Not Going Out hits 20-year milestone with BBC iPlayer anniversary special

BBC iPlayer celebrates two decades of Not Going Out

A new 59-minute special titled 20 Years of Not Going Out is now available to stream on BBC iPlayer, marking two decades of the long-running British sitcom.

The anniversary programme is front and centre on the platform, sitting alongside a hand-picked collection of BBC comedy favourites recommended under the 'More Like This' banner. The curated slate reflects the breadth of the corporation's sitcom heritage, from grumpy-old-man classics to modern suburban farces.

A curated tour of BBC comedy

Among the titles surfaced alongside the special are One Foot in the Grave, the sitcom featuring the perpetually put-upon Victor Meldrew and the odd situations he finds himself in; Porridge, the classic series about the inmates of HM Prison Slade starring Ronnie Barker; and To the Manor Born, in which old money and nouveau riche collide in a classic comedy with Penelope Keith and Peter Bowles.

Newer offerings share the spotlight too, including Austin, in which Julian's career is cancelled but his newly discovered son may save the day; Stuffed, where Santa isn't the only one in deep snow as Arslan tries to save a holiday he doesn't believe in; and Mrs Brown's Boys, delivering chaos at the Browns with Agnes and her awful offspring.

The recommendations round out with enduring favourites such as Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em ('Perfectly Frank. Often imitated, never bettered'), Sorry! (Language, Timothy!) with Ronnie Corbett as a middle-aged mummy's boy, Absolutely Fabulous, Two Doors Down, My Family and Outnumbered — charting the trials of family life from the Brockmans to Ben and Susan's growing-wild kids.

For fans of the format, the 20 Years of Not Going Out special offers both a nostalgic look back and a neatly bundled gateway into the wider world of BBC sitcom.