Outnumbered fans have slammed the BBC show following its latest Christmas episode, with some loyal followers labelling it as “embarrassingly bad” and calling the series one of the “worst programmes on TV all year.”
Earlier this year, telly schedulers were left brimming with excitement over Outnumbered returning for a Yuletide Christmas special. It marked eight years since the Brockman family were last on our screens, with the cast previously returning in 2016 for a festive episode.
This year, the show aired on Boxing Day and saw actors Hugh Dennis and Claire Skinner reprising their roles, with Tyger Drew-Honey, Daniel Roche and Ramona Marquez returning as their now grown-up children.
However, fans quickly reacted on social media and voiced their disappointment over the episode. One person said on X that the acting was “dreadful” and watching it was an “awful waste of time.”
A second person also typed: “Any one else think was the worse thing you’ve watched..ever.”
:
Quite enjoyed the Special. Saw a lot of people complain about it, but I enjoyed it a lot.
— DrewKnightmare (@DrewKnightmare)
A third person chimed in: “Sorry, but I’ve had to switch off. Loved it the first time around but this isn’t landing in the same way. Feels very flat. Shame.”
A fourth also similarly penned: “was anyone else really disappointed by the outnumbered christmas special ??? what was that omg .”
However, not everyone agreed and some fans did share some positive reviews. One fan commented: “I generally enjoyed , it was always gonna be a different dynamic with all of them older but it felt real and had laugh out loud moments – my main gripe was the silence and slightly strange line delivery for a show that is normally chaotically noisy.”
The Brockmans returned for another Yuletide special (Image: BBC/Adam Lawrence/Hat Trick Productions)
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Another fan also wrote on X: “People slating because the kids have grown up now, what did you expect? The writers to flash freeze them to remain young? My family & modern family went on till they were all grown up, just enjoy the nostalgia and take that stick out of your a** & relax.”
A third also echoed: “Quite enjoyed the Special. Saw a lot of people complain about it, but I enjoyed it a lot.”
During the special one-off, a major plotline was about the Brockmans navigating Pete’s cancer diagnosis and breaking the news to the three children.
Following the end of the episode, Hugh Dennis, 62, made an emotional plea to viewers in a video for Prostate Cancer UK. He urged fans of the show to check their risk of cancer in 30 seconds using a tool on the charity’s webpage.
Outnumbered‘s 2024 Christmas special can be watched on iPlayer.