Babysitting

Babysitting was the second episode of series eight of Not Going Out and originally aired on 20 January 2017.

Synopsis
Anna gives Lucy two tickets for the ballet but she is stuck for a baby-sitter so Lee asks his father frank to oblige, despite Lucy's objections, given Frank's drinking habit. However he turns out to be very efficient so they engage him again. Unfortunately he seem to have taught the children swear words so Lucy dispenses with his services even though he swears his innocence. A stand-off with Lucy's parents exonerates Frank and puts Geoffrey in a bad light, pushing Lucy into deciding who she wants to baby-sit in future.

Plot
Toby and Anna have been given two pairs of tickets for the same ballet from different contacts, so Anna offers one pair to Lucy and Lee. The ballet is on the next day, which presents a problem for them as they need to arrange a babysitter. Usually Wendy and Geoffrey would babysit, but Wendy has a bridge night. Lee decides to ask his father Frank, which Lucy is against as he seems to be a bad influence (he is Lee's father, after all). On Frank's arrival, he mistakes Charlie for Benji and asks them to call him Grandpops rather than Grandad.

Lee and Lucy return from the ballet to find the house in almost pristine condition - light bulbs changed, empty recycling bins, and a tidy and vacuumed living room. This has all been done by Frank, much to the pleasant shock of Lee and Lucy. Lee is clearly mystified as to how Frank has developed such a pleasant and organised nature. Lee and Lucy then proceed to ask Frank to babysit the next week as well as Toby and Anna have asked them out for tapas.

Toby and Anna visit the house a few days later with their son Jack. Anna gives her tablet to the children, but as she goes to retrieve it from the noisy and argumentative children, Benji - currently holding the tablet - tells Anna to f*** off. The whole household then silences. Lucy stands up stunned, whilst Toby, Anna and Lee also look on with horrified expressions. Lucy asks Benji where he learnt the term, and he says that "Grandpops said it". Lucy then looks straight at Lee, fuming. Lucy apologises to Anna and her and Toby leave. Lee sticks up for his dad while Lucy demands he visits the house to discuss the swear word situation.

Lee meets Frank in the coffee shop and tells him that he does not want him babysitting - not because of the swearing, but because Toby and Anna have planned a trip to Spain for that weekend, which Lee has made up on the spot. As Frank leaves, Toby arrives and Frank mentions his holiday - Toby continues Lee's rouse and says he will be travelling to Italy. Toby clearly believes that Lee has shied away from telling his father the true reason for not being allowed to babysit; Lee believes his father has changed on account of the fact that he didn't do anything of the sort for him when he was younger.

On Saturday, Lee and Lucy are getting ready to go out, and Frank turns up when Lucy was expecting her parents to babysit. Frank drops off some pirate costumes, and then realises that Lee and Lucy are going out. Frank asks why they didn't ask him to babysit and Lucy tells him he should know why. Frank insists he did not say the word, before Geoffrey and Wendy turn up to babysit. Frank tells them he was first choice, which Wendy objects to. Lucy tells them about Frank swearing, which Geoffrey condemns. Frank then makes the situation a class issue to argue his case. Wendy's only concern is not being asked to babysit first. Lucy calls Benji in to confirm who said the word - Benji reconfirms that "Grandpops said it". Lucy confronts Frank before Benji tells her that it was his other grandfather, Geoffrey who swore.

Geoffrey apologises wholeheartedly to Frank, and Lucy drops the matter, which Lee objects to. Lee wants Lucy to explain why her father doesn't deserve the treatment his father received. A family argument erupts when Anna and Toby enter talking about their son Jack cursing everyone in their house, and Lucy halts the row by screaming the words "shut the f*** up", before using numerous swear words around 20 times to every person in the house. Unbeknownst to her, behind her are her three children, staring on in confusion and shock.

Main cast

 * Lee Mack as Lee
 * Sally Bretton as Lucy
 * Geoffrey Whitehead as Geoffrey
 * Deborah Grant as Wendy
 * Hugh Dennis as Toby
 * Abigail Cruttenden as Anna
 * Francesca Newman as Molly
 * Max Pattison as Benji
 * Finley Southby as Charlie
 * Max Willis as Jack

Crew

 * Producer - Jamie Rix
 * Writer - Lee Mack
 * Writer - Daniel Peak