# Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing

Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing is a factual entertainment television show featuring comedian friends Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse. The show features Mortimer and Whitehouse reflecting on life after their shared major heart problems, while on a fishing trip to various locations around Britain. The series was first broadcast on BBC Two on 20 June 2018 and has been recommissioned every year since. An hour-long Christmas special was added from 2020 onwards Series 7 was expanded to 8 episodes. In season 3, Ted the Patterdale Terrier was introduced in the show, and has been featured in most episodes since. In June 2024, the BBC commissioned the show for an eighth series.

## Background

The show's origins lie in Mortimer's triple heart bypass surgery and Whitehouse, like Mortimer, having had heart problems that were only detected at the last minute. Whitehouse was talking to Mortimer's wife, Lisa about Bob's recovery from the operation; he discovered that Mortimer wasn't going out anymore and so Whitehouse invited him to go fishing with him. Mortimer enjoyed it; describing it later, he said "I’ve never felt anything like it." "There comes a moment when you realise that you’ve said nothing for an hour and a half. I haven’t thought about anything else. I haven’t worried about the past, or future." It wasn't until a later date that Mortimer discovered it had all been a "ruse to get me back into life" that Whitehouse had been conspiring with Lisa. The fishing trips worked and brought Mortimer out of his trough, and then Whitehouse had the idea for the show. They thought there might be the chance to make a humorous and informative programme that was beyond "two old blokes going fishing". Whitehouse described the pitch for the show as combining the real-life jeopardy of their medical conditions, two old friends who had had a reprieve, and the timeless wonder of the English countryside.

## Episodes

| Series | Episodes | Episodes | Originally released | Originally released | Ave. UK viewers (millions) |
| Series | Episodes | Episodes | First released | Last released | Ave. UK viewers (millions) |
| 1 | 6 | 6 | 20 June 2018 (2018-06-20) | 25 July 2018 (2018-07-25) | 1.5 |
| 2 | 6 | 6 | 2 August 2019 (2019-08-02) | 6 September 2019 (2019-09-06) | 2.14 |
| 3 | 6 | 6 | 23 August 2020 (2020-08-23) | 27 September 2020 (2020-09-27) | 1.96 |
| 4 | 6 | 6 | 29 August 2021 (2021-08-29) | 3 October 2021 (2021-10-03) | 2.31 |
| 5 | 6 | 6 | 9 September 2022 (2022-09-09) | 14 October 2022 (2022-10-14) | TBA |
| 6 | 6 | 6 | 3 September 2023 (2023-09-03) | 8 October 2023 (2023-10-08) | TBA |
| 7 | 8 | 8 | 22 September 2024 (2024-09-22) | 24 December 2024 (2024-12-24) | TBA |
Note: Averages exclude Christmas episodes.

### Series 1 (2018)

| No. | Title | Fish / Location | Original release date | UK viewers (millions) |
| 1 | "Episode 1" | Tench / Norfolk Lakes | 20 June 2018 (2018-06-20) | 2.14 |
| 2 | "Episode 2" | Barbel / Middle Wye, Hay-on-Wye, Herefordshire | 27 June 2018 (2018-06-27) | 1.34 |
| 3 | "Episode 3" | Wild Rainbow trout / Monsal Valley, Derbyshire Wye (Peak District) | 4 July 2018 (2018-07-04) | 1.37 |
| 4 | "Episode 4" | Roach / River Wensum, Norfolk | 11 July 2018 (2018-07-11) | 1.32 |
| 5 | "Episode 5" | Sea trout and Sea Bass/ Hampshire Avon, Christchurch, Dorset and The Needles, Isle of Wight | 18 July 2018 (2018-07-18) | 1.38 |
| 6 | "Episode 6" | Pike / River Test, Hampshire | 25 July 2018 (2018-07-25) | 1.45 |

### Series 2 (2019)

| No. | Title | Fish / Location | Original release date | UK viewers (millions) |
| 7 | "Episode 1" | Wild Brown trout / River Usk, South Wales | 2 August 2019 (2019-08-02) | 2.09 |
| 8 | "Episode 2" | Carp / Bentley Lake, Essex | 9 August 2019 (2019-08-09) | 2.13 |
| 9 | "Episode 3" | Salmon / River Tay, Scotland | 16 August 2019 (2019-08-16) | 2.21 |
| 10 | "Episode 4" | Perch, dogfish, sea bass / Upper Tamar Lake, Devon and Cornwall, and sea fishing | 23 August 2019 (2019-08-23) | 2.14 |
| 11 | "Episode 5" | Pike / Upper Lough Erne, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland | 30 August 2019 (2019-08-30) | 2.14 |
| 12 | "Episode 6" | Grayling / River Ure, Yorkshire Dales | 6 September 2019 (2019-09-06) | 2.13 |
Note: In Episode 6, Mortimer introduces Whitehouse to Dr. Christopher Young, the surgeon who performed Mortimer's life-saving heart surgery.

### Series 3 (2020)

| No. | Title | Fish / Location | Original release date | UK viewers (millions) |
| 13 | "Episode 1" | Salmon / River Tweed, Scotland | 23 August 2020 (2020-08-23) | 2.17 |
| 14 | "Episode 2" | Chub, dace / River Lea, Hertfordshire | 30 August 2020 (2020-08-30) | 1.90 |
| 15 | "Episode 3" | Pike / Broadland, Norfolk Lakes | 6 September 2020 (2020-09-06) | 1.89 |
| 16 | "Episode 4" | Brown Trout / River Test, Hampshire | 13 September 2020 (2020-09-13) | 1.93 |
| 17 | "Episode 5" | Fishing for Crucian carp, catching tench / Great Somerford Lakes, Wiltshire | 20 September 2020 (2020-09-20) | 1.98 |
| 18 | "Episode 6" | Chub, barbel / Middle Wye, Herefordshire | 27 September 2020 (2020-09-27) | 1.86 |
| Christmas |||||
| 19 | "Gone Christmas Fishing" | Sea Trout, pouting, cod, trout, Grayling /River Esk & River Tees, North Yorkshire, and North Sea | 13 December 2020 (2020-12-13) | 3.20 |
Notes: Episode 3 was the debut of Ted the Patterdale Terrier dog. Ted is owned by the show's producer, Lisa Clark.
The Christmas episode had a one hour running time, instead of the usual 30 minutes. The pair were joined by famous and local musician Chris Rea.

### Series 4 (2021)

| No. | Title | Fish / Location | Original release date | UK viewers (millions) 7 day | UK viewers (millions) 28 day |
| 20 | "Episode 1" | Sea trout / North Uist island, Outer Hebrides, Scotland | 29 August 2021 (2021-08-29) | 2.33 | 2.52 |
| 21 | "Episode 2" | Fishing for Bream, catching tench and pike / Burghley House, Cambridgeshire | 5 September 2021 (2021-09-05) | 2.00 | 2.31 |
| 22 | "Episode 3" | Perch & Brown Trout & Pike / Derwent Water & Watendlath in The Lake District, Cumbria | 12 September 2021 (2021-09-12) | 1.97 | 2.23 |
| 23 | "Episode 4" | Rudd, bream, ruffe, rudd-bream hybrid / Norfolk Broads | 19 September 2021 (2021-09-19) | 1.93 | 2.18 |
| 24 | "Episode 5" | Wild Carp, minnow / Powys, Mid Wales, including River Wye | 26 September 2021 (2021-09-26) | 1.87 | 2.16 |
| 25 | "Episode 6" | Zander, rudd / River Severn, Worcestershire | 3 October 2021 (2021-10-03) | 2.21 | 2.47 |
| Christmas ||||||
| 26 | "Gone Christmas Fishing 2021" | English salmon, trout / Northern England: River Eden, Cumbria / Westmorland and River Tyne, Northumberland | 26 December 2021 (2021-12-26) | 2.56 | TBA |
Note: The Christmas episode had a one hour running time, instead of the usual 30 minutes. The pair are joined by footballer Paul Gascoigne, and musical act Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott. Mortimer catches his first salmon.

### Series 5 (2022)

| No. | Title | Fish / Location | Original release date | UK viewers (millions) |
| 27 | "Episode 1" | Grilse, Eel while shore fishing / River Exe, Devon & Bossington Beach, Somerset | 9 September 2022 (2022-09-09) | 1.88 |
| 28 | "Episode 2" | Grayling, dace / River Dee & Llangollen Canal, North Wales | 16 September 2022 (2022-09-16) | N/A |
| 29 | "Episode 3" | Fishing for Ferox trout, catching wild brown trout / Loch Garry & River Garry, Perthshire, and Loch Ness, Scottish Highlands | 23 September 2022 (2022-09-23) | N/A |
| 30 | "Episode 4" | Perch / River Thames, Berkshire | 30 September 2022 (2022-09-30) | N/A |
| 31 | "Episode 5" | Carp & Barbel / Reigate Hills, Surrey | 7 October 2022 (2022-10-07) | N/A |
| 32 | "Episode 6" | Brown Trout, Bream / Lough Corrib & Ballyquirke Lough, County Galway, Ireland | 14 October 2022 (2022-10-14) | N/A |
| Christmas |||||
| 33 | "Gone Christmas Fishing 2022" | Cod, Halibut / Vesterålen & Lofoten islands, Norway | 24 December 2022 (2022-12-24) | >4.00 |
Note: The Christmas episode had a one hour running time, instead of the usual 30 minutes. It was also the first episode not filmed in the UK or Ireland

### Series 6 (2023)

| No. | Title | Fish / Location | Original release date | UK viewers (millions) |
| 34 | "Episode 1" | Chub, brown trout / River Wye, Wales | 3 September 2023 (2023-09-03) | N/A |
| 35 | "Episode 2" | Pike / Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland | 10 September 2023 (2023-09-10) | N/A |
| 36 | "Episode 3" | Dace, roach, river carp / Longford Estate, Hampshire Avon | 17 September 2023 (2023-09-17) | N/A |
| 37 | "Episode 4" | Crucian carp / Sutton Lake, Shropshire | 24 September 2023 (2023-09-24) | N/A |
| 38 | "Episode 5" | Wrasse / Burgh Island, Devon | 1 October 2023 (2023-10-01) | N/A |
| 39 | "Episode 6" | Chub, brown trout, rainbow trout /Haddon Hall; River Wye, Derbyshire, Derwent; Peak District | 8 October 2023 (2023-10-08) | N/A |
| New Year |||||
| 40 | "Gone Hogmanay Fishing" | Salmon / River Dee and Grayling / River Tay, and Salmon / River Ericht | 29 December 2023 (2023-12-29) | N/A |
Note: Before filming of episode 5, Mortimer fell ill and missed the episode. Lee Mack deputised for him.
On the hour long Scottish New Year episode the pair were joined by actress Arabella Weir and singer Clare Grogan.

### Series 7 (2024)

| No. | Title | Fish / Location | Original release date | UK viewers (millions) |
| 41 | "Rocklands Mere, Norfolk – Tench" | Tench / Rocklands Mere, Norfolk | 22 September 2024 (2024-09-22) | N/A |
| 42 | "The North of Ireland – Salmon" | Salmon / The North of Ireland | 29 September 2024 (2024-09-29) | N/A |
| 43 | "Driffield Beck, East Yorkshire – Brown Trout" | Brown Trout / Driffield Beck, East Riding of Yorkshire | 6 October 2024 (2024-10-06) | N/A |
| 44 | "River Trent, Nottinghamshire - Barbel" | Barbel / River Trent, Nottinghamshire | 13 October 2024 (2024-10-13) | N/A |
| 45 | "Blakeney Point - Bass and Sea Trout" | Bass & Sea Trout / Blakeney Point, Norfolk | 20 October 2024 (2024-10-20) | N/A |
| 46 | "River Ouse - Perch" | Perch / River Ouse, Bedfordshire | 27 October 2024 (2024-10-27) | N/A |
| 47 | "Thornwood Springs, Essex - Rudd" | Rudd / Thornwood Springs, Essex | 3 November 2024 (2024-11-03) | N/A |
| 48 | "River Frome, Dorset - Grayling" | Grayling / River Frome, Dorset | 10 November 2024 (2024-11-10) | N/A |
| Christmas |||||
| 49 | "Gone Christmas Fishing 2024" | Black Bass, Vandoise and Grass Carp / River Lot | 24 December 2024 (2024-12-24) | N/A |

## Reception

The series has received widespread praise for its warmth, charm, gentle nature and poignancy. Sam Wollaston in The Guardian praised it for its genuine reality and described it as "lovely: warm and funny and human and healthy." In The Herald, Alison Rowat described it as "Soothing, funny and poignant", going on to say that it is essential viewing "in a 'break glass in case of emergency' kind of way". Guy Pewsy in the Evening Standard wrote that the show had a "sense of real affection and solidarity", partly down to Mortimer and Whitehouse's shared sense of humour and affectionate rapport. Summing up he called it "a warm and thoroughly pleasant half an hour". i reviewer Elisa Bray, praised the show's "natural" feel and said that it was "A breath of fresh air", calling it "one of the most therapeutic and relaxing on television."
In a five-star review of the second series in The Guardian, Jack Seale praised Mortimer and Whitehouse's comedic chemistry and the series' production values ("It’s just a couple of blokes dicking about but it's filmed in glistening, often airborne HD"), and concluded that "Gone Fishing is a reminder that there's nothing better to spend your money on than friends, memories and moments of throwaway pleasure."
In a review of the first episode of series three, The Independent's Ed Cumming commented on the show's continued and perhaps unexpected popularity, stating that "it’s hard to explain the curious alchemy of Gone Fishing, which is rarely laugh-out-loud funny but has a soothing, unforced pace that draws you in. The production helps, using plenty of drone shots to show the country’s rivers in stately majesty, but the programme relies on the performances of its leads, two of our most gifted comic performers".
A tie-in book for the series, Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing: Life, Death and the Thrill of the Catch, was published by Bonnier Books in 2019. An audiobook version, read by Mortimer and Whitehouse, described by The Guardian as "one of the best audio books of 2019," followed.