Lee Mack admits some Not Going Out jokes wouldn't make the cut today: 'Of its day'
Not Going Out writer and star Lee Mack has reflected on the changing landscape since the sitcom launched 20 years ago.
Lee Mack has admitted some Not Going Out jokes wouldn't be included today.
The 58-year-old star, whose icon BBC sitcom has returned for its 15th season after 20 years on air, has reflected on what he would change about the show if he had the chance.
He told the Radio Times' Two 's Company podcast: "Look, 20 years of doing a sitcom, there's obviously things, if I go back and watch them, I go, 'Yeah, probably wouldn't say that now.'
"Times do change in 20 years. Tastes change. My own taste has changed. So I do occasionally look at the odd line or the odd story, and go, "It's of its day, of that time.'
"It's nothing majorly controversial. It's just perhaps a quick one line that you wouldn't now do."
Lee writes and stars in the comedy in front of a live studio audience, now playing his namesake as a married father whose kids have gone to university.
The show has endured for so long, but the creator admitted there's one key difference he wanted in the presentation very early on.
He recalled: "I thought, 'Why can't we accept there's an audience here? Why can't we see them?' "
Lee compared the idea to a "play being filmed" for a DVD, which would "occasionally" cut to the crowd watching, or shows like Live At The Apollo.
Although he noted that there is an "argument" about not wanting to break the immersion, he doesn't necessarily agree.
Lee added: "But I've always thought everyone knows and accepts that it's not real, and in fact we buy into the fact that we're not real because why would we be stopping every 10 seconds for people in the background to laugh?
"So why not just show them? It'd be something different, wouldn't it?"
His idea was "poo-pooed immediately" and Lee was told "you cannot do that", although he noted he's "seen it done" since then.
He said: "I thought we should have done that. It's too late now."
Not Going Out returned last night (23.09.26) on BBC One alongside a documentary exploring the history and making of the show.
New episodes, and 20 Years of Not Going Out, are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
