'It would be hard to get it made now...' Lee Mack doesn't think Not Going Out would be commissioned in current TV era

Lee Mack doesn't think 'Not Going Out' would be made now because it is a traditional studio sitcom.

The 56-year-old comedian is currently writing Series 14 of his hit BBC One sitcom, in which he stars with Sally Bretton, Hugh Dennis and Abigail Cruttenden.

'Not Going Out' first aired back in 2006 but Lee believes that if he pitched his idea now to the BBC now that the show wouldn't make it to the small screen because TV bosses don't want want to make regular sitcoms.

Appearing on 'The Alexei Sayle Podcast', he said: "I’ve just writing Series 14. It would be hard to get it made now. It’s a live studio audience, proper old school, four or five cameras, all live edited.

"In the industry we work in and the people we see in our job they don’t’ watch studio sitcoms, anymore then they watch 'EastEnders' or 'Coronation Street'. It shows that some of the biggest shows aren’t watched by our industry, that’s what I find. I’m not saying we’re one of the biggest shows but we certainly get decent viewing figures.”

Lee can scarcely believe that 'Not Going Out' has made it to 14 series and is now the second-longest British sitcom after 'Last of the Summer Wine'.

He said: “We’ve had some years off so that’s why the maths don’t add up. We’ve been cancelled as well after Series 3. The BBC cancelled it after three series. I think the reason it got cancelled and the reason it got brought back was the same thing, just a bit knee jerky. “At some dinner party maybe someone’s gone, ‘I’m not a big fan of that show.’ And then a year later, ‘Oh, I miss that show.’

“I started it in my 30s and I’m now in my mid-50s. If I’m going to be honest, like everything I do, I don’t really feel it’s a big hit, I just know it’s been on a long time.

As well as the new series of 'Not Going Out', Lee has more seasons of 'Would I Lie To You?' lined up, and he is going to continue to host ITV quiz show 'The 1 Percent Club' on ITV and he feels creatively fulfilled at the moment.

He said: “I’ve got things sort of contracted in for the first time in years where I know what I’m doing for a couple of years. So I know the quiz show is happening, I know my sitcom is happening in the future and I know 'Would I Lie To You?' is happening for at least another couple of series. So for the next couple of years I’m happy with that. I always think when it all stops I’ll get back into the stand-up.”