Lee Mack has scripts for series 8

Not Going Out appears to be coming back for a surprise new series.

Lee Mack, Sally Bretton and Hugh Dennis are all set to return, though other cast details have yet to be confirmed.

Readthroughs for the eighth series begin in London next month, although the BBC are not currently confirming a recommission.

Bretton hinted last month that the arrival of Lee and her character Lucy's baby in the 2015 Christmas special may not be the end of the show, suggesting that Mack was 'very keen to do a family sitcom'.

Since Not Going Out began ten years ago, the comic has become a father of three. And 'he wants to write what he knows about now' she told the Radio Times, to 'mine' his family life.

When the 2014 Christmas special aired, Mack had suggested that the show was finished, saying: 'For the last eight years Not Going Out has dominated my life. It takes about six months a year to write and two or three months to film, the bulk of the year. It's time for a little downtime now.'

The last series also starred Katy Wix, Bobby Ball, Geoffrey Whitehead and Deborah Grant.

Dennis join for the seventh series in 2014, when he and Abigail Cruttenden – sister of stand-up Hal – joined to play the neighbours after Tim Vine left the show.

Tickets for the readthroughs are available here.

- by Jay Richardson

Published: 24 Mar 2016