Not Going Out is making another change in addition to new season time jump
The new episodes will be taking on a slightly different format.
Fans of Not Going Out have become accustomed to the series changing. For one thing, the cast has consistently changed over the years, with the first season originally seeing Megan Dodds and Tim Vine starring opposite Lee Mack.
In 2014, the series finally saw Mack's character getting together with Sally Bretton's Lucy, so the 2017 run included a time-jump, switched things up and became a family sitcom, with the duo raising two children.
Now in its 14th season, the show is changing again, with another time-jump now seeing Lee and Lucy moving house, away from their home which has now become an ‘empty nest’.
However, that's not the only change this time around – the episodes will also be taking on a new format, as is revealed in this week's Radio Times magazine.
Each of the sitcom's new episodes will play out in real time, something which has been seen before in previous episodes, but has never been a consistent format.
Mack said of the change: "What I’m trying to do is get the audience involved, to make them feel like they’re witnessing an event that’s happened. And hopefully that carries over when you’re watching at home."
It is not yet clear whether any of Mack and Bretton's co-stars, such as Hugh Dennis, Abigail Cruttenden, Deborah Grant or Geoffrey Whitehead, will be back for the new season, after they were last seen in the show's most recent episode, its 100th, which aired in 2023.
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However, if this season doesn't then there's still a chance that any of them could pop up in season 15, which has already been confirmed and which will mark the show's 20th anniversary.
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When the show's return for season 14, and renewal for season 15, was announced, Mack said in a statement: "I am delighted that the BBC are once again showing such great support for studio sitcom.
"It’s a genre I’ve always loved and to be able to be part of it myself for so many years is both a privilege and an excuse not to have to shop, as I always take the underpants they give me home."
Not Going Out is available to watch on BBC iPlayer. Season 14 will air on BBC One on Friday 13th June 2025 at 9pm. The whole season will also be available as a box set on BBC iPlayer from then.
Check out more of our Comedy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
