Lee Mack has shared his intentions for the ending of his long-running sitcom Not Going Out.
The comedian, 57, has co-written and starred in the popular sitcom since its premiere in 2006, a run that has spanned 14 series and counting.
A 15th series is set to debut on BBC One later this year.
Speaking to The Mirror, Mack addressed the prospect of the show ending, and suggested he wanted to avoid the conventional approach to crafting a big TV finale.
“I think if we ever ended it we’d just fizzle away slowly, that’s how I’d like to do it,” he said. “Maybe you do a Christmas special and then another one and before you know it you’re not on anymore.
“We didn’t make a big fanfare about starting. I think we’ll just do the last episode and then we’re talk about whether we want to do anymore, maybe they won’t want any, and maybe we won’t want any. For now, we’re definitely doing the next two series so we’ll see how it goes.”
Mack compared the show to Gavin & Stacey, the James Corden and Ruth Jones-created sitcom that finished after three series but returned years later, for two Christmas specials in 2019 and 2024.
“Only having to write an episode once every 10 years, yes that appeals to me, a lot!” Mack said.
“I will be doing a Corden and Jones, having 10 years off you’ve got a long old time to write those jokes. That’s what I’d be doing.”
The series has undergone a significant re-tooling over the years; in the most recent series, Mack and Sally Bretton were the only credited main cast. The plot saw their characters, Lee and Lucy, move to a new house in the countryside.
Not Going Out will return to BBC One in June 2026.
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