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Christmas Special

Outnumbered. Image shows from L to R: Pete (Hugh Dennis), Jake (Tyger Drew-Honey), Karen (Ramona Marquez), Ben (Daniel Roche), Sue (Claire Skinner). Copyright: Hat Trick Productions
It's Boxing Day and the Brockman family has to carry out a special mission for Grandad. They encounter car problems, child problems, parent problems, emotional problems and World War Two. If the adults can't sort things out, the children will have to. Like all families everything has changed and everything remains the same.

Preview clips

Further details

Outnumbered. Image shows from L to R: Pete (Hugh Dennis), Ben (Daniel Roche), Jake (Tyger Drew-Honey), Sue (Claire Skinner), Karen (Ramona Marquez)
Outnumbered. Image shows from L to R: Pete (Hugh Dennis), Ben (Daniel Roche), Sue (Claire Skinner), Jake (Tyger Drew-Honey), Karen (Ramona Marquez)
Outnumbered. Image shows from L to R: Pete (Hugh Dennis), Jake (Tyger Drew-Honey), Sue (Claire Skinner), Ben (Daniel Roche), Karen (Ramona Marquez)
Outnumbered. Jake (Tyger Drew-Honey)
Outnumbered. Ben (Daniel Roche)
Outnumbered. Karen (Ramona Marquez)
Outnumbered. Image shows from L to R: Karen (Ramona Marquez), Ben (Daniel Roche)

Notes

This episode is dedicated to David Ryall, 1935 - 2014, who played Grandad.

Broadcast details

Date
Monday 26th December 2016
Time
10pm
Channel
BBC One
Length
40 minutes

Repeats

Show past repeats

Date Time Channel
Wednesday 28th December 2016 12:35am BBC1
Wednesday 28th December 2016 12:55am BBC1 Scot
Saturday 23rd June 2018 8:00pm W
Sunday 24th June 2018 5:00pm W

Cast & crew

Cast
Hugh Dennis Pete
Claire Skinner Sue
Tyger Drew-Honey Jake
Daniel Roche Ben
Ramona Marquez Karen
Guest cast
Mark Benton Brian (Barman)
Daisy Edgar-Jones Kate (Jake's girlfriend)
Katherine Jakeways Babs (Kate's mum)
Miles Jupp Stuart (Pretend Nazi)
Ruth Madeley Jill (Crash victim)
Martin Trenaman Billy Spaz (Mechanic)
Writing team
Guy Jenkin Writer
Andy Hamilton Writer
Production team
Guy Jenkin Director
Andy Hamilton Director
Guy Jenkin Producer
Andy Hamilton Producer
Jimmy Mulville Executive Producer
Debbie Pisani (as Debs Pisani) Producer
Steve Tempia Editor
Mark Williams Editor
Philip Pope Composer
Mo Holden Production Designer
Suzanne Crowley Casting Director
Gilly Poole Casting Director
Lucia Santa-Maria Costume Designer
Martin Hawkins Director of Photography
Paul Mindel 1st Assistant Director

Videos

Christmas Special Trailer

It's Boxing Day and the Brockman family are back!

Featuring: Hugh Dennis (Pete), Claire Skinner (Sue), Tyger Drew-Honey (Jake), Daniel Roche (Ben) & Ramona Marquez (Karen).

Christmas family disasters

The Brockman family get stranded on their way to scatter Grandad's ashes.

Featuring: Hugh Dennis (Pete), Claire Skinner (Sue), Tyger Drew-Honey (Jake), Daniel Roche (Ben), Ramona Marquez (Karen) & Mark Benton (Brian).

Pants

The Brockman family begin to go stir-crazy after being stranded in a pub at Christmas.

Featuring: Hugh Dennis (Pete), Tyger Drew-Honey (Jake), Daniel Roche (Ben), Mark Benton (Brian) & Daisy Edgar-Jones (Kate).

Press

My seasonal favourite, by far, was Outnumbered, a one-off reunion episode that played up to many modern cliches of yuletide. Who didn't enjoy Hugh Dennis's struggle with the ubiquitous Fitbit-style monitor which he had been given for Christmas? As barman Mark Benton put it: "Your heart rate has probably increased because you look at it so much..."

In typical pin-point, well-observed writing, the episode concluded with the family trying to scatter grandad's ashes while competing with a 19th-century German army re-enactment in a Surrey wood, with comic actor Miles Jupp hollering away like a barmy Bismarck. Is there another series in this comedy? Sure. "Outnumbered: The Fitbit Years."

David Stephenson, The Daily Express, 1st January 2017

As accomplished as leads Claire Skinner and Hugh Dennis may be, Outnumbered's best bits have historically come from the kids, their ad hoc delivery giving freshness to an otherwise standard situation comedy. So how will the show fare now they are a full three years older? Change is in the air all round in this special: the bulk of it takes place outside the house, as the Brockmans hit the road to honour one of recently deceased Grandad's final wishes.

John Robinson, The Guardian, 26th December 2016

Outnumbered Christmas special review

Christmas is the season for catching up with old friends and so Boxing Day night seems an ideal time to entertain the Brockman family.

Ian McArdell, Cult Box, 26th December 2016

The Outnumbered Christmas Special review

The Outnumbered Christmas Special was like saying goodbye to old family friends.

Ben Lawrence, The Telegraph, 26th December 2016

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