Not Going Out

Bobby has made two appearances in Not Going Out as Lee's father, Frank.

Christmas Special 2009

First shown 23rd December 2009

Bobby plays Lee's father, Frank, who turns up dressed as Father Christmas.

He had never been a good father, and on one occasion ate Lee's goldfish.

Lucy persuades Lee to try and rebuild his relationship with hs dad.

Daily Record article

The following appeared in the Scottish Daily Record, 23rd December 2009:

Lee Mack: Legendary funnyman Bobby Ball is my comedy father

Lee'S dad ate his goldfish, walked out on his son when he was just four and refused to pay any maintenance.

So when he turns up at Lee's door unexpectedly, he doesn't exactly get a warm welcome.

Fortunately, this is not real life, this is Lee Mack's Christmas special for his BBC1 sitcom Not Going Out - and veteran comic Bobby Ball plays Lee's dad.

In some ways, though, Bobby is Lee's real-life comedy father.

Lee says: "The first thing I can remember as a sort of performance was doing Bobby Ball impressions in the playground at school.

"He was as big as you could get at the time. The Cannon and Ball Show was getting 20million viewers. Then cut to almost 30 years later and he's playing my dad in a sitcom.

"He's not a million miles away from what my dad was like. He's from that part of the world and my dad, at one point, had a perm and a moustache. My dad was a lot taller but he had a similar way of being. It's quite surreal for me."

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Life on Mars Bars

First shown 10th February 2011

 Lee is badly injured after being hit by a car. During the episode he is in hospital in a coma, while we see what happens in his subconscious mind - in a similar vein to Life on Mars.

 Much of Lees fantasy world involves Lucy, but his father Frank (Bobby Ball) keeps popping up in a wide variety of surreal roles.

As well as being simply Frank, he is a doctor, chauffeur, gynaecologist...

 ...and lap dancer.