Just discovered Not Going Out/Lee Mack sitcom - reverse to normal

[dreaaamm]

Has anyone seen all of this and help me with a question?

Normally sitcoms start great and get worse and worse and get cancelled
as the writers run out of ideas. This is the complete reverse of that.

I've never watched this but randomly saw an episode that was really funny. Then another one and watched the whole last series and really enjoyed it. Thought the writing was excellent and very funny.

I'd never been interested in it because I found Lee Mack really annoying.

Anyway, I enjoyed it so much I decided to start at the beginning but the first series was absolutely crap.

So then I went back to the end and started watching it in reverse so series 13 then 12 and so on. Basically the comedy gets stronger as the series goes on but weaker as it goes back in time.

I'm up to series 7 which is where [spoiler if you've not watched it ] the Lucy character gets together with Lee.

I'm guessing that this was the turning point for the series. One of the funniest characters/generator of comedy is Lucy's dad.

Anyway has anyone watched the whole thing and can you tell me whether series 2 - 6 are worth bothering with or are they as crap as Season 1. TBH I can't believe there was a season 2 given how rubbish Season 1 was.

The later stuff is hilarious though.

Blackadder does this- the first series is him in a castle and it's just weird.

Perhaps it's just the writers feeling their way and characters meshing out as time goes on.

Schitts Creek is another one.

I quite like Not going out - it's sort of reassuringly basic and old fashioned which is easy and refreshing!

I'm the opposite; I think it went massively downhill after Lee and Lucy got together, and definitely after they got married. I could not stand her parents either. Loved Katy Wix, Miranda Hart, Tim Vine and Hugh Dennis in it.

I think it was funny at the time, fit in well with 2 Pints of Lager but it hasn't aged well.

Series 2-6 are the best! It all went downhill after the wedding.

I haven’t seen them all but from what I have seen it’s dross and the 2 main characters seem to hate each other as husband and wife, constant sniping - I don’t get it at all!

Nothing against a bit of dross by the way, I quite enjoy some really naff programmes but this is one I just could never get my head around - but it’s so long running, people must really like it!

Hate the new series where they’re married. It’s just a cheesy lazy old fashioned sit-com. Much preferred the early ones.

When you watch Lee Mack on WILTY he's one of the sharpest, quickest and funniest comedians around. I have cried laughing before at him. Not Going Out is, and always has been, about as funny as piles.

I really liked the earlier series of not going out with Tim, Daisy & Barbara.
I feel after they got married it went downhill

I’m afraid I agree with others, it started well, and has definitely outstayed its potential.

I loved the early series but it's rubbish since they got married. It's a modern day Terry and June (I'm old enough to remember)

I like some of the later series but I agree that 2-6 were the peak. I was actually watching series 12 the other night & I ended up switching it off as I just wasn’t enjoying it.

I agree. I don't like it now. I loved Tim Vine, Amanda Hart snd Katie Wix.

I agree with other posters

I loved it at first but now it's awful!

My mum loves this show. She was talking to me about it recently and I got totally confused. I had only seen the first series and had no idea it was now about a husband, wife and kids!? I can't believe it's still going!

I feel the same

Definitely rubbish after they got married. It basically turned into Outnumbered (which is really bad!) including with one of the cast members

When they were just house mates it was brilliant. The episode where Lee lets someone film a dirty movie in the flat is comedy gold

that's really interesting that people are saying 2 -6 was the peak.

Is 2 better than 1 then because one was really bad? I really really didn't like the actress in series 1 - her voice and accent was so SO grating.

There are some stellar episodes in the later series. The one where he sends a bad text by mistake to the neighbours phone so then gets involved in a scheme to delete it is very funny - S12 e2. Also in series 7 the surprise party one particularly the scene where Lee has told someone Lucy's father has died to cover up another lie and there is a cross-purposes conversation is just brilliant.

I definitely preferred it before they were married, loved the episode where they got lost in the car in the woods with the scary clowns! 🤡 loved the apartment as well. Since they got married it’s a completely different programme, I do enjoy it as it’s easy watching and comforting telly where you can switch off your brain, but the constant sniping at each other is tiresome sometimes, they seem to hate each other. I’ve not watched all the later series as yet but the funniest of what I have seen so far is when Lee and Lucy looked after her parents house and ended up setting fire to the artificial lawn, it was a funny and cleverly done episode I thought.

Oh! I loved Terry and June! It was just good old-fashioned gently funny comedy, like The Likely Lads, Dad's Army, 2.4 Children, Butterflies etc.

I might give Not Going Out a try!

I think the current set up is unwatchable, the earlier series where they shared the flat were miles better.

I don't think series 1 is the best, but 2-6 were generally very good.

Outnumbered was brilliant because it was largely unscripted.

I'm another one saying series 2-6 were better. Season 1 is better than the later seasons. It seemed to turn into formulaic dross after Lucy and Lee got married. Can't stand the later series.

I found this with modern family, took its time to find its feet then was brilliant!