Outnumbered 3 to 2 (Outnumbered)

Member Name: kayers

Product:	Outnumbered
Date:	01/09/09 (99 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very funny

Disadvantages: none

I just love this programme. I only saw the last couple of episodes of the first series which was on after the 10.00pm news on BBC 1 a couple of years ago but, I was soon completely hooked and when the series was repeated I made sure I watched it all. I was really pleased when the second series came out and in fact am now watching the repeats of that, despite having watched it the first time round!

For those of you who haven't seen it, Outnumbered is a sitcom based around a couple, Pete and Sue, and their 3 young children aged 5, 7 and 11. The story follows the daily lives of the family as the parents strive to bring up the children in a well balanced way whilst battling against all the usual problems that life throws at them. Any parent will be able to identify with Sue and Pete trying to get the kids to school on time, do homework, tidy up after themselves, eat healthily , go to bed on time etc and all this while answering all the difficult questions that children seem to come up with at the most convenient times whilst juggling work and their own lives.

Sue and Peter are played by Claire Skinner and Hugh Dennis and are excellent in their roles as the harassed parents. The children, Jake, Ben and Karen, are played by Tyger Drew-Honey, Daniel Roche and Romano Marquez. The first 2 have done some previous acting but Romano has never acted before. Jake as the oldest is quite a sensible boy and tries to keep out of the arguments between his younger sister and brother but has his own worries about secondary school and later, in the second series, his new girlfriend. Daniel is full of energy and mischief and fibs all the time which gives his parents many headaches. Karen is adorable and very bright and wants to know about everything and anything, constantly asking awkward questions and putting her parents on the spot.

Despite all the bickering and everyday problems the family comes over as very happy together, the parents united in the way they deal with everything, including Sue's father who is in the early stages of Alzheimer's and is staying with them whilst they make a decision on whether he can go home, stay with them or go into a care home.
The writers, Guy Jenkin and Andy Hamilton, decided to let the actors improvise in order to get more believable performances There were scripts but the children didn't have to learn any lines. They were given a verbal outline of the situation their characters were supposed to be in and then encouraged to express things in their own way - often with unexpected results! The adult characters then had to respond to whatever the children said which made their replies the type of thing real parents would say. Listening to the children give their, often innocent, views of the world and situations they encounter is delightful and amusing, much better than the usual scripted children's parts in sitcoms.
Each episode is half an hour but I could watch it for an hour and not be bored. I love the children and can see myself in the parents trying to cope and not always getting everything right but trying their best. It is sitcom at its best and definitely recommended to all parents - and older children - my 14 year old daughter loves it too!

Unfortunately the rerun of the second series, aired on Sundays BBC1, has just finished but I read that a third series is being considered and apparently a Christmas special is definitely being made, so one to watch out for.

Summary: Brilliant sitcom