Not Going Out sofa watching television or at the local pub with his best friend, Tim Adams (Tim Vine), whom he has known for 15 years. Tim is an accountant from Henley-on-Thames who owns the flat in which Lee is a lodger. He is also noted for his cheeky wit and for having a very troubled relationship with his father, with whom he shares many traits and who openly mentions that Lee was unplanned and resulted in the end of his marriage. Very often, the only thing that can get Lee off his couch and active is his efforts to impress the girl
Not Going Out are in touch with Lucy's parents, Geoffrey and Wendy, and with Lee's feckless father, Frank. Most of each episode were shot on set in front of an audience at Teddington Studios. There are two main sets: the flat and the bar that Lee frequently visits. Outdoor shots and real indoor location shots have also been used on occasion. The fourth and fifth series were shot at the BBC Television Centre. The sixth and seventh series saw filming return to Teddington Studios. From Series 5 onwards, "Not Going Out" was produced in association with Lee Mack's own company, Arlo Productions (named