, but Lucy later returns, saying she refused Guy as he was too controlling, and their relationship is over.

Final regular appearance of Guy. Daisy is absent from this episode.
148"Murder at Christmas"Alex HardcastleLee Mack, Andrew Collins, Simon Evans & Paul Kerensa21 December 2007 (2007-12-21)3.7717.0%

Lee decides not to go home for Christmas in the hope that the opportunity will present itself to impress Lucy. Lucy and Tim's parents Geoffrey (Timothy West) and Wendy (Deborah Grant) invite themselves to the apartment for Christmas, and Lucy persuades Barbara to work on Christmas Day to help out. On Christmas Day, Tim brings his girlfriend Daisy (the woman who Lee met speed dating in 'Dating'). Lee buys a murder mystery game, which they all then dress up and play. However, the game ends abruptly when Wendy flirts with Lee and Tim and Geoffrey argue. Lee then manages to bond with Geoffrey and they finish the game. Lucy (who was to sleep on the sofa whilst her parents had her room) appears to ask Lee to sleep in with her, but Lee realises she means just him, whilst she has his room.

First appearances of Geoffrey and Wendy.

Series 3 (2009)

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151"Pregnant"Nick WoodLee Mack30 January 2009 (2009-01-30)3.4515.1%

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

Daisy is absent from this episode.

Additional Material: Simon Evans, Paul Kerensa, Dave Cohen, Oliver Dennis, Simon Griffiths, David Isaac & Liam Woodman

Music: "Baby Love" performed by The Supremes
162"Winner"Nick WoodAndrew Collins & Lee Mack6 February 2009 (2009-02-06)3.2613.7%
Lee wins £1000 in a writing competition with an essay entitled 'Disability in the Workplace', and spends the money on a set of football mugs. Lucy finds herself moved to tears when she reads the essay, as she had no idea that Lee was so sensitive. However, Lee admits to Tim that he actually downloaded the essay off the internet, and, as the competition was only open to disabled people, he is pretending to be blind.

Meanwhile, Tim crashes his car after driving through a red light, and Lee persuades him to pretend the light was green so that he can claim insurance, volunteering himself as a witness. When a journalist, Dawn (Rebecca Gethings), turns up to interview Lee, she is expecting to meet a man in a wheelchair, as Lee accidentally ticked the wrong box. Lee claims that Tim is his brother, and threatens to pull out of the insurance scam if Tim does not go along with it. The con also involves pretending that Daisy has amnesia. All goes well until Lucy arrives home, and Lee pretends that she is their sister and has Tourette Syndrome. Lucy is furious, but grudgingly goes along with it. However, before Dawn leaves, Lucy insists on playing a game that involves breaking all of Lee's mugs.

Additional Material: Simon Evans, Paul Kerensa, Dave Cohen, Milton Jones, Simon Griffiths, David Isaac & Liam Woodman
173"Amy"Nick WoodDarin Henry & Lee Mack13 February 2009 (2009-02-13)3.1614.1%

Over-excited by the appearance of Amy (Melanie Gutteridge) and her lesbian partner Alex in their building, Lee and Tim ask them over for dinner, but when the day comes, Amy arrives alone, having split from Alex. When Amy meets Lucy, they instantly connect and begin to spend a lot of time together. Lee is worried that Lucy and Amy may become a couple, and eventually confronts Lucy. Lucy admits that she is having feelings for Amy, but tells Lee it is none of his business. She later kisses Amy, but realises that she is not interested in her.

Meanwhile, Tim tracks down a former girlfriend, Lola (Angela McHale), who is now openly gay. He is shocked to see that her online profile says she knew she was gay after one kiss, and is convinced that she means him. He meets up with Lola, and asks her, but is relieved when she tells him she meant the first girl she kissed. However, he becomes worried again when it turns out that the girl was another one of his former girlfriends.

Additional Material: Simon Evans, Paul Kerensa, Georgia Pritchett, Dave Cohen, Milton Jones, Simon Griffiths, David Isaac & Liam Woodman
184"Party"Nick WoodLee Mack & Daniel Peak20 February 2009 (2009-02-20)3.2714.3%

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 party with no competitors for Lucy's attention. So when Lucy turns up at the party arm-in-arm with another man (Ed Weeks), Lee makes it his mission to get rid of him... without causing a scene, obviously.

Additional Material: Simon Evans, Paul Kerensa, Dave Cohen, Simon Griffiths, David Isaac, Danielle Ward, Liam Woodman

Music: "It Started With A Kiss" performed by Hot Chocolate (band)
195"Neighbour"Nick WoodLee Mack & Simon Dean27 February 2009 (2009-02-27)3.1914.6%

A new neighbour (Andy Linden) moves in upstairs and his constant noise drives Lucy to distraction. She begs Lee and Tim to get him to stop but neither of them 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.

Daisy is absent from this episode.

Additional Material: Simon Evans, Paul Kerensa, Dave Cohen, Simon Griffiths, David Isaac, Stuart Sumner, Milton Jones, Liam Woodman

Music: "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" performed by The Proclaimers
206"Speech"Nick WoodLee Mack6 March 2009 (2009-03-06)3.5116.2%
Lucy has an important speech to make at a Recruitment Conference, and when her PA pulls out, Barbara suggests that Lee offer to write it himself. Tim also offers his services, but Lucy clearly likes Lee's style a lot more, and hires him. However, Lee is frustrated when Lucy becomes increasingly demanding of him, asking him to do everything from making her a cup of tea to stamping letters. When she pitches her services to a blackcurrant juice company, Lee invites the representatives (Chandrika Chevli and Julia Watson) to watch Lucy's speech. Lucy is furious, and Lee resigns in a temper.

Tim replaces Lee at writing the speech, but his jokes are not as funny as Lee's. Barbara persuades Lee to ask for his job back, and Lucy grudgingly agrees, and asks Lee and Tim to pick up her dress from the dry-cleaners. Lee and Tim accidentally ruin the dress, and have to buy Lucy a new one. Surprisingly, she likes the new dress, but it is so clingy she has to wear it without underwear. At the speech, Lucy tells all of Lee's jokes wrong, and has to start using the jokes Tim suggested – which surprisingly go down well. However, when she steps out from behind the podium, the bright auditorium lights render her dress see through, and the audience see her without her underwear. She still manages to secure the contract with the blackcurrant company.

Additional Material: Simon Evans, Paul Kerensa, Dave Cohen, Simon Griffiths, Liam Woodman, James Cary, Noel James
217"Marriage"Nick WoodLee Mack20 March 2009 (2009-03-20)3.5917.4%

Lee is horrified when he hears that Lucy is considering marriage to Pavlov (Aleksander Mikic), a political refugee from the old Eastern bloc who is working as a local mechanic, just so that he can stay in the country. He initially gets Tim, Geoffrey and Wendy on his side, but, as Lucy's family meet Pavlov and hear his tragic tales of life back home, they are each persuaded that he is a perfect match for Lucy.

Lucy and Pavlov plan their wedding, but Lee visits the Home Office to discover the questions that they will ask when inspecting the couple. When he warns Lucy of the cryptic questions she will be asked, she has second thoughts about the wedding. Lee goes to visit Pavlov himself, and Pavlov realises that the idea is bad and agrees to return to his home country. However, Lee comes up with the idea for Barbara to marry Pavlov instead, and the two drive off for their honeymoon in India.

Additional Material: Simon Evans, Paul Kerensa, Dave Cohen, Simon Griffiths, Liam Woodman, Georgia Pritchett

Music: "Fantastic Day" performed by Haircut 100
228"Absent Father Christmas"Nick WoodLee Mack & Daniel Peak23 December 2009 (2009-12-23)2.4014.7%

After an unsuccessful Christmas dinner with her parents, Lucy is cross with Lee's behaviour, and Barbara tells him he should make more of an effort with Lucy. Lee arranges a special dinner for them, and it seems to go well, until Lee's estranged father Frank (Bobby Ball) turns up at the flat unannounced, asking to borrow £500. Lee wants him out of the flat but when Frank announces that he is dying, Lucy tells Lee that if he really has changed, he will make an effort to get to know Frank before the inevitable.

Lee offers Frank a day out, and after a visit to a lap-dancing club, Frank takes Lee back to the theme park where he once stole Lee a goldfish, and later ate it. On a roller-coaster, Frank admits that he is not really dying, and soon after leaves the flat, giving Barbara a more emotional farewell than Lee. Lucy admits that Lee was right all along, and they share a brief kiss under the mistletoe.

Final appearance of Barbara. First appearance of Frank.

Additional Material: Simon Evans, Paul Kerensa, Dave Cohen, Simon Griffiths, David Isaac, Milton Jones, Liam Woodman

Music: "The Scientist" performed by Coldplay, "Father and Son" performed by Cat Stevens

Note: This episode was first broadcast on Comedy Central Extra on 24 July 2009, as the station had acquired and broadcast series 3 in its entirety; the BBC held back the episode to the intended December 23 broadcast date. [2]

Series 4 (2011)

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231"Drugs"Nick WoodLee Mack & Daniel Peak6 January 2011 (2011-01-06)4.7519.4%[3]

After a night of "wild partying", Tim returns home from a nightclub wearing the wrong coat. After discovering drugs in a pocket, he goes into a blind panic. When he returns the coat to the wrong person (Frankie McGinty) but the real coat owner sees him with the coat, all hell lets loose. Both Tim and Lee buy what they think is cocaine from a street dealer to give to the dealer, while Daisy thinks they are taking drugs after seeing them with the cocaine. They find themselves in a sticky (or meaty...) situation with the rightful owner – Larry 'the butcher' Stubbs (Ricky Grover), when the three men discover that what they think is cocaine is in fact washing powder, which Tim spent his savings on. However, Daisy arrives with a malfunctioning nail gun which accidentally fires several times and wounds Stubbs - enabling them to escape.

Additional material: Simon Evans, Paul Kerensa, Dave Cohen, Simon Griffiths, David Isaac, Liam Woodman, Milton Jones

Music: "Two Little Boys" performed by Rolf Harris
242"Debbie"Nick WoodLee Mack & Andrew Collins13 January 2011 (2011-01-13)4.1817.4%[4]
Debbie (Laura Aikman), an attractive woman in her early twenties, moves into the block and goes to great lengths to get to know Lee. He assumes that Debbie fancies him, but is shocked when she reveals that she thinks he is her father (at karaoke night, just as Tim starts singing the Surprise, Surprise theme song!). He had a one-night stand with her late mother Karen (Emma Pike) at a party at Tim's house in the 1980s. Lee initially tries to avoid Debbie, but Lucy persuades him to get to know her a bit better. Tim is upset to learn Lee and Karen had sex in his bed. However, he then reveals that he not only dated Karen during the same week, but lost his virginity to her – meaning that he could also be Debbie's father.

Both Lee and Tim are in immediate shock and denial, wondering what it will be like being a father. A DNA test reveals that neither of them is Debbie's father. Debbie is devastated, but Lucy remembers that she was eight years old at the time of the party, and stumbled on Karen in bed with Terry (Paul Vincent Lowe), an unusually short friend of Lee and Tim's. Lee successfully tracks Terry, and he and Debbie meet up.

Additional material: Simon Evans, Paul Kerensa, Dave Cohen, Simon Griffiths, David Isaac, Liam Woodman, Milton Jones, Terry Dillon
253"Movie"Nick WoodLee Mack & Daniel Peak20 January 2011 (2011-01-20)4.0417.4%[5]

Lucy is fed up of Lee treating her flat as if he owns it. He promises to change but omits to mention that he has already let the flat out to a film director (Mike Wilmot) who is paying Lee £500 to use the flat while Lucy is out at work. It later turns out the film shooting is for a porno, and Lee tries to get them out of the flat before Lucy returns. Tim finds out, but Lee persuades him it is an thriller film, causing him to ask for a walk-in part or he'll tell Lucy. He finds out and leaves, after which the male lead Rod leaves, causing the director to pressure Lee to play the part. Lucy arrives home while Lee is hanging upside down.

Additional material: Simon Evans, Paul Kerensa, Dave Cohen, Simon Griffiths, David Isaac, Liam Woodman, Milton Jones

Note: The original BBC broadcast of this episode was edited in two places, presumably to remove more explicit sexual references. The DVD version is complete as can be seen when Lee is knelt down with the boom mic and just before he ends up on the floor with Rod.
264"Dancing"Nick WoodLee Mack & Darin Henry27 January 2011 (2011-01-27)4.2418.0%[6]

Lucy and Tim's parents, Geoffrey (Geoffrey Whitehead) and Wendy, are separating because Geoffrey would not let Wendy go ballroom dancing. After an unfortunate heart-to-heart with Geoffrey, Lee unintentionally makes Geoffrey realise he wants to leave Wendy and he moves into Lucy's flat, banishing Lee to the sofa and causing Lucy to threaten to evict Lee if her parents do not get back together. Lee speaks to Wendy, who tells him that while she wants to dance with another man, what she actually wants is an affair. Lee tells the others about their conversation, using 'dance' as a euphemism, but no one understands and they all think Wendy just wants to dance with someone. They all decide Lee would be the perfect man to dance with her. Lee reluctantly agrees, but when the dance is in full swing, Geoffrey runs in and punches Lee, saying that he realised he could not bear to let Wendy dance with another man. Geoffrey and Wendy get back together.

Additional material: Simon Evans, Paul Kerensa, Dave Cohen, Simon Griffiths, David Isaac, Liam Woodman, Milton Jones, Jack Cutting
275"Fireworks"Nick WoodLee Mack3 February 2011 (2011-02-03)3.6715.7%[7]

An old lady (Vilma Hollingbery) wanders into Lucy's flat and joins Lee on the sofa. When it becomes clear that she does not know who she is, Lee throws her out but Lucy makes him take her back, though she thinks she slept with Lee. Lee discovers from her friend (Morris Perry) that she has a rich son who always pays a handsome reward to the person who brings her home, which Lee hopes to use to buy fireworks and impress Lucy. Does she?

Additional material: Simon Evans, Paul Kerensa, Dave Cohen, Simon Griffiths, David Isaac, Liam Woodman, Milton Jones

Music: "When I'm Sixty-Four" performed by The Beatles and "Rule the World" performed by Take That
286"Life on Mars Bars"Nick WoodLee Mack10 February 2011 (2011-02-10)3.7415.6%[8]

Lee invites Lucy to come and watch greyhound racing, but she declines. Shortly after, Lee is hit by a car which places him in a coma. As Lucy, Tim and Daisy gather around his hospital bed, Lee dreams of a life with Lucy, where in quick succession she declares her love for him, they sleep together, she becomes pregnant and puts on a lot of weight, they get married, Lucy gives birth to many children, Lee is forced to get a menial job, they split up and Lee haplessly turns the flat into a lap-dancing club. Throughout the dream, Lee's father Frank re-appears in various costumes. In the hospital room, as Lee shows no signs of recovery, Lucy calls Frank. In the dream, Lee reconciles with Lucy, but just as they are about to get back together, the real Frank arrives at the hospital and Lee wakes up. Delighted by his full recovery, Lucy accepts his racing invitation.

Additional material: Simon Evans, Paul Kerensa, Dave Cohen, Simon Griffiths, David Isaac, Liam Woodman, Milton Jones

Music: "Life On Mars?" performed by David Bowie (DVD features cover version by Steve Brown)

Series 5 (2012)

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291"Band"Nick WoodLee Mack & Daniel Peak13 April 2012 (2012-04-13)5.1819.6%[9]
Tim joins a rock band at work (The Auditors) and enters a Battle of the Bands contest. Lee, Lucy and Daisy go, and see Tim's band win through to the Final. When Lucy falls for Stretch (Jay Simpson), the lead guitarist, Lee becomes jealous, and decides that if he ca not beat them he should join them. Lee convinces Tim to talk to Stretch but instead of being offered a place in the band, he is given a job as a roadie. Lee is not impressed. When he is fetching Stretch's jacket from the van, he is met by Stretch's ex-girlfriend Grace (Catriona Knox), who throws Lee Stretch's flat keys, and several versions of a song which he has written for other girls. Lee confronts him and shows Lucy the songs. Stretch then resigns from the band, saying "something tells me I'm not getting the prize I really came for". Lee takes Stretch's place as lead guitarist: they perform "I Could Be So Good For You", but Lee falls over and they do not win. The closing credits feature the cast playing the theme tune with Tim on vocals, Lee on guitar, Daisy playing bass and Lucy on the drums. Additional material: Simon Evans, Paul Kerensa, Dave Cohen, Simon Griffiths, Liam Woodman, David Isaac
302"Dads"Nick WoodLee Mack & Daniel Peak20 April 2012 (2012-04-20)4.8318.4%[10]

Lee's lazy weekend is wrecked when his scrounging father turns up unexpectedly. Having just come out of hospital with his legs and arms in plaster, he needs somewhere to stay for the weekend, leaving Lee to care for his dad against his will. When Lee realises that Frank needs a suppository inserting, he invites Tim, Daisy and Tim's dad Geoffrey round 'to watch the cricket', when his actual motive is to get one of them to administer the suppository. Geoffrey eventually agrees to do the deed, but all three of them, plus Lucy, criticise Lee for his lack of care for his dad. Frank suggests he and Lee pretend to like each other in order to impress Lucy, and she is duly impressed by his new-found attitude. Frank manipulates Lee into agreeing to allow him to stay for longer, but instead reveals his own secret – he has been faking his injuries. In the conclusion, Lucy congratulated Lee on the care he showed for his father.

Additional material: Simon Evans, Dave Cohen, Paul Kerensa, Liam Woodman, Simon Griffiths, David Isaac

Music: "The Only Way Is Up" performed by Yazz & The Plastic Population, "Father and Son" performed by Cat Stevens
313"Camping"Nick WoodLee Mack27 April 2012 (2012-04-27)4.7717.6%[11]
In a desperate bid to prove his manliness, Lee joins Tim, Daisy and Lucy on a camping weekend. He imposes a ban on all gadgets, which Daisy interprets to include torches and sat-navs, becoming a problem when they break down in a supposedly haunted wood. Lee takes on the "man's job" to try to repair the car, only to set fire to himself and the engine bay. He then heads into the dense thicket, looking for a man-sized creature Lucy claimed to have seen. He and Tim encounter a clown-masked figure and flee back to the safety of the car, where they all sleep until the clown and an army of masked people show up surrounding the car. This terrifies the foursome, prompting Lee to get out and ring the police, after finding that Daisy had her phone on her all the time, not equating it to a "gadget". Lee attacks the original clown and rips the mask off his face, to discover that he is a old man (Geoffrey Davies), who tells Lee that he and his friends had flocked to this spot to see dogging, since the area they've parked at is well known for this. At the end, Lucy retracts her original comments about Lee not being much of a man as they camp in the living room of the flat. Additional material: Liam Woodman, Paul Kerensa, Simon Evans, Dave Cohen, Simon Griffiths, David Isaac
324"Running"Nick WoodLee Mack4 May 2012 (2012-05-04)4.9319.0%[12]
To impress Lucy, Lee starts training for a 10 kilometre fun run, only to injure himself after only 3 minutes. In an effort to hide the injury from Lucy, he gets himself a secret sports massage from Claudia (Kim Ismay) from Poland, who Lee found from a card in the newsagent's window, only to find out she is actually a prostitute. She then demands £100, only for Lucy to return when Lee is paying her. Later, Lee and Tim discuss Lee's problem, then visit the newsagent, only to find Claudia's card has gone. They visit Hanover Street, which Claudia is rumoured to live on, meet a young prostitute, and ask which house she lives in, she is willing to tell them for £80. Lee asks Tim to lend him the money, only for the police to turn up as Lee is handing over the money. Later, in the station, Daisy arrives, then Lucy (who Daisy told) and throws Lee out of her flat. After they are released, Lee and Tim visit the brothel Claudia works in. Lee and Tim end up naked in bed with Claudia and Lee asks her whether she will cover for him and tell the police everything that happened in the flat, but she refuses because she knows she'll be arrested for being a prostitute. Lucy runs past and spots them in the window and is horrified at the sight of the two of them in bed with Claudia. Later, during the 10k run, Lee thanks Lucy for taking him back, and says "when it comes to running, always keep away from very large Poles", just as he runs straight into a telegraph pole. Additional material: Simon Evans, Paul Kerensa; Dave Cohen, Simon Griffiths, Liam Woodman, David Isaac
335"Examination"Nick WoodLee Mack11 May 2012 (2012-05-11)4.7518.5%[13]

Lucy finds herself working on a government initiative encouraging men to regularly check themselves for lumps. Eager to please Lucy, Lee follows the campaign's advice and discovers something he was not expecting. Lee promises he'll check his testicles but is later worried when speaking to Tim about his problem and finally convincing him to see his testicles, he convinces him to tell Lucy but Lee does not and lies to her that everything was fine. After being examined by Tim, Lee then visits his doctor, but is put off by the fact that she is female. Lee and Tim then go to a sauna, to look at men's testicles, but it does not go as planned. Lucy convinces Lee to re-visit the doctor after she finds him on a gay porn site when trying to see average testicle sizes, at first thinking he is gay. He agrees, but realises the male doctor is one of the men from the sauna.

Additional material: Simon Evans, Paul Kerensa, Liam Woodman, David Isaac, Dave Cohen, Simon Griffiths
346"Drunk"Nick WoodLee Mack & Daniel Peak18 May 2012 (2012-05-18)5.3320.9%[14]
Lucy has suffered a mild indiscretion whilst drunk and claims to have no memory of the event, which Lee doubts. Lucy suggests that she and Lee embark on an experiment with a bottle of home-made potato hooch to prove once and for all that you can remember what happens when you're smashed. The next day they wake up naked in bed together and think they had sex. They decide not to tell anybody, but it transpires that Tim and Daisy came round and they may have made a sex tape with Tim's video camera. Lee and Lucy check the tape in the camera, but it is just a video of Tim and Daisy's Spanish holiday. As Daisy was supposed to have taken this home, Lee and Lucy realise that she has taken the sex tape by accident. Lucy phones Daisy (who was about to start watching the tape with Tim and Lucy's parents) and convinces them to wait until the following day when they can all watch it together. In the middle of the night, Lee and Lucy sneak into her parents' house to steal the sex tape, but are caught and her parents decide that they will all watch the tape together. The tape reveals that Lucy set up the premise of sleeping together on purpose so that Lee would think that they did, thereby proving her point that you can forget things when you're drunk - although Lee counters that in reality he knew this as he did not drink any of the hooch and in fact was sober all night.

Additional material: Simon Evans, Paul Kerensa, Dave Cohen, David Isaac, Simon Griffiths, Liam Woodman

Music: "Wake Up Boo!" performed by Boo Radleys

Note: Early into this episode, there is a reference to the singer Whitney Houston, who died after the recording of this episode. The reference was removed from the original BBC One broadcast, but left intact in the DVD release.

Final regular appearance of Tim.

Children In Need Special (2012)

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"Wogan"Ed ByeLee Mack16 November 2012 (2012-11-16)8.0632.7%

Lee, Lucy and Daisy are desperately trying to think of a way to convince Mr. Namasaki (Akie Kotabe), a Japanese client of Lucy's, that they did not poison his prize carp. Unexpectedly, Terry Wogan arrives and asks for a donation for Children In Need or else he'll send Pudsey the Bear round to keep an 'eye' on them.

Lee then quickly runs through the audience with the donation bucket and gets the audience to donate. Getting back to Terry, who is slightly disappointed with the donations, Terry asks Lee for a donation. Lee refuses and is about to kick Terry out when Mr. Namasaki arrives and accuses Lee of poisoning his prized carp. He is about to hit Lee with the fish, when Terry interrupts him and takes the fish from Namasaki only to hit Lee with it and sending him flying.

Series 6 (2013)

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351"Rabbit"Nick WoodLee Mack & Daniel Peak5 April 2013 (2013-04-05)5.0119.1%[15]

When Lucy accidentally runs over a pet rabbit belonging to Sophie, the daughter of important client Paul, she needs Lee and Daisy to help cover her tracks. Lucy asks Lee to take the blame. When Lee gives it to Paul, he rejects it as not Sophie's. It turns out she had hit the rabbit, but gave Lee a dead wild rabbit she mistakenly thought was the pet. Lucy and Lee buy a rabbit from a pet shop to replace it, but Paul realises that it is also not Sophie's, because it is the wrong sex.

Tim's absence from the series is explained as him being in Germany on a work placement.

Additional material: Simon Evans, Paul Kerensa, Dave Cohen, Simon Griffiths, Liam Woodman, David Isaac
362"Skiing"Nick WoodLee Mack & Daniel Peak12 April 2013 (2013-04-12)4.5216.9%[16]

Lee, Lucy and Daisy are on a skiing holiday in Eastern Europe. Lucy's arms are in plaster, having been broken in an accident with a luggage carousel. On a cable car, Daisy accidentally jams the mechanism with a ski trying to get rid of a bird, and Lee accidentally jams it further with the other ski whilst trying to dislodge the first one. At this point, a heavily pregnant woman on board (Pooky Quesnel) goes into labour. Lee and Daisy successfully calm her down, but this succeeds in speeding up the labour. As Lucy is unable to move her arms and the woman will not trust Daisy, it is up to Lee to deliver the baby. He eventually manages to deliver it, but she then reveals she is expecting triplets. Fortunately, help arrives before Lee has to deliver the other babies.

Additional material: Simon Evans, Paul Kerensa, Dave Cohen, Simon Griffiths, Liam Woodman, David Isaac
373"Therapy"Nick WoodLee Mack & Daniel Peak19 April 2013 (2013-04-19)3.6616.0%[17]

When Lucy enrols at night school on a training course in counselling, Lee takes advantage of her new-found skill to try to patch things up with his father Frank. This brings up childhood issues and Frank says that Lee caused his parents to separate.

Additional material: Simon Evans, Paul Kerensa, Dave Cohen, Simon Griffiths, Liam Woodman, David Isaac
384"Conference"Nick WoodLee Mack & Daniel Peak3 May 2013 (2013-05-03)4.1216.2%[18]

Lee attempts to stop Lucy from flirting with male delegates at a three-day annual trade conference, which she does in order to gain contracts. He takes obstructive action by posing as her husband, and then father. This pretence becomes more difficult to sustain when Lucy's mother Wendy, and later her father Geoffrey, turn up at the conference. Geoffrey accuses Lee of trying it on with his wife and Lucy. A client whom Lucy invites to her hotel room is punched by Geoffrey when Geoffrey knocks at the door and walks in, seeing Lucy and Wendy in the room.

Additional material: Simon Evans, Paul Kerensa, Dave Cohen, Simon Griffiths, Liam Woodman, David Isaac
395"Rachel"Nick WoodLee Mack & Daniel Peak10 May 2013 (2013-05-10)4.4417.6%[19]

Lee decides that the best way to get Lucy to become attracted to him is to make her jealous. Daisy sets him up with Rachel (Joanna Bobin), a Fatal Attraction-style psychopath who proceeds to stalk him. Rachel soon discovers Lee's attraction to Lucy and threatens to tell Lucy if he does not continue to go on another date with her. Daisy showcases various superhero and supervillain outfits for an upcoming hen do. After Lee stops dating Rachel, she enters the flat holding a large kitchen knife, then Daisy knocks her to the ground.

Additional material: Simon Evans, Paul Kerensa, Dave Cohen, Simon Griffiths, Liam Woodman, David Isaac
406"Play"Nick WoodLee Mack17 May 2013 (2013-05-17)3.9916.9%[20]

When Lucy's first love Scott (Simon Farnaby) reappears and asks her to be in a play that he wrote for her, Lee has to fight for her attention, which ends disastrously. He believes that Scott is after her and created this play to win her over. After he is dismissed from the cast for being difficult, he appears on the night of the performance secretively taking back his role and ends the play with a shock not even the cast knew about.

Additional material: Simon Evans, Paul Kerensa, Dave Cohen, Simon Griffiths, Liam Woodman, David Isaac

Note: This was originally intended to be the final episode of the series. An alternative ending was filmed for this episode.
417"Magic"Nick WoodLee Mack24 May 2013 (2013-05-24)4.2217.4%[21]

Lucy's nine-year-old goddaughter, Nancy, is suddenly dumped on her by Nancy's mother the night before the girl's birthday party, after a fire at Nancy's house. Lucy and Lee have to think of some appropriate humour and something to do for tomorrow. Despite not getting along with Nancy, Lee settles the deal by coming up with a magic show. Lee goes to a magic shop to get what he needs, which leads to nothing but trouble. The magician did not get the funds Lee sent Daisy to deliver and takes the equipment just before the show. Lee has to try and entertain fourteen 9-year-olds. Nancy reveals that she started the fire.

Additional material: Simon Evans, Paul Kerensa, Dave Cohen, Simon Griffiths, Liam Woodman, David Isaac

Music: "Abracadabra" by the Steve Miller Band
428"Boat"Nick WoodLee Mack & Daniel Peak31 May 2013 (2013-05-31)3.8714.7%[22]
Lee's father wins £400 on horse racing and he spends it on a boat (with no workable engine), which he convinces Lee to invite Lucy and Daisy to stay with him on, tempting Lee with the offer of sharing a double bed with Lucy. Lucy is hesitant as she has a fear of water, but Lee eventually persuades her. The boat proves to be a wreck, but Lucy has an enjoyable night and appears to be overcoming her fear, whilst Frank bonds with Daisy and teaches her how to tie knots. In the morning, the boat has floated away from shore in Eastbourne out to sea. With no way of knowing where they are and getting back to land and a diminishing food supply, they fear for their lives. Lee catches Frank deliberately destroying the boat, and the whole adventure is revealed to have been an elaborate insurance scam - Frank has insured the boat for £12,000 and deliberately let it float away, destroying it in the hope of escaping on a dinghy. Daisy accidentally lets the dinghy float away, leaving the four deserted on a sinking ship. Eventually, Lucy floats on the one remaining fragment whilst Lee, Frank and Daisy float alongside her, until by chance they find the dinghy and manage to reach safety.
Additional material: Simon Evans, Paul Kerensa, Dave Cohen, Simon Griffiths, Liam Woodman, David Isaac

Christmas Special (2013)

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43"The House"Ed ByeLee Mack & Daniel Peak24 December 2013 (2013-12-24)5.0022.5%
In an effort to create the perfect Christmas for Lucy, Lee invites her parents to join the two of them and Daisy in a snug old house in the country which used to belong to his dear dead aunt. But the Christmas spirit is in short supply when Lucy discovers that the house has not been lived in for years and there appears to be a spooky presence. However, the spooky presence turns out to be Lee's dad Frank, who has also turned up to enjoy Christmas in the house with an old flame (Jane Lowe), and in an effort to get rid of the unwanted visitors he pretends the house is haunted by playing old music and leaving threatening messages on the cellar wall. In the closing part of the episode, it is revealed that the scary snowman that had been built in the garden was in fact unaccounted for, and a ghost of a young boy (Arlo McKillop) was seen to appear in the rocking chair.

Series 7 (2014)

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441"Mugging"Nick WoodLee Mack & Daniel Peak17 October 2014 (2014-10-17)4.3916.5%

On the way home from a French film, Lee and Lucy go down a dark alley and run into some troubling teens, led by a boy called Razor (Joshua Pascoe), who end up stealing Lucy’s handbag. To get it back, Lee is to fight with one of them and he is desperate to prove his masculinity to impress her. When the police are no help he attempts to take up boxing. When Lee has a chance to show how well he is doing, he gets Lucy and Daisy to watch him try fighting someone but ends up against a little girl, in which he loses. He once more tries to get the bag back (by bribing Razor with £100) but it’s the final straw as it ends badly and Razor steals the money without returning the bag. Razor's grandmother (Joan Linder) (who turns out to be the receptionist at the boxing club) drags him to the flat and forces him to return the goods to Lucy, but when Lee comes in and sees him handing over the knitting needles, he attacks Razor, thinking that he is threatening Lucy. Razor's grandmother beats Lee up in retaliation.

Additional material: Simon Evans, Paul Kerensa, Dave Cohen, Simon Griffiths, Liam Woodman, David Isaac
452"Christening"Nick WoodLee Mack & Daniel Peak24 October 2014 (2014-10-24)4.1415.8%

Finding an appropriate gift for the christening party of their new neighbours' baby becomes problematic when their custom-made plate with the baby's footprint unexpectedly depicts six toes. Unaware of the child's real number of toes they end up taking him out and realize it was a mistake and it was the wrong foot. But when it turns out that again the wrong foot was printed they turn up to the party in a very awkward situation.

First Appearances of Toby (Hugh Dennis) and Anna (Abigail Cruttenden).

Additional material: Simon Evans, Paul Kerensa, Dave Cohen, Simon Griffiths, Liam Woodman, David Isaac
463"Donor"Nick WoodLee Mack & Daniel Peak31 October 2014 (2014-10-31)3.9715.7%

Lucy is getting more and more desperate for a baby, but instead of waiting for a relationship she decides to look for a sperm donor and become a single mother. Her original choice is a colleague (Timothy Knightley) - but after she worries about not knowing him well enough, Lee is the only one that she has to offer. Lee feels uncomfortable about the offer but does not want to upset Lucy, so accepts it on the condition that her parents and his father agree - Lucy eventually persuades them all. Lee turns up at the hospital in a nervous state ready for his donor, but when he puts the DVD on, he keeps imagining faces of people he knows speaking to him as the performer on the video, which puts him under more pressure. He then anxiously gives up and lies to Lucy that he has a problem and is unable to do the donation. Then it leaves Lee and Lucy with no choice but to have intercourse, but Lee ejaculates prematurely. Lucy ultimately accepts that it is not time yet, and she will wait until she is in a relationship.

Additional material: Simon Evans, Paul Kerensa, Dave Cohen, Simon Griffiths, Liam Woodman, David Isaac
474"Anna"Nick WoodLee Mack & Daniel Peak7 November 2014 (2014-11-07)4.6017.5%

When Lucy lies to impress and befriend Toby and Anna, the new neighbours, Lee has to do the same. So he organises a meal at the flat for them all and pretends he works at a bank and is quite rich. Then Anna invites Lee and Lucy to a night out at a posh restaurant with live music. The group go out for the meal but Lee is acting strange about his fake job as a rich bank worker when Anna continues to ask questions. Then he becomes too drunk and admits he does not really have a job and is not rich.

Additional material: Simon Evans, Paul Kerensa, Dave Cohen, Simon Griffiths, Liam Woodman, David Isaac
485"Pointless"Nick WoodLee Mack & Daniel Peak21 November 2014 (2014-11-21)4.0913.7%

Daisy signs up to be on the quiz show Pointless and is accepted. So she chooses Lucy to be her partner, but then she is tricked by Lee into allowing him to be her partner on the quiz show after he pretends to have a lot of knowledge. The pair appear on the show but are eliminated in the first round. On their second chance, Lee follows Richard Osman into his dressing room and finds the answer cards laying on the table, so Daisy and Lee memorise the answers. Lee and Daisy make it to the final but Richard Osman is certain that they must be cheating, so they give the pair a question about Shakespeare in the final round, which leaves them both in an awkward situation.

Guest appearances of Alexander Armstrong and Richard Osman as themselves.

Additional material: Simon Evans, Paul Kerensa, Dave Cohen, Simon Griffiths, Liam Woodman, David Isaac
496"Alcohol"Nick WoodLee Mack & Daniel Peak28 November 2014 (2014-11-28)3.5912.6%

When Lee and Lucy confront Lee's father Frank about his alcohol consumption, he returns the sentiment. Frank invites Lee and Lucy to go to Frank's club where people confront their alcoholism, after Frank gives them the impression that they might be alcoholics themselves.

Additional material: Simon Evans, Paul Kerensa, Dave Cohen, Simon Griffiths, Liam Woodman, David Isaac
507"Surprise"Nick WoodLee Mack & Daniel Peak5 December 2014 (2014-12-05)3.6312.5%

Lucy organizes a surprise party for her parents' wedding anniversary and she insists it must remain a secret. Lee struggles to keep Geoffrey away from the flat while a party planner called Mario is organising the arrangements with Lucy. Lee cannot hide it any longer and tells Geoffrey about the surprise party and he insists that it is cancelled. Lee tries to stop the surprise party from taking place and things become awkward.

Additional material: Simon Evans, Paul Kerensa, Dave Cohen, Simon Griffiths, Liam Woodman, David Isaac
518"Plane"Nick WoodLee Mack & Daniel Peak12 December 2014 (2014-12-12)4.1816.5%
Lee, Lucy and Daisy are all going abroad together. However, Lee's fear of flying is causing him to overreact to various situations, earning him the disapproval of Olga (Basienka Blake), the stern air stewardess, before the plane has even taken off. Lee's paranoia gets worse when he notices a passenger (Stewart Scudamore) who he suspects of being a terrorist due to his nervous disposition and refusal to let go of his bag, even taking it to the toilet with him. When confronting the passenger, Lee notices that he has a box in his bag labelled 'Cartridges' and reports this to Olga, who investigates and reports back that these are just ink cartridges. Later, when Lee is trying to steal a drink from the fridge, he overhears the passenger having a private conversation with Olga about a secret plan and reflecting on the fact that they managed to shake off Lee's suspicions. Lee spots a gun in the passenger's bag, but accidentally alerts the pair to his presence and has to return to his seat. He alerts Lucy and Daisy to the fact that Olga appears to be in on the terrorist threat together, and they hatch a (very clumsy) plan for Lee to steal the man's bag whilst Lucy and Daisy distract him. The bag in hand, Lee runs to the cockpit to warn the captain (Hugh Dennis) but only succeeds in appearing to be a terrorist himself. When the suspicious passenger comes to confront him, Lee attempts to reveal the gun, only to pull a banana out of the bag instead. The passenger draws the real gun and appears about to shoot Lee before it is revealed that he is in fact a member of the Secret Service who is on board the plane in response to the terror threats, and it is Lee who has come across as a terrorist. With everything cleared up, the Air Marshal punches Lee in anger. The episode ends with Lee and Lucy returning to the flat, Lucy and Daisy having spent the whole holiday being looked after by the British ambassador whilst Lee was in custody. Additional material: Simon Evans, Paul Kerensa, Dave Cohen, Simon Griffiths, Liam Woodman, David Isaac
529"Lucy"Nick WoodLee Mack & Daniel Peak19 December 2014 (2014-12-19)3.7912.5%
Lucy tells Lee that she is going for a job interview for an important and well-paid position, and implies that if she gets the job she will spend a lot less time in the flat with him. After she leaves for the interview, Toby tells Lee that Lucy is actually meeting his cousin Carl, whom she has been getting serious with on social media for several months. He speculates why Lucy may not have told Lee about Carl, causing Lee to affirm his feelings toward her. Toby offers to text Carl and ask him to back off (admitting that Carl suspects that there is someone else on the scene and has asked him to find out for him) but only agrees to dissuade Carl if Lee actually intends to act on his feelings. Lee appears ready, but gets cold feet at the idea of marriage and kids, eventually telling Toby to tell Carl to go ahead with his plan to invite Lucy to Naples. Lucy returns, saying that the restaurant are very interested in her and have invited her to Naples to finalise the deal. On the spur of the moment, Lee admits to Lucy that he is in love with her and asks her to marry him, and a delighted Lucy accepts. However, when the restaurant's female manager (Sarah Thom) arrives to return a contract Lucy had left behind, Toby admits that it had always been a business meeting, and that he had made Carl up in order to give Lee an incentive to act on his feelings for Lucy, which had been obvious to everyone for ages. Additional material: Simon Evans, Paul Kerensa, Dave Cohen, Simon Griffiths, Liam Woodman, David Isaac
5310"The Wedding"Nick WoodLee Mack & Daniel Peak24 December 2014 (2014-12-24)4.1013.9%

After being pressured by Frank, Lee gets drunk on the night before his and Lucy's wedding, which causes serious problems for Lee and Frank, along with Lucy's father, Geoffrey, after the police find that the ring that belongs to Geoffrey is actually stolen. Will the three of them make it to the church on time for Lee and Lucy's wedding day?

Guest appearances of Tim Vine as Tim and Simon Dutton as Guy.

Additional material: Simon Evans, Paul Kerensa, Dave Cohen, Simon Griffiths, Liam Woodman, David Isaac

Note: The title of this episode was withheld from listings in order to maintain the surprise outcome of the previous episode.

Christmas Special (2015)

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54"Christmas Shopping"Nick WoodLee Mack & Daniel Peak24 December 2015 (2015-12-24)2.9219.2%
One year on from the wedding, it is Christmas Eve and a heavily pregnant Lucy is three days overdue with their first baby. Lee is excited about being a father, but worries about his abilities to do a better job than his own father. Lee and Lucy arrive at a department store where Frank is working as an elf to pick up Daisy, who they are planning to spend Christmas with (though Lee has purposely kept this from Frank). Lucy had intended to wait in the car, but is forced to come in when Lee feels uncomfortable about buying her Vagisil. Whilst there, they bump into Toby and Anna, who are doing their Christmas shopping whilst baby Jack is in Lapland with his grandparents. Frank invites them all to join him for a drink, even though the store is about to close, as he has an arrangement with the security guards, Bill (Matt Emery) and Mike (Anthony Adjekum). Unbeknownst to the group, a robber (Ryan Oliva) wearing a Father Christmas latex mask has taken the security guards hostage. One by one, the group are captured, tied up and locked in the guards' office, though the sticky tape runs out before Lee can be gagged, leaving him free to ungag the others with his teeth. Lee makes a desperate attempt via the tannoy to convince the robbers to free them, claiming that Lucy is going into labour. At Lee's request, the robber frees him, Lucy and Toby, but forces them to deliver the baby within the shopping centre. When Daisy accidentally turns on the tannoy again and inadvertently reveals that Lucy is bluffing, Lee reveals that he saw him in the car park and would be able to identify him, causing the robber to become extremely violent. Lee, Lucy and Toby distract the robber by running all over the store before they finally have a chance to rescue the others and the security guards. In the meantime, Lucy has gone into labour for real, and Lee stays with her and delivers the baby while the others escape up the Christmas tree and into an air vent leading to the roof. After Toby, Anna and Daisy have escaped, Frank reluctantly returns to get Lucy and Lee out. Lucy has given birth to a baby boy. They invite Frank to join them for Christmas in thanks. Also, Toby and Anna realise that they must spend Christmas with Jack, so go after him to Lapland. Final appearance of Daisy.

Series 8 (2017)

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551"Romance"Nick WoodLee Mack & Daniel Peak13 January 2017 (2017-01-13)5.5219.3%[24]

After eight years of marriage, Lee and Lucy disagree over how to keep the romance alive.

First appearances of Charlie, Benji and Molly.

Special guests: Simon Evans, Paul Sims.
562"Babysitting"Nick WoodLee Mack & Daniel Peak20 January 2017 (2017-01-20)4.4715.9%[25]
Reluctantly, Lucy allows Lee’s father, Frank, to babysit and, surprisingly, he does a good job -- until Lucy and Lee realise that he swore in front of Benji and he repeats it outspokenly to Anna. Lucy then wishes she had not had Frank round to babysit and asks Lee to confront Frank with using that language in front of the kids, but Lee feels too ignorant to confront the concern. Later Frank returns to the house to thank Lee and Lucy about babysitting but when Lucy thought that Lee had told Frank about the concern, he denies swearing but who else could've said it?
573"Car"Nick WoodLee Mack & Daniel Peak3 February 2017 (2017-02-03)4.7019.2%[26]

Lucy's cousin is marrying in France so the family set off in the car to catch a ferry with plenty of time to spare… or so they think, until the traffic slows things down and the SatNav says they will miss the last check-in if they do not find another route. Will they figure something out or will they miss the ferry?

Guest appearances of Rob Brydon as George (voice only) and Dan Tetsell as Simon.
584"Hot Tub"Nick WoodLee Mack & Daniel Peak10 February 2017 (2017-02-10)4.4917.7%[27]

Lee and Lucy play Hot Tub Fantasy Date with their best friends Anna and Toby, with Lee and Toby visiting Emma Bunton for a charity campaign. Lee tries to make Lucy jealous by getting close to Bunton, while Lucy tries to make Lee jealous by getting close with her local dentist (Jack Chissick). Then Toby, Lee and Emma end up in a hot tub together.

Guest appearances of Emma Bunton and Susie Dent as themselves.
595"Charlie"Nick WoodLee Mack & Sarah Morgan17 February 2017 (2017-02-17)4.5917.3%[28]
Lee is worried that Charlie is getting a reputation at school for being the class clown. So Lee and Lucy organise a meeting with Miss Anstis. But after managing to stop Charlie from being the class clown he writes a story which is really boring and never-ending. Unfortunately, Miss Anstis chooses him to read his story in front of the school and parents in a bid to win a trip to LegoLand. Lee is desperate to not let Charlie humiliate himself in front of the school with the boring story and has an idea.
606"Marriage Guidance"Nick WoodLee Mack & Daniel Peak24 February 2017 (2017-02-24)3.9415.1%[29]
After Anna tells Lucy that she is doing Marriage Counselling, she advises Lucy to do Marriage Counselling with Lee to sort out their relationship problems. After they first session, they admit it is helping but do not want to tell Lucy's parents, Wendy and Geoffrey. Lee then organises a meal with Wendy and Geoffrey to prove he is a thoughtful, kind-hearted man. Then afterwards, Toby and Anna pop in to say hello and talk about the counselling while Wendy and Geoffrey are in the other room, but unfortunately they overhear Lee and Lucy talking about it and show up unexpectedly to hear their conversation. The family then get into an awkward situation.
617"Enough"Nick WoodLee Mack & Daniel Peak3 March 2017 (2017-03-03)3.92TBA
Lee and Lucy have a discussion about whether they should have another child but Lee totally disagrees. Lucy asks Anna for advice and comes up with a plan to trick Lee into having intercourse. But when Lee, Lucy, Anna and Toby have a meal at the house, Anna and Lucy's idea does not go as planned. When Lucy, Toby, Lee and Anna meet at the park, Lee and Lucy finally witness what having four kids would really be like - and decide against it.

Christmas special (2017)

No.
overall
No. in
series
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date[30] Viewers
(millions)[31]
62"The True Meaning of Christmas"[32]Nick WoodLee Mack & Daniel Peak24 December 2017 (2017-12-24)5.63

It's Christmas Eve, and Lee and Lucy face a possible yuletide disaster when they discover the perfect present they have bought for their children has already been gifted to them by their grandparents.

This episode was the final television appearance of Keith Barron, who died a month before it was broadcast. The end of the episode featured a dedication to his memory.

Series 9 (2018)

# overall # in series Title[33] Directed by Writer(s) Original airdate[34] Viewers
(millions)[1]
Share
631"Home Improvements"Nick WoodLee Mack & Daniel Peak8 March 2018 (2018-03-08)5.27TBA
Lucy's father reluctantly allows Lee to help Lucy clear up the builder's mess in their new kitchen extension. Unfortunately, things do not go according to plan, when a simple misunderstanding regarding Lucy's parents' house having a new artificial back lawn results in having to replace Geoffrey's new CCTV system in order to absolve themselves, and then Lee accidentally torching the entire lawn when he accidentally spills petrol on it and smokes one of Geoffrey's cigars.
642"Escape Room"Nick WoodLee Mack & Daniel Peak15 March 2018 (2018-03-15)5.17TBA

As a surprise for Lee's birthday, Lucy invites Geoffrey and Wendy, Toby and Anna, and Lee's dad Frank to join them in an escape room. This proves to be something none of them will easily forget, with Lee being handcuffed to a bomb, a 'traitor' in the room, and Toby's work life called into question. Geoffrey and Frank argue over class superiority and intelligence, even though Frank solves most of the clues in the room. It appears that the bomb is about to explode; when it does not, Lee reveals that he set it all up.

The children are absent from this episode.
653"Stolen"Nick WoodLee Mack & Daniel Peak22 March 2018 (2018-03-22)4.58TBA
Anna brings Charlie back to Lucy and Lee's house, having taken him to a party. Charlie is delighted with his prize of a keyring for having won the party's ugly face competition. When it goes missing soon after, Lee and Lucy think that Toby and Anna's son Jack stole it, and go to their house to accuse him. Jack says that he did not steal it, and his parents support him. Lee goes into Jack's bedroom and takes an identical keyring from there. Anna calls at Lee and Lucy's house, where she tells Lucy that she bought an identical keyring for Jack, that it is now missing, and that she thinks that Lee stole it. After Anna leaves, Lee admits to Lucy that he did steal it, assuming it was Charlie's. Lee and Lucy sneak into Toby and Anna's house using their spare key whilst the house is empty and plant the keyring in their bedroom. Toby and Anna come home from early from their date, so Lee and Lucy hide under the bed. Toby and Anna have sex, during which a Furby belonging to one of Lee and Lucy's children which is under the bed makes noises. Toby and Anna look under the bed and see Lee and Lucy there. Back home, Lee notices that in addition to the Furby, he accidentally brought Anna's knickers home.
664"Pets"Nick WoodLee Mack & Daniel Peak29 March 2018 (2018-03-29)4.24TBA
To teach the children to be more responsible, Lee and Lucy get a family pet. They decide to pick up a rabbit from a rescue centre, but soon after the family arrive, the children change their minds and choose a hairless rat instead. After they do not look after it properly, Lee takes it back. He changes his mind and tries to retrieve it, but is turned away. He falsely claims that it died, and the family hold a funeral in their back garden for it, burying an empty box. Toby, unaware of Lee's lie, arrives in the garden to give Lee the rat, which he picked up from the centre in a cardboard box. Lee says that he does not want it, then Lucy opens the box, revealing that the box is empty and has a hole a few inches long in a corner. The rat climbs out of the grave in front of the family. Lee tells the children that he mistakenly thought the rat had died when it was asleep.
675"Pants on Fire"Nick WoodLee Mack & Daniel Peak5 April 2018 (2018-04-05)4.29TBA
Lee and Lucy cancel their planned dinner with Toby and Anna at Toby and Anna's house on the day so that they can watch Norwegian crime series The Oslo Murders on Netflix. They falsely claim to Toby and Anna that they had to stay home with their daughter Molly because she is ill. Toby and Anna come round, with Toby (a doctor) suggesting that he examine her. Molly comes downstairs and is clearly not ill, revealing Lee and Lucy to be lying. Lee and Lucy then pretend that the real reason that they cancelled is because they had a row about Lee having revealed to Lucy spoilers about The Oslo Murders. Lee then tells various lies about suspected affairs of Lucy and Anna, after which Toby and Anna said that they knew all along that Lee and Lucy were lying, and pushed them into telling a string of lies in order as revenge on them for cancelling dinner.
686"Lollipop Man"Nick WoodLee Mack & Sarah Morgan12 April 2018 (2018-04-12)4.59TBA
Lucy objects to octogenarian Fred, the school lollipop man, handing out lollipops to the kids. Lee reluctantly assists her in making a complaint, which causes Fred to be suspended for a week. Lee and Lucy give him a cake which they made. Fred has an allergic reaction to the almond flour in it and is hospitalised. Lee is hit by a van while crossing the road, breaking his right leg.
697"Bust Up"Nick WoodLee Mack & Sarah Morgan19 April 2018 (2018-04-19)3.72TBA

After a comment from a saleswoman in a clothes shop, Lucy expresses to Lee her unhappiness with her sagging breasts. After talking to Anna, who tells her that she had a breast augmentation after her son was born, she contemplates having her breasts surgically improved.

The children are absent from this episode.

References

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  3. Andrew Laughlin (7 January 2011). "'Not Going Out' returns with 4.7m". Digital Spy.
  4. Andrew Laughlin (14 January 2011). "BBC explores 'Human Planet' with 5.6m". Digital Spy.
  5. Andrew Laughlin (21 January 2011). "'10 O'Clock Live' rolls out with 1.4m". Digital Spy.
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  15. Tom Eames (7 April 2013). "'Not Going Out', 'HIGNFY' return to decent ratings for BBC One". Digital Spy.
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  21. Beth Hilton (25 May 2013). "'Life of Crime' down to 2.9m for final episode". Digital Spy.
  22. Beth Hilton (1 June 2013). "'Britain's Got Talent' latest semi-final scores 8m on ITV". Digital Spy.
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  29. Guide, British Comedy. "Not Going Out Series 8, Episode 6 - Marriage Guidance - British Comedy Guide".
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  31. "Weekly Top 30 Programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
  32. "Not Going Out = The True Meaning of Christmas". 8 December 2017. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
  33. https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/not_going_out/episodes/9/
  34. https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/not_going_out/episodes/9/
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