#tim vine

Thoughts on past series: 1, 2, 3, 4 5 *

*if I make it though all 20 series for the rewatch and am still having fun I will go back and do the CoC but for now we are jumping straight to series six

We've got glasses on Greg! The live tasks all feel like they could be done in a modern series which is fun! The YouTube videos no longer censor the cursing as well.

I think this series has one really lasting moment for the series-that is of course Liza Tarbuck forcing Alex to put his bare ass on a cake. But upon a rewatch there are some other moments that I was too quick to forget namely: Time Vine's Track Suit, Team Funk sticking as a name despite Alice Levine's protest, Asim Chaudhry absolutely nailing the extinguish the candle task.

I think the cast is funny and I enjoy their dynamic, but none of them have the comedy that always lands for me personally. All very good but not personally my thing is kinda my overall feeling for this series. Based on this post

My Top 10 Favourite Not Going Out Episodes Docklands Era (Series 1 to 7)

Spoilers ahead, so beware!

10. 'Baby' (S02E04)

The pairing of Lee and Tim is brilliant (I had 'Band' (S05E01) as an honourable mention for Lee and Tim's duet of 'I Know Him So Well'), and adding a baby into the mix spirals them into a lot mad shenanigans~

9. Pointless (S07E05)

I'm a sucker for a good quiz show, so I quite enjoy watching Pointless when I stumble across it on TV. Not Going Out crossing over with Pointless is such a fun idea for a story, and having both Alexander Armstrong and Richard Osman on board to counter Lee's schemes will never not be funny to me.

8. 'Christmas Shopping' (S07E11)

The big send-off for the Docklands era of the show - a Christmas special with a difference. Lee, Lucy, Daisy, Toby, Anna and Frank stuck in a locked-down department store on Christmas Eve while an armed robber in a Father Christmas mask attempts to rob the store? All while Lucy is heavily pregnant and proceeds to have her baby? This is an event episode that wraps up a few storylines - Lee's acceptance of being a dad, and realising that he doesn't have to make the same mistakes as Frank did back in the day, Lee and Frank patching up their relationship, Lucy and Lee having their first baby... I know there's mixed reviews about this episode, but I actually quite enjoy the darker, more suspenseful shift in tone, teamed up with the usual comedy. It was something different, and it ended with a bang (pun intended) 😊 Plus, Lee and Lucy as a married couple, and Lee protecting her and the baby throughout the ep? Love it! Also, sidenote, but I love Toby in this ep - living out his action hero dreams 🤭

7. 'Camping' (S05E03)

I love the Not Going Out episodes where a simple premise spirals into a comedy romp, and 'Camping' is a prime example of this. Lee, Lucy Tim and Daisy all stuck in a car in a spooky forest while being terrorised by a bunch of people in clown masks?? Comedy gold!

6. 'Fireworks' (S04E05)

I love the old lady, Betty, in this episode so much, and like 'Baby', giving Lee someone to bounce off with really works in this episode's favour. I love the payoff of Lee inviting Betty along to the fireworks at the end of the episode, and 'Rule The World' by Take That playing as we get that Lee and Lucy moment? Iconic! The roof setting, everyone watching the fireworks, the slow pan up? Maybe it's the 'Rule The World' effect, but the ending of this episode feels like an event episode of sorts, even though it isn't, if that even makes sense?

5. 'Drunk' (S05E06)

An episode that reminds me of the How I Met Your Mother episode 'The Pineapple Incident' (S01E10). Drunk Lee and Lucy are iconic, and I love the slow reveal of both of them waking up in bed together and the tape of what they did (or rather didn't do) that night. A big step in the will-they, won't-they storyline, and great comedy shenanigans 👏

4. 'Plane' (S07E08)

Like with 'Camping', the fun of 'Plane' is taking a simple premise - Lee, Lucy and Daisy flying to a budget holiday destination - and turning it into a comedy that spirals into something bonkers but funny nonetheless. Maybe it's just me, but I kind of love the episodes that are set in one area, whether it's a location or a set. Keeps the jokes flowing (and is obviously cheaper for production).

3. 'Donor' (S07E03)

As a Lee and Lucy shipper, knowing fully well that Not Going Out is a sitcom that relies more on the jokes than major character development (which is usually reserved for season finales), I was not expecting this episode to be hidden in Series 7. Series 7 on a whole does feel like it ramps up the will-they, won't-they aspect of their relationship (because the writers knew how Series 7 would end), but having Lucy deliberate on the big decision of bringing up a baby on her own, and then (spoilers) asking Lee to help in his own way (if you know, you know 👀). The way in which the situation spirals, and then Lucy pursuing Lee (flipping their usual dynamic)... I was not expecting the ending of this episode 🤭

2. 'Wedding' (S07E10)

How could I not include this Christmas special? Lee and Frank going on their mad stag not? Lucy's hair 🤭 Tim bursting into the church to be best man at the last minute was great! I love the Lee and Tim bromance! Lee and Lucy getting married? The flashback to Lee and Lucy's first scene together and other moments between them? The cameos from the past side characters and the matching flashbacks? This was the culmination of the Lee and Lucy relationship arc over the past 6 series, and as a Lee and Lucy shipper, I loved this ep so much 💖

1. 'Lucy' (S07E09)

And here we are! My number 1 pick, and it had to be 'Lucy', right? I love episodes that are entirely set in one area (see 'Plane'), and having one of the most important episodes of the Lee and Lucy 'will-they, won't they' storyline arc be set entirely in the pub? Such a good choice (for writing and production reasons)! Love how they make it more obvious in this episode that Lucy is looking for something more with Lee, it isn't all one-sided, and how she wants him to step up and say how he feels. The tension between them is a change (season finales striking again for character development). Love how the episode really focuses on Lee's feelings towards Lucy, and how they have developed without him being brave enough to tell her. I love Toby so much in this episode - being a great wingman! Making up Carl so that Lee would be forced to confront his feelings for Lucy head on? Lee going in the space of one episode from admitting that he likes Lucy, to saying to Toby that he loves Lucy, to Lee telling Lucy not to go to Naples because he wants to stay with him because he loves her, to proposing to Lucy?? This episode is iconic for a reason, and as a Lee and Lucy shipper, it will always be iconic to me~

Liza Tarbuck: Liza is abrasive and blunt in all the best ways. She stomps on a toy man just because she didn't like him, commiting cold blooded and incredibly gleeful murder. She makes Alex sit on a cake. She invented the tarpeter. She wrote a fairy tale about someone having stomach problems. There's so many things she's done that I find just incredible to watch, and I enjoy almost everything she does when she's on screen. Her persona sometimes feels like that of a sadist to me, someone who enjoys causing pain and chaos just because. But she's so funny when she's playing that role, so it all works out.

Tim Vine: Tim Vine is a style icon and he almost feels like an anachronism of a man. He has an accent that reminds me of a dapper old radio announcer, he dresses in some really neat jackets during some of the live segments, and he wore a freaking safari suit during his filmed tasks! He looks like he's ready to go travelling through the dark jungles at any moment, and it's a wonderfully ridiculous outfit that he somehow really pulls off. Also the speed at which he can deliver jokes is truly astounding. His puns are truly something else. I can barely pick between Tim and Liza, they're so excellent.

Asim Chaudhry: Asim is not all that good with some of the tasks, but I can relate to that. And beyond that, he's just so likeable and genuine seeming. I can't help but enjoy him. I don't have a whole lot else I even really feel like adding here, because I think it speaks for itself. Greg treats him like his son sometimes, and it's weirdly sweet. Asim just seems like a really nice guy, and it's fun to watch him doing stuff. Also, him, liza and tim just kind of remind me of the Three Stooges. They're such a wonderful trio of insanity.

Russell Howard and Alice Levine: I find them both really funny, so I can't bring myself to want to put either of them in last place. So they're both tied for fourth. They both bring some really funny things to the series.

Taskmaster Series 7:

Rhod Gilbert: While James Acaster is sometimes a jerk who ignores Alex and dehumanizes him in that way that just makes me feel unhappy, Rhod Gilbert is incredibly compelling and entertaining to me. He's a crazy, crazy man. And he's also very incredibly easy to irritate, something which I can easily relate to. Some of his task attempts really stand out up me.

Phil Wang: Phil is hilarious. I'm beginning to run out of words to describe all these contestants on the show, but Phil really is funny. He's kind of crazy, and he's not very good at most of the tasks. But somehow him not being very good makes me like him even more than I already did.

Kerry Godliman: Kerry is slightly competitive at times, which I don't love. But she's also very easily stressed and angered, and I really relate to that. I relate to her general emotional state a lot, and that's why she's coming in third. I almost put her in second, but I found Phil just slightly funnier. Kerry is more relatable, but Phil is slightly funnier. If that makes sense.

Jessica Knappett: Jess is just as good as Phil and Kerry. I would move her higher up on the list. But Phil and Kerry just hold my attention more often, and I couldn't really tell you why. I still really like Jessica, though. She's got a wonderful energy. She just feels excited to be there, you know? And it's nice to see such earnestness. Her and Kerry are a dream team.

James Acaster: There's a thin line between a funny comedy persona and an unfunny one when it comes to playing a mean-spirited person. Other contestants have nailed the dichotomy wonderfully. But James Acaster does not nail that dichotomy. He doesn't do it at all. I remember openly despising the joke of him refusing to acknowledge Alex's existence during every task. Rewatching the season, I've learned to like him a bit more. He has some really funny moments. But he's still my least favorite contestant this series. I feel like he's playing a character, but a character that's incredibly obnoxious (at least to me).

Taskmaster Series 8:

Paul Sinha: Paul is a very intelligent man, and he dresses like he's just fallen out of bed and gotten onto set. He isn't very good at a lot of his tasks, but he seems like such a genuinely kind and courteous man. And it's really fun to watch him struggle, I must admit. He's definitely my favourite of all the contestants. Just watching him showcase his ability for facts while struggling with everything else…it's tremendously funny.

Joe Thomas and Lou Sanders: Joe feels so stressed and depressed half the time, and I really relate to him. I didn't remember him too well after watching other seasons, but I'm really relating to him now. I really, really relate to him. And I almost feel bad for forgetting just how funny he was. And Lou is just so chaotic and funny that I can't help loving her task attempts. She's crazy and chaotic, and I love her for that energy. It's hard to pick between Joe and Lou, so they're both tied for second.

Sian Gibson: Sian feels like someone I want to be more like. She's not good at things, but nothing gets to her. When she fails a task, she asks to keep going or continues onwards anyways (even knowing she's failed). I wish I had her energy and her spirit, and she's really nice to watch doing her thing.

Iain Stirling: Iain is competitive, and that isn't always too fun. But he's so hyper and easy to get indignant and riled up. I relate to that indignation, and I find him very funny. So yeah, he comes in fourth instead of in last. There is no fifth place this season, because they're all very fun. I can't let myself have this type of arrangement too often, I suppose. But I legitimately like all of these contestants.

Taskmaster Series 9:

Jo Brand: Jo Brand is an icon. She's everything I could ever aspire to be. She doesn't seem to care about anything, but she goes through it all with a real confidence in her lack of care. She doesn't care, but she's here to just enjoy herself. That's an attitude I really like, one I wish I had more of in myself. She doesn't let anything or anyone get to her, and I admire that confidence so much.

David Baddiel: David is kind of relatable to me, in that he's earnestly trying but just isn't always all that good. I really find something about him very charming, and I really enjoy him. If Jo is who I admire, David is someone I can see more of myself in. Or something like that. Point is: Jo and David carry series 9 on their backs. They're the best.

Rose Matafeo: Rose was their first contestant from New Zealand, so I think it's safe to say she's someone who helped them get picked up in NZ. I really like her, although I don't actually have a lot of great words at this very moment with which I can describe why I like her. But her task attempts really were great, and she's a great sort of introduction to New Zealand's comedy scene. I say that because I probably only knew around 3 or 4 New Zealand actors or comedians before her and Taskmaster NZ came along.

Katy Wix: Katy is very kind. She just seems so excited to be there, and she seems to prioritize having fun over desperately trying to win. I really like her, but I just like the other three slightly more.

Ed Gamble: Ed feels hyper competitive and smug sometimes. Like James Acaster before him, Ed is just not always that easy for me to like. Ed is definitely the one I remember liking more, though. He's funny. He's got a ton of great moments. I kind of like the pastels he wears sometimes. I think his task attempts can be pretty funny, too. But simply because I don't love his attitude in studio all the time, he has to come in last. I don't hate him, though.

Taskmaster Series 10:

Johnny Vegas: Johnny Vegas is just…he's perfect. He's incredibly relatable to me. Often sad, very inept, sometimes agitated. There's something of a depression constantly lingering over his persona in my head, and that alone makes me adore him. I feel seen in the comedy of Johnny Vegas. I really feel seen by someone so sad, someone who struggles so much. And he's easily the most memorable part of the whole series. I think Johnny Vegas may just be my spirit animal. He has my heart with his whole act. He actually reminds me of Teddy from Bob's Burgers, if Teddy was British. You know, maybe that's why I find him so intensely relatable.

Daisy May Cooper: Daisy aka achievement woman is amazing to watch. She's so loud and over the top sometimes, but that's what I love about her. She's amazing to watch, because she seems this close to breaking into maniacal laughter at all times. Everyone in series 10 feels like a different breed of mentally ill, and I'm loving it. Everyone is an inch away from a nervous breakdown, and they're either depressed or maniacal. Daisy is maniacal, and she looks like she's going to fall off her chair in the studio because she laughs so much. She's very infectious in her laughter, and I really just find her funny. She's a very strong character.

Katherine Parkinson: Katherine has some interesting choices when it comes to her tv and film roles. She's gonna be in HBO's Harry Potter series, and she was in The IT Crowd. Graham Linehan and JK Rowling, two of england's most notorious transphobic writers (I didn't know who Graham Linehan was until a few months ago, but I get the impression he's notorious). Anyways, Katherine Parkinson certainly seems to pick projects run by transphobes. I'd like to believe it's coincidence, but that suspicion made me have to move her to third.

Why is she still in third and not in fifth? It's simple. It's all because I still relate to her. Even if she is a bigot off camera, her persona on the show is just that of (in my opinion) a housewife and/or a professional actress having a complete nervous breakdown under pressure. She's sensitive, she's not good at a lot of tasks, she's got this weird relationship with alex, she's really fun to watch. But I'm still putting her third just because of the whole Harry Potter thing. Better safe than sorry.

4. Mawaan Rizwan: A very fun contestant who's really made me laugh sometimes. The one contestant who I think consistently has a big creative streak, especially during the prize tasks. But the other contestants I've put above of him have simply appealed to me more, honestly. But yeah, I'm not gonna forget everything Mawaan has done. He's really been fun to watch. He tried to put helium in an egg! I just…things like that make him super fun to watch. He's only in fourth because I like so many of the contestants this season. He's still great, though.