Not Going Out could return as a "family sitcom"
Lee Mack's long-running BBC1 show could continue in a new guise, reveals star Sally Bretton: "Watch this space"
If you thought you'd seen the last of Not Going Out's Lee and Lucy, think again. Just because the will-they-won't-they couple have walked down the aisle and welcomed a baby, doesn't mean they won't be back on our TV screens.
Sally Bretton has revealed star and creator Lee Mack is "very keen to do a family sitcom."
"He has been for quite some time. He’s got a young family. He wants to write what he knows about now," she exclusively told RadioTimes.com, when we asked about the future of Not Going Out and the possibility of new episodes. In the ten years since Not Going Out began, Mack's become a father of three - and new episodes would likely see the comedian "mine" his family life.
Bretton, who has played Lucy since the sitcom's second series, reckons there are definitely more stories to tell, and says she's glad the show finally allowed Lee and Lucy to get together and end the long-running uncertainty: "It moves it on. I think it was time for that."
Whether new episodes would be part of a series or consist of one-off specials, Bretton isn't sure: "I suppose that depends on the BBC and on how Lee feels, whether he fancies sitting down and writing tons or whether he wants to dip in and out." But either way, she'd "always, always" be keen to return to Not Going Out. "I love everyone. It's brilliant. All you do is laugh your head off all day long. It's a great job," she says.
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"Nothing has been announced," she added, saying: "I think that’s a case of, 'watch this space.'"
A spokesman at Avalon, the production company that makes Not Going Out, told RadioTimes.com: "We can confirm it doesn’t look like the end for Lee, Lucy and the rest of the characters although further information is not available at this time."
Bretton stars in tonight's episode of Death in Paradise (9pm, BBC1)