Latest news with #LastOfTheSummerWine
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Not Going Out star Sally Bretton rushed to hospital while filming for BBC show
The latest series of Not Going Out was filled with laughter, but filming took a dramatic turn when Sally Bretton had to be rushed to hospital. In an era where television is dominated by polished dramas, thrillers and satires, comedian Lee Mack is on a mission to make us chuckle. He's doing it the old-school way, with a studio sitcom, a live audience and a barrage of jokes. As his BBC1 sitcom Not Going Out returns for another series, with yet another one already confirmed for next year, it's clear that the show isn't going anywhere. It has clocked up over 100 episodes and proudly holds the title of the longest-running UK sitcom currently on air. READ MORE: Emmerdale star 'so excited' as they confirm they're pregnant in sweet post READ MORE: Coronation Street Billy's exit storyline 'revealed' after soap axe and it's devastating "We'll never catch up with Last Of The Summer Wine," Lee jests. "Thank God. Our show is seen as very traditional, and some would say old fashioned, so therefore not risky, but it is a risk because it's the minority. The highs and lows are extreme. Love or hate the studio sitcom, there's no denying that they are really trying to go for the laugh. I'm not trying to write a line that makes people smile. "You don't get canned smiling. I used to aim for a joke on every page, but that's only every 30 seconds, it's not enough. We try for a laugh in every line." The 56 year old star, known for his appearances on Would I Lie To You? and as the host of game show The 1% Club, shines in the sitcom as 'Lee' with Sally Bretton playing his long-suffering wife Lucy. Since its inception in 2006, the series has charted their journey from awkward flatmates to a married couple with three kids, through a rollercoaster of 'will-they-won't they' tension. In the latest episodes, which Lee insisted on filming 'as live' to capture the essence of theatre, viewers are treated to a wild mix of scenarios including a robotic sex doll and a shambolic hotel stay, not to mention a rundown campervan, stints as TV extras, and a cheeky nod to the chaos of Oasis concert ticket sales. However, production faced a brief setback due to a health scare. Lee recalls a concerning moment during the Oasis-themed episode: "There was a moment in that Oasis episode when we were filming it, when Sally said to me - she looked a bit in pain, 'Do you know what appendicitis feels like? '"He recounts his initial disbelief: "I said, 'I have no idea but I can tell you now you haven't got appendicitis, otherwise you wouldn't be here filming'. The next day she had her appendix out. "Lee, who pens the show alongside Daniel Peak, affectionately pokes fun at Oasis in an episode where the couple's online ticket-buying turns into a blame game. He shares with a chuckle: "That is based in truth - I'm a massive Oasis fan, I did try to get tickets, I didn't get them and I'm livid. "He also reveals his attempt to involve one of the Gallagher brothers in the episode: "I thought, wouldn't it be great if I could get Liam or Noel to appear in that episode. My friend Rob Brydon had interviewed Noel, so I asked for his number. " The day after the ticket release, I sent a text to Noel saying, 'I know this isn't a good time, but I reckon everyone's asking for tickets and I'm probably the only one that isn't. Will you be in my sitcom?' He never got back to me." Lee shares: "My personal favourite episode is the one where I accidentally bring home a robot sex doll. Let me tell you, robotic sex dolls are very hard to get hold of. We initially had an actor, wearing a mask, but it just didn't work. We could see her breathing. So in the end, they had to create a robot. It was brilliant. It moved its head, its mouth, its eyes, and I found myself in a double act with a sex robot. " The forthcoming series has a time jump of several years, with Lee and Lucy now finding themselves as empty nesters. With plenty of time for each other, what could possibly go wrong? Quite a lot, as it turns out. The first episode follows their thwarted attempt to move house when they find their dream home, but Lee needs to use the loo, leading to the usual tension, mistaken identities and farce. There's also a touch of nostalgia, with a photo on the mantelpiece in their new home of Bobby Ball, who played Lee's dad and passed away in October 2020. "We all miss him a lot. He was like me, he wasn't from an acting background - so whatever I'm like in a studio, he was 50 times worse. The director would have to tell him not to keep looking at the audience every time he cracked a joke." A plethora of talented stars has made appearances on the show over the years, including Miranda Hart, Tim Vine, Katy Wix, Abigail Cruttenden, and Hugh Dennis. Interestingly, many fans have forgotten that Catherine Tate initially played the role of Lucy in the pilot, which was later taken over by Megan Dodds in the first series, before Sally, of Beyond Paradise fame, assumed the part. "When we look back, Sally and I do get a bit emotional," Lee says, "We've been in the show a long time and there are different eras of it, especially when you look at all the people from the past who have been in the show and come and gone. Sally's aged brilliantly, whereas I've got a big gray beard. It's been forever."
Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Not Going Out star in pain as they're rushed to hospital while filming for BBC
Comedian Lee Mack has revealed that his Not Going Out costar Sally Bretton suffered a medical emergency while filming the latest series of their hugely popular sitcom. Plenty of laughs took over the set of Not Going Out's latest season. But panic hijacked production when Sally Bretton was rushed to hospital, derailing filming. In a television age obsessed with slick dramas, thrillers and satire, comedian Lee Mack is doing something radical - he's trying to make us laugh. Out loud. Every few seconds. And he's doing it the old fashioned way, with a studio sitcom, a real live audience and endless gags. As his BBC1 sitcom Not Going Out returns for a brand new series, with another green lit for next year, it is clearly not going anywhere, clocking up over 100 episodes and holding its status as the longest-running UK sitcom on air. 'We'll never catch up with Last Of The Summer Wine,' quips Lee. 'Thank God.' He adds: 'Our show is seen as very traditional, and some would say old fashioned, so therefore not risky, but it is a risk because it's the minority. 'The highs and lows are extreme. Love or hate the studio sitcom, there's no denying that they are really trying to go for the laugh. I'm not trying to write a line that makes people smile. You don't get canned smiling. I used to aim for a joke on every page, but that's only every 30 seconds, it's not enough. We try for a laugh in every line.' The 56-year-old, who also appears in Would I Lie To You? and hosts game show The 1% Club, stars in the sitcom as 'Lee' alongside Sally Bretton as his long-suffering wife Lucy. The show, which started in 2006, has followed them from awkward flatmates via a torturous 'will-they-won't they' plot until finally, they got married and had three kids. The latest episodes, which Lee was determined to film 'as live' like a play, feature everything from a robotic sex doll to a freebie hotel stay, dilapidated campervan, roles as TV extras and a swipe at Oasis concert ticket sales. Although, Lee reveals a medical issue halted production for a couple of weeks. He says: 'There was a moment in that Oasis episode when we were filming it, when Sally said to me - she looked a bit in pain, 'Do you know what appendicitis feels like?' 'I said, 'I have no idea but I can tell you now you haven't got appendicitis, otherwise you wouldn't be here filming'. The next day she had her appendix out.' Lee, who writes the show with Daniel Peak, takes an affectionate swing at Oasis in the episode that sees the couple lose their place in the online queue and start to blame each other. Lee laughs: 'That is based in truth - I'm a massive Oasis fan, I did try to get tickets, I didn't get them and I'm livid.' He adds: 'I thought, wouldn't it be great if I could get Liam or Noel to appear in that episode. My friend Rob Brydon had interviewed Noel, so I asked for his number. It was the day after the ticket release. I texted Noel, 'I know this isn't a good time, but I reckon everyone's asking for tickets and I'm probably the only one that isn't. Will you be in my sitcom?' He never got back to me.' Lee adds: 'My personal favourite episode is the one where I accidentally bring home a robot sex doll. Let me tell you, robotic sex dolls are very hard to get hold of. We had an actor, with a mask on, and it just didn't work. We could see her breathing. So in the end they had to make a robot. It was brilliant. It moved its head, it moved its mouth, its eyes, and I was in a double act with a sex robot.' The upcoming series rolls the story on several years, with Lee and Lucy now empty nesters. With plenty of time for each other, what could possibly go wrong? Quite a lot it turns out. Episode one follows their attempted house move, thwarted when they find their dream home, but Lee needs to use the loo, causing the usual tension, mistaken identities and farce. There's a nod to nostalgia too, with a photo on the mantelpiece in their new home of Bobby Ball, who played Lee's dad and died in October 2020. Lee says: 'We all miss him a lot. He was like me, he wasn't from an acting background - so whatever I'm like in a studio, he was 50 times worse. The director would have to tell him not to keep looking at the audience every time he cracked a joke.' Over the years a long list of stars have appeared in the show, including Miranda Hart, Tim Vine, Katy Wix, Abigail Cruttenden and Hugh Dennis, with many forgetting that Catherine Tate played Lucy in the pilot, followed by Megan Dodds in series one, before Beyond Paradise star Sally took over. Lee says: 'When we look back, Sally and I do get a bit emotional. We've been in the show a long time and there are different eras of it, especially when you look at all the people from the past who have been in the show and come and gone. 'I think Sally's aged brilliantly, whereas I've got a big gray beard. It's been forever.'
Scottish Sun
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Major update on future of Not Going Out after BBC comedy hit huge milestone
The series will jump forward in time on its return. STAYING IN! Major update on future of Not Going Out after BBC comedy hit huge milestone Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) WHEN Lee Mack's hit sitcom Not Going Out hit 100 episodes in 2023 there were genuine fears he may call it a day. But now, the BBC have commissioned a further two series - and it's all change for wise-cracking Lee and long-suffering wife Lucy. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 3 The future of smash-hit sitcom Not Going Out has been revealed Credit: BBC 3 The beloved show sees Lee Mack play a fictionalised version of himself Credit: BBC The couple, played by Lee and on-screen wife Sally Bretton, have moved to the country to embark on a new life together while their three kids are at university. A TV insider said: 'Reaching the milestone of 100 episodes could have been a fitting way to end, Not Going Out. 'But both the BBC and Lee were keen to do more, so a 14th series has been green lit. 'It's a positive move given the lack of funding placed in comedy over the years but the BBC clearly wants to maintain traditional studio-based sitcoms as viewers still love them.' Lee, who plays a fictionalised version of himself, has rolled on the new series seven years since viewers last tuned in for the 2023 Christmas special. He has form for fast forwarding through time, given series eight jumped ahead eight years from the couple having their first baby (at the end of series seven), straight into the midst of a chaotic family life with three children. As always with Not Going Out, the gag hit rate is ridiculously high - there's a joke every ten seconds - and the slapstick humour remains as strong as ever. In the upcoming series, which airs later this year, there's even laughs aimed at the expense of the Gallagher brothers Noel and Liam during an episode dedicated to Lee and Sally desperately trying to order tickets for the Oasis reunion. Speaking about bagging two more instalments - which makes Not Going Out the second-longest running UK sitcom ever after Last Of The Summer Wine, Lee said: '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' 3 New episodes are coming soon Credit: BBC
The Irish Sun
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Major update on future of Not Going Out after BBC comedy hit huge milestone
WHEN Lee Mack's hit sitcom Not Going Out hit 100 episodes in 2023 there were genuine fears he may call it a day. But now, the BBC have commissioned a further two series - and it's all change for wise-cracking Lee and long-suffering wife Lucy. 3 The future of smash-hit sitcom Not Going Out has been revealed Credit: BBC 3 The beloved show sees Lee Mack play a fictionalised version of himself Credit: BBC The couple, played by A TV insider said: 'Reaching the milestone of 100 episodes could have been a fitting way to end, 'But both the BBC and Lee were keen to do more, so a 14th series has been green lit. 'It's a positive move given the lack of funding placed in comedy over the years but the BBC clearly wants to maintain traditional studio-based sitcoms as viewers still love them.' read more on the bbc Lee, who plays a fictionalised version of himself, has rolled on the new series seven years since viewers last tuned in for the 2023 Christmas special. He has form for fast forwarding through time, given series eight jumped ahead eight years from the couple having their first baby (at the end of series seven), straight into the midst of a chaotic family life with three children. As always with Not Going Out, the gag hit rate is ridiculously high - there's a joke every ten seconds - and the slapstick humour remains as strong as ever. In the upcoming series, which airs later this year, there's even laughs aimed at the expense of the Gallagher brothers Noel and Liam during an episode dedicated to Lee and Sally desperately trying to order tickets for the Oasis reunion. Most read in TV Speaking about bagging two more instalments - which makes Not Going Out the second-longest running UK sitcom ever after Last Of The Summer Wine, Lee said: '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' 3 New episodes are coming soon Credit: BBC Easy question on The 1% Club wipes out 12 people – but did you get it right?
The Independent
04-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Sitcom stars lead tributes to ‘wonderful' Man About The House actor Brian Murphy
George And Mildred and Man About The House star Brian Murphy has been remembered as a 'wonderful' actor by his fellow classic sitcom stars Jeffrey Holland and Vicki Michelle. Murphy died aged 92 at his home in Kent on Sunday morning with his wife, Hi-de-Hi! actress Linda Regan, by his side, his agent said. He also starred as Nora Batty's (Kathy Staff) neighbour Alvin Smedley in Last Of The Summer Wine, and appeared in a host of other TV shows, including comedy series The Catherine Tate Show, Benidorm and This Is Jinsy. Regan, who married Murphy in 1990 after they starred opposite each other in a play as husband and wife, said: 'I was lucky to have in my lifetime found my soulmate Brian, who I will love forever.' Murphy had not retired, and was filming for a comedy before Christmas and had been due to start production on a road movie in June in which he would star alongside Regan as a husband and wife duo. Hi-de-Hi! actor Holland wrote on X that he and his wife, On The Up actress Judy Buxton, are 'very sorry to hear of the passing of dear' Murphy. He added that he was a 'wonderful actor', and he had 'fond memories of appearing with him in Ray Cooney's (comedy play) Run For Your Wife in London's West End and Vancouver'. 'Our thoughts are with Linda at this sad time,' Holland added. 'Sleep well old friend.' 'Allo 'Allo! star and soap actress Michelle wrote: 'So so sad to hear of the passing of Brian Murphy. Great actor and gorgeous friend, always fun. 'My heart goes out to Linda and family. Such a wonderful couple. Lovely memory at my Lady Ratlings lunch in May. RIP Brian. Sending lots of love.' Murphy came to the public's attention with ITV's Man About The House, a popular sitcom that began airing in 1973, and spawned a US version called Three's Company. It saw Murphy play landlord George Roper, opposite the late Yootha Joyce as his wife Mildred Roper, who wants to climb up the social ladder and drives him crazy. The show, which ended in 1976 was considered controversial for the time because it featured two single women living with a man, and led to a spin-off with Murphy and Joyce starring in George And Mildred, which ran for five series until 1979. In the 1960s Murphy appeared in Z-Cars, a TV police drama also featuring Judy Matheson, who said in her tribute to him on X: 'Heartbroken about the death of my dear friend of over 50 years, Brian Murphy. ' One of the finest actors I have known, and one of the kindest.' Born on September 25 1932 on the Isle of Wight, he trained at The Royal Academy Of Dramatic Art after completing National Service with the RAF. He started his career in the 1950s as a member of the Theatre Workshop, founded by Joan Littlewood, and appeared in both the stage and 1962 film version of Littlewood's comedy Sparrows Can't Sing, the latter starring Barbara Windsor and James Booth. He also performed in First World War musical satire Oh! What A Lovely War. Murphy was a jobbing actor before appearing in TV shows including The Avengers and Z-Cars, and ITV sitcom The Incredible Mr Tanner in 1981 and BBC's L For Lester in 1982. In 1993, he starred in the first major stage version of The Invisible Man, based on the science fiction classic by HG Wells. In the noughties, he portrayed Maurice in The Booze Cruise alongside Martin Clunes and Neil Pearson, and from 2011 he appeared in The Cafe. In later years, he voiced the character Mr Lovelybuns for the animated series Claude, based on Alex T Smith's best-selling books. Murphy's agent Thomas Bowington told the PA news agency the actor was told he had cancer in his spine and shoulders after 'a sudden attack' that saw the actor develop a pain in his back around three weeks ago. His agent remembered him as a 'sprinkler of joy on stage, screen and in life' and as a person who was 'joyful, warm, kind and caring to everyone'. Murphy had shot scenes for a comedy series in November last year and was due to start filming for a feature film, with a working title of The Last Goodbye, directed by Jason Figgis, about 'life late in life', his agent said. Mr Bowington said Regan still plans to star in the film but they will 'need to take a breath first' before casting her co-star because he said 'Brian is not easily replaced'. Murphy is survived by his wife and two sons.
