Tonight: Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing debuts in Lancashire

Something fishy is going on in Lancashire - and this time, it’s got nothing to do with Storm Boelo.

The ninth series of BBC favourite ‘Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing’ is set to kick off at 9pm tonight, and will see the comedy duo tackle the River Ribble near Preston.

The show first began as a way for Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse to get over treatment for their nearly-fatal heart problems: a triple bypass and three stents, respectively.

But after many years of simply trying to get their ‘catch of the day’, ‘Gone Fishing’ has become a BAFTA-winning cult classic as the pair take in the British countryside and all it has to offer - along with producer Lisa Clark’s dog, Ted.

After becoming a firm fan-favourite since appearing in Series Three, tonight will be the last time little Ted appears on-screen, after he passed away at 13-years-old in April.

“We used to see Ted when we went fishing, so it was always a nice, glorious reunion with Ted,” Whitehouse said in a BBC interview. “The great thing about Ted, really, is he didn't give a monkey's about us. I think that's what we really loved about him.

“He'd go off, and he'd rummage around and root around. You thought, really, it could have been dangerous, but people didn't mess with Ted. The animal kingdom did not mess with Ted.”

“He was the perfect dog in that sense,” Mortimer said. “He never caused us a problem. He’d give us a bit of lip.

“But we'll miss Ted, and we will continue in his honour, as it were, continue to fish.”

The first episode of Series Nine will take the pair to Ribchester, near Sunderland Point and Dinckley.

The pair said they were particularly excited for the upcoming series - but that visiting the Ribble had been a “highlight” while filming.

“Fishing-wise I liked being up in the North of England,” Mortimer said. “We've seen a lot more birds this series. I don't know whether there's more birds in the UK, but oystercatchers, and winkle-warblers, and cormorants, and eagles...

“Whenever we're asked about the series, like what's new and so on, to be honest with you, we quite doggedly keep it the same, is the truth of it.

“At its heart, the countryside continues to look beautiful. The rivers still look beautiful.”

“That's one of my favourite shows, when we visit The Ribble,” Whitehouse said. “And, we actually catch quite a lot of fish as well - maybe Ted brought us luck.

“I'm really pleasantly surprised by some of the stuff we've done in this latest series. It's lovely. Really beautiful.

“We love it. And we've got a great crew, and most of them have been with us from the start. It's just a very positive and life-affirming experience.

“It's a celebration of the rivers, and lakes, and the British countryside. And your grub on the riverbank - or [Mortimer], grubby on the riverbank!”

The first episode of ‘Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing” Series Nine will premier on BBC 2 at 9pm tonight (October 25).

It will also be available on BBC iPlayer.