Outnumbered to return after eight years

Brockmans now grandparents in Christmas special

Outnumbered is returning to the BBC for a one-off Christmas special – eight years after the last episode aired.

This time Hugh Dennis and Claire Skinner’s Pete and Sue Brockman are grandparents – while actress Ramona Marquez, who was just six years old when she first played daughter Karen is now 23.

Tyger Drew-Honey, 28, and Daniel Roche, 24, return as as eldest son Jake and middle child Ben respectively.

Dennis said: ‘I can’t wait for the Brockmans to be back together again. 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.’

The description of the episode reveals that ’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’.

The BBC One special is written and directed by the show’s creators, Guy Jenkin and Andy Hamilton.

Hamilton said: ‘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.’

Jenkin added: ‘I really wanted to find out what the Brockmans were up to these days, so Andy and I had to write this special."

Outnumbered ran for five series between 2007 to 2014, returning for its latest Christmas special in 2016. While the show was scripted, scenes featuring the children were semi-improvised.

Jon Petrie, the director of BBC comedy, announced the news at the BBC Festival Of Comedy in Glasgow today, calling Outnumbered ‘one of the crown jewels of British sitcoms’.

The 40-minute special will again be made by Hat Trick, where executive producer Jimmy Mulville said: ‘Who doesn’t want to know what happened to the Brockmans, our favourite television family, since we last saw them?

‘Well we can find out when Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkins’ groundbreaking comedy returns in a one-off special this Christmas. It’s unmissable.’

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Published: 23 May 2024