Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing
- 2018–
- 30 min
- Comedy
- Sports
- Running
- BBC iPlayer
Comedians Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse, old friends who both came through serious heart problems, go fishing together around Britain and Ireland. The fish are almost incidental: the series is about two old friends talking about life, health and mortality on riverbanks from Hampshire chalk streams to the Scottish Highlands.
Where to watch
Checked 25 Oct 2026. Services change their catalogues often; the service’s own page has the final word.
Our take
Comedians Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse, old friends who both came through serious heart problems, go fishing together around Britain and Ireland. The fish are almost incidental: the series is about two old friends talking about life, health and mortality on riverbanks from Hampshire chalk streams to the Scottish Highlands.
Why watch Gone Fishing is gentle television in the best sense: half an hour of rivers, banter and unforced conversation between two veteran British comedians. Critics have praised its warmth and the chemistry of its hosts, and it has run every year since 2018. Ideal for anyone who wants something calm and funny, and no knowledge of angling is required.
What to know
The series began on BBC Two on 20 June 2018 and is made by Owl Power. Its origin is personal: in 2015 Mortimer had emergency triple heart bypass surgery, and Whitehouse, who had heart trouble of his own, invited him fishing to help him back into life. Whitehouse developed the series from those trips.
The ninth series began in October 2026, and festive specials have followed most years, one of them filmed in Norway. The eighth series, in 2025, turned to places with personal meaning to each host, including rivers Whitehouse fished with his father. Ted, a Patterdale terrier belonging to producer Lisa Clark, became a regular from series three.
Where to start
Series one. The early episodes set up the friendship and the health backstory that give later series their weight, though any episode stands on its own.
Seasons & episodes
- Season 1
- Season 2
- Season 3
- Season 4
- Season 5
- Season 6
- Season 7
- Season 8
- Season 9
Cast & crew
More like this
More from BBC iPlayer
Quick answers
- Where can I watch Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing?
- In Australia: Tubi. In Canada: Tubi. In the US: Tubi and The Roku Channel. In New Zealand: Tubi. In the UK: BBC iPlayer, Channel 4, Apple TV (buy) and Prime Video (buy).
- What is Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing about?
- Comedians Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse, old friends who both came through serious heart problems, go fishing together around Britain and Ireland. The fish are almost incidental: the series is about two old friends talking about life, health and mortality on riverbanks from Hampshire chalk streams to the Scottish Highlands.
- Who is in the cast of Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing?
- Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing stars Paul Whitehouse as Paul Whitehouse and Bob Mortimer as Bob Mortimer.
- When did Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing start?
- Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing premiered on 20 June 2018 and is still running, with 9 seasons so far.
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