Guy Jenkin and Andy Hamilton’s classic British sitcom ‘Outnumbered‘ is set to return, with all the original cast, this Christmas the BBC has announced.
The comedy, which began back in 2007, follows the Brockmans, a middle-class family living in Chiswick, whose two parents are “outnumbered” by their three somewhat unruly children. Hugh Dennis stars as the dad Pete, with Claire Skinner as mum Sue, alongside Tyger Drew-Honey as eldest son Jake, Daniel Roche as middle child Ben, and Ramona Marquez as daughter Karen. All will be back for the special.
The special returns to the Brockmans to follow the chaos in the downsized home of Pete and Sue Brockman, as they grapple with the challenges of parenting kids who are now adults, with their own lives to lead. In a moment of adversity, Sue and Pete gather all their offspring (including one grandchild) to try and celebrate a traditional family Christmas. But fate, neighbours, hyenas and bus replacement services get in their way.
“I can’t wait for the Brockmans to be back together again,” said Dennis. “Pete and Sue have downsized, the children are no longer children, but I’m sure family life will prove to be just as chaotic as ever.”
Claire Skinner adds “I’m really looking forward to being reunited with my TV family. Working on this wonderful BBC comedy doesn’t feel like work and is one of the greatest joys for us all.”
‘Outnumbered’ ran for five series between 2007 to 2014. The most recent episode was a Christmas special in 2016. While the show was scripted, scenes featuring the children were semi-improvised.
“It’s a very exciting prospect to be revisiting the Brockman family – older, but not necessarily wiser – as they steer a path through the perils of Christmas and the rapids of modern-day family life,” said co-creator Andy Hamilton.
The 40-minute special is a Hat Trick Production for BBC One and BBC iPlayer. The show was commissioned by Jon Petrie, Director of Comedy at the BBC. The co-creators, writers and directors are Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin, the executive producer is Jimmy Mulville and the BBC commissioning editor is Emma Lawson.
‘Outnumbered‘ does not have an exact premiere date but will air on BBC One and iPlayer in Christmas 2024. If you want to keep track of this or any other show, you can add it via our Never Miss system, and you’ll be notified when it gets a UK premiere date.
