Outnumbered

When I first saw the adverts for this show all that crossed my mind was the horror of another family sitcom full of clichés and ridiculous situations.

So I had to watch it. Everyone needs something to bitch about, right?

But when I started laughing and smiling, I realised that Outnumbered had cast away any doubters with brilliant performances from some very talented actors, Hugh Dennis and the children made it look like we were actually watching a real family.

The jokes were funny and realistic, you may argue that a child, who picks up a screwdriver and waves it about, is far fetched, I guarantee you its not.

The show should be boring and bland. Nothing happens except a family go about there day to day business and you cant help but wanting more.

Due to great acting, brilliant writing and ingenious improvisation you are left wondering exactly why you find yourself hooked to what your family is doing downstairs.

What makes 'Outnumbered' stand out to me is that it's a very realistic portrayal of what life is like for many working parents that are trying to navigate the day to day stresses and challenges that come with it. It's not dressed up or made to look fancy for TV, it's just a family being a family.

Sue and Pete, the parents, are constantly questioning their ability to parent (and what parent doesn't?), trying to do the best for their children whilst simultaneously worrying that they're failing them and all in all are very normal people that could easily be someone's neighbour, family friend or colleague.

Jake, Ben and Karen, the kids, are unique kids with their own personalities that all pose their parents with different challenges. Unlike kids on most other shows, Jake, Ben and Karen are actually allowed to be children. They're not given two or three lines and then told to play quietly in the background, they're central and important characters just as much as Pete and Sue (if not more so). The improvisation aspect of the show really works well with the kids and adds to the realness of the show by allowing the children to say and do what they feel is natural. I also enjoy the positive spin the show puts on the children by taking what would usually be stereotyped as naughtiness or bad behaviour, and instead portraying it as individuality and misunderstanding of character. Ben, who is considered a 'problematic' child in the early seasons proves himself to be a very kind, generous, intelligent young man whose over-zealousness, curiosity and enthusiasm for life causes him to get carried away. Karen, who is a 'diva' or 'brat' is a highly analytical, clever out-spoken and self-assured little girl who is determined to be exactly who she is.

And this is what 'Outnumbered' does so well - it shows that all children are their own people, with their own thoughts, feelings and opinions and although parents are there to guide and discipline their children, it's important to also let them grow into who they're going to be in their own time and in their own way.

Putting this aside, the comedy is subtle and effective, although not necessarily laugh out loud funny. The acting is good, even from the young actors that play the children and the dynamics between the family are extremely effective and feel very representative of a real family.

All in all, 'Outnumbered' has been my go to sitcom for many years when I simply need to switch off and have some relief from the stresses of life.

There have been lots of attempts to show the comic side of so called "ordinary life" but they always fall into the trap of trying to create gags, as opposed to reflecting what we all know, which is that real life often throws up comic moments if only you let it. This is exactly what the producers, writers, directors, actors have got together to do. After watching 2 episodes I thought these kids are absolutely brilliant - they are being allowed to express themselves with none of the stiffness that a script would bring about. This is especially true for the young actors but it is also true for the excellent Claire Skinner and Hugh Dennis, and you can see the delight on their faces as they react to the children's spontaneity. It just shows how powerful the technique of improvised and semi-improvised filming can be, and whilst it's not a new device, I personally believe it's greatly underused. We all know about Mike Leigh, Ken Loach, Woody Allen etc, and we constantly hear about great moments which ended up in a film which were the result of some spontaneous improvisation, and yet we steer away from this dangerous approach. I don't want to put writers out of a job, and in Outnumbered we can see once again the originality and creativity of Andy Hamilton's and Guy Jenkin's style, but they appreciate that they are part of a creative team which produces an end product greater than the sum of its parts. Let's use the technique more in 'adult' drama and comedy and not think that it only works where there are cute kids!

A word too about the subject matter itself. It is so extraordinarily well-observed and accurate; I recognise 99% of what's going on on screen. Now I realise that this is a portrayal of one particular life style, and not all the truths are universal ones, but the fact that the choice of family is relatively specific should not lead to it being dismissed as a comedy for the chattering classes, as though that somehow negates its worth.

This is just a terrific series. Why the BBC saw fit to bury it with no fanfare is totally mystifying. It is beautifully put together by the writers, actors and director and works just about as well as it possibly could. Hugh Dennis and Clare Skinner are great as the long-suffering parents and are beautifully matched. It is the children though that make this unusual sitcom work. They deliver their lines with fantastic timing and a real sense of reality. Ramona Marquez is just wonderful and so funny - annoying and sweet at the same time - a very difficult thing to pull off. Daniel Roche and Tyger Drew-Honey (what a name!!) are just as good as seasoned professional actors twice their age. I am so glad a laugh track was not added - it makes the action seem so much more real plus it is so funny it does not need one. it needs to be promoted properly and it would achieve a greater status with the viewing public - the BBC are notorious for poor promotion, unless it is another sodding cookery programme!! Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkins are to be congratulated on the creation of this marvellous piece of work.

This is simply the best written sitcom of the year so far, certainly for the BBC, it plays like The Royle Family for the middle class each line is perfectly written and timed to perfection. Hugh Dennis is always good when he looks a little flustered and Claire Skinner is great as harassed mother while Samantha Bond proves their is life after well.. Bond as the ditzy aunt. But its the kids who really should be praised for the most realistic portrayals of children on T.V. ever. Mostly improvising their lines to avoid falling into the clichés - the elder boy is the antithesis of the eleven year old in his first weeks at secondary school keeping his head down, monosyllabic and trying to keep the fact he is being bullied under wraps. The younger boy plays for laughs as the constantly lying middle child he is full of energy and manages to be annoying and likable at the same time. While the little girl is really cute and asking any question that pops into her brain stumping the parents every five minutes. The show is also great with dealing with issues such political correctness, bullying, the class system and the elderly in such a breezy and non-preachy manner. After several years in the wilderness following the success of Drop the Dead Donkey, Guy Jenkins and Andy Hamilton have created another great sitcom which has been buried in the schedules by the BBC and therefore probably won't be noticed by most people who turn the TV off after the 10 o'clock news, this may find cult status on repeat viewing and come back for a second series in a new and improved time slot.