User Reviews

When Lee and Lucy got married in 2014 and even Tim appearing for the wedding episode it looked like this was the end of the show.

It was not to be, actor and co writer Lee Mack was asked by the BBC to develop a UK version of Everyone Loves Raymond and in the end he has just retooled Not Going Out.

It is now seven years after Lee and Lucy got married and they have three young children, Molly, Benji and Charlie. With the kids they have no social life and Lee is upset when Lucy forgets their wedding anniversary and then makes it up by booking a night on a Orient Express type train to spice up their romance.

With three small children the series did remind me a little of Outnumbered especially as Hugh Dennis is in the cast list. Still this rebooted version of Not Going Out has freshened up the show and still has room for Lee Mack's acerbic wit.

Finally, it is back! Not Going Out's new direction is one that I was a little concerned about, considering the disappointment that was the 2015 Christmas Special, and having seen the first episode I wish that I could say all my fears have been swept away, but they haven't.

Don't get me wrong, the episode was funny and I liked it, but I feel like I liked it more because the series is back after two years, rather than because of it's humour.

We're never really introduced to this new premise, we're just supposed to fill in the gaps between the 2015 Christmas Special and Series 8, which is about seven years, exactly 8 years after the end of Series 7. That's a lot of time to fill and it feels like there's something missing from the show, which is probably us missing most of the backstory.

The final two episodes of Series 7 were so effective because we knew the whole story about Lee and Lucy's relationship and how they got to that point, which gave The Wedding a very rewarding feeling. At this point we've missed the whole journey from Lee and Lucy adapting to married life to the adjusting to becoming parents, which takes away the power the show had before when we were actively rooting for the characters.

On the surface however, Romance is funny and it's a good episode to start the new series. There are a lot of great lines and the cast are back on top form.

As for the kids, they're all good actors, but I hope they're given more to do in future episodes, especially Benji who is definitely the best actor of the three.

The one thing I miss the most however is Daisy, where is she? I hope her role is just reduced because I really want to see her back. She's been a great character right from her first appearance in Series 2 and it would be a massive shame if she were not to return.

Also, I like the new opening titles but they feel less energetic than the previous titles, but even so they were fun to watch.

Overall, I'm glad Not Going Out is finally back, and I think it's on a good road, but the fact that the gap between the 2015 Christmas Special and Series 8 has been left entirely open ended is a shame, and definitely drains some of the depth from the show, but it's still a good show and one that is definitely still going strong.