Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
Cast: Hugh Dennis, Claire Skinner, Tyger Drew-Honey, Ramona Marquez, Daniel Roche, Hattie Morahan, Kerena Jagpal, Aurora Skarli, Mark Silcox, Louis Tyrell, Adam Morris.
Like the family members who drop in unannounced over the festive period, armed with a smile and a carrier bag in which to take home leftover food from the table, television has formed a habit of producing the occasional passing by of a character or a family that the audience once took to their hearts and giving them the briefest glimpse of what they are up to, showing the fan what they look like now in the hope that it may spark some interest in the art of revival.
Much like The Connors on American television, The Brockmans of Outnumbered have come to exemplify the art of chaos through the eyes of children, the unfiltered words of the most truthful, and whilst unlike their American counterparts the sense of resolution is unveiled as a typical British understatement of manners, they both have at their core the understanding that family life is messy, that problems can’t always be solved with a hug or kind word; that sometimes what is required is a hard truth and the agony of the possibility of loss.
There are few that conquer such possible devastation in humour, and whilst many will ask why Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin chose a darker subject to broach when returning the family to the screens; if observed with more scrutiny it makes perfect sense given the history of the series to show the consequences of aging through the idea of illness, through the stress in the modern age that can bring a family together and have them deal with it through humour. It once again performs the exercise of the exorcism of the bleak by offering a counterpoint to the suggested narrative.
What the Christmas special opens up as well is the possibility of a return in series form of the show, not seen since 2014, and one that would address the idea of age from a different point of view, the completion of the circle now that the eldest child, Jake, now has his own child and mishaps to contend with.
The premise might be seen as cynical in some eyes, but as a link to the past it offers insight to how the average family deals with adversity, with jokes, with a barb holding hope and love, and this is how Outnumbered has always found a way to be considered great comedy, and from the minds of two of Britain’s most considerate writers on the subject.
Even if it remains a singular visit to the home of the Brockmans, 2024’s visit to the screens by Hugh Dennis, Claire Skinner, Tyger Drew-Honey, Ramona Marquez, and Daniel Roche is a classic reminder of the art of understated comedy.
Ian D. Hall