The much-loved Brockman family is back in Outnumbered for a one-off Christmas special, written and directed by the show’s creators, Guy Jenkin and Andy Hamilton. The special sees Sue and Pete Brockman (Claire Skinner and Hugh Dennis) navigating life in a downsized home while gathering their grown-up children—and a grandchild—for what promises to be a chaotic festive season.
Joining them are Tyger Drew-Honey as Jake, Daniel Roche as Ben, and Ramona Marquez as Karen, reprising their roles after eight years. Speaking about reuniting, Hugh said: ‘It’s great; it feels like we’ve never been away.’
Claire reflected on the cast’s growth: ‘It’s really nice relating to Tyger, Ramona, and Daniel as adults. It’s been really, really nice.’ Hugh joked, ‘If Claire and I were your actual parents, I’d think we’d done a really good job!’
The special centers on Sue and Pete’s attempt to share unwelcome news with their kids amid Christmas festivities. But, as always, things don’t go as planned, with neighbors, hyenas, and bus replacement services complicating the celebrations.
How are the Brockmans coping with their new, smaller house? Hugh teased: ‘It seems a lot tidier, but whether that lasts over Christmas remains to be seen.’ Claire added: ‘Sue misses the kids but not the chaos. They like their own space but still talk about the kids all the time.’
Jake is now a father himself, and Tyger shared insight into his character’s challenges: ‘Jake adores his child and is very much in love with her mother, but he struggles with the usual things—lack of sleep and his daughter’s impersonations of animals. She’s got more of a Ben personality.’
For Ramona, revisiting Karen’s iconic one-liners was a joy: ‘I love when Karen said, “In England, we call them biscuits!” during a farm visit. My family always liked that.’
The cast also reflected on changes since the original series. ‘We don’t use landlines anymore,’ Tyger noted, while Hugh said, ‘Now, everything is delivered—takeaways, food, packages.’ However, Ramona observed: ‘The relationships have stayed the same.’
Outnumbered Christmas Special airs Thursday, December 26th, 2024 on BBC One at 9:40pm
Main image credit @ BBC/Hat Trick Productions/Adam Lawrence
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