In real life Deborah Grant is 64 and Geoffrey Whitehead 71.
Not Going Out - Series 4 Page 15
Quote: Gelgoog @ January 23 2011, 12:46 PM GMTI got a fair few laughs from the episode but I agree with those saying it's not a well made sitcom. The sets look like sets and you can tell the cast are actors playing a part. It just feels poorly put together with the sole focus being on the jokes. Granted that should be a priority but if Tim and Lee want to do that, why not (as I believe was already said) just focus on their stand up?
That's exactly what it is, a thin excuse to televise their stand up material, as many have already said. But it is very much as if the producers know this and this gives them the chance to use very artificial looking, cartoon like scenarios which get a lot of laughs, while making sitcom purists squirm on their sofas.
The more I watch this, the more I think of Bottom, as both are very silly and unrealistic; one uses physical slapstick and toilet humour while the other uses quicfire verbal jokes and laddish 'adult' humour around similarly token sets and plots. And Bottom went on tour with the sitcom while NGO put their tour stuff into a TV sitcom. How many series did Bottom reach?
The weakest of the four episodes this series for me. Took a while to get going, but once it did it was fantastic again. Loved the fact Lee was sticking pictures of Lorraine Kelly's face in porn magazines. But yep, great episode in the end and nice to see Geoffrey Whitehead in it.
Also, this very vague friend of mine accidently brought the first series twice on DVD, so she's sending me her spare copy. Result
Quote: Kevin Murphy @ January 28 2011, 12:35 AM GMTOkay, according to this episode, Tim's parents have been married for 30 years, since she was 20 and he was 40.
Yeah, I wouldn't read too much into the back story. As Badge spotted, Tim and Lucy's dad doesn't even look like he looked in the previous series (when he was played by Timothy West), but none of the characters seemed to notice, so I'm happy to play along with that too 
Quote: Lindyloop @ January 26 2011, 8:44 PM GMTI shouldn't spoil it for myself and watch the clips before the programme - but brilliant!
I think this is one of the sitcoms where it's good to watch the preview clips. It's hard to get tired of Not Going Out's gags. Hearing them twice is just perfect I think.
Here's one from next week's show: The World's Slowest Burglary
Quote: Mark @ January 29 2011, 7:12 PM GMTIt's hard to get tired of Not Going Out's gags. Hearing them twice is just perfect I think.
Like once at the comedy club and once on TV you mean?
Quote: Alfred J Kipper @ January 29 2011, 7:21 PM GMTLike once at the comedy club and once on TV you mean?
Given enough time apart, yeah. Admittedly it can get too much though (I've heard Micky Flannagan's routine about ketchup about 10 times now, on various TV shows, on Radio 4, and live)
As discussed above, in some ways Not Going Out is very much like stand-up, with its rapid-fire of gags. I don't think anyone watching was particularly worried whether Tim and Lucy's parents stayed together for example, they were watching for the gags along the way.
I think we'll see a lot more of it yet, this stand-up/sitcom crossover thing. Deep deep 
Quote: Mark @ January 29 2011, 7:12 PM GMTI think this is one of the sitcoms where it's good to watch the preview clips. It's hard to get tired of Not Going Out's gags. Hearing them twice is just perfect I think.
Here's one from next week's show: The World's Slowest Burglary
Thanks. I feel spoilt! Tried to avoid it again, but having been handed it on a plate it would be rude not to.
I've only just discovered that Sally Bretton, who plays Lucy, was also in The Office. As I wasn't able aware it was her let's make it a quiz question: which character in The Office did she play? 
Hmmm. I was about to say the bitchy woman in the office, but that was her in Green Wing. (I think.)
She was that temp who Brent was was protective of I think.
And further to a previous post I wouldn't call this similar to Bottom.
Bottom is pretty slapstick, and this is more Gag driven.
And I'd love to spend some time with some "Sitcom Purists".
If only to find out whether the League of Gentleman would qualify as a sitcom.
Ohh yes. Weren't they supposed to be related somehow?
Quote: Steve Sunshine @ January 31 2011, 12:42 AM GMTAnd I'd love to spend some time with some "Sitcom Purists".
If only to find out whether the League of Gentleman would qualify as a sitcom.
Why don't you just find out what the League themselves call it?
Although I think they've said it qualifies as both sitcom and sketch show.
I think it's pretty clearly sitcom. BUT WHATEVAH.
To me it's a sketch show.
But I think that it is more of a sitcom than "Help" but that has also been described as a sitcom.
To be honest I don't care, which is why I would like to meet the purists who do.
Roger & Val have just been classified etc.
I asked Reece Shearsmith about it a couple of years ago, and he said he'd never really thought about it but something along the lines of it being neither and both; defying classification.
Help is definitely sitcom, but borrowing a lot from sketch show dynamics in some of its storyling presentation.
Is People Like Us classified as a sitcom?
We're going off topic now I'm sorry.
I don't think this has been the strongest series of NGO but I hope that they recommission it as it definitely has its own popular niche.