Review: Outnumbered

‘A lot has changed, but they’re still outnumbered…’

So promised the trailer for the fifth and final series of BBC’s Outnumbered, and the first half is certainly true. The ickle children of the first series, which aired in 2007, are a distant memory, with the most shocking (and funny) transformation being the growth spurt that Ben (Daniel Roche) underwent sometime in the past two years, leaving him towering over the rest of his family. He’s a far cry from the mischievous little imp-child of the first few series.

The other Brockman children have likewise matured. We have comfortably watched the now-17 year old Jake (Tyger Drew-Honey) navigate the bulk of his teenage years in past series, so his near-adulthood is not much of a shock; the difference in Karen (Ramona Marquez) is a little more sudden and not only because of her inexplicably brunette hair. Now entering big school, and no longer able to pull off primary school precociousness, Karen has nonetheless remained my favourite child for her blossoming sardonic humour, particularly evident in her sly antagonism of her patronising, lactose-intolerant school mate Esme.

On the contrary, the parents don’t seem to have changed a bit. Pete (Hugh Dennis) is still the king of cynical one liners and Sue (Claire Skinner) remains a chronic worrier. There’s a lot of harking back to the first episode of the original series in their activities; Pete gets caught up in an argument with his eldest over his casual racist remarks, the same trait that put his job at risk in the first series. Seven years ago, we saw Sue unable to stop replying to emails from her old boss while Pete tries to deter her; the present sees her unable not to send out emails to the parents of Karen’s new classmates, to disastrous consequences, while Pete tries to deter her.

The ickle children of the first series, which aired in 2007, are a distant memory

There are other similarities to be spotted if you look for them, to such a degree that from an objective point of view, Outnumbered can be accused of getting repetitive. But it’s not something that’s noticeable to the casual observer. There are plenty of distractions in the form of the consistent, unobtrusive humour that characterises the programme, filling up the show in the same way humorous banter fills up the gaps in all our lives.

From Jake’s new tattoo, purportedly the ‘ancient Persian word for peace’, but closely resembling a dead spider, to Pete’s ongoing  argument over his (in)ability to pay for a bill of £0.00, this first episode ably reassures us that the new series will be able to keep up Outnumbered’s uncomplicated and infinitely relatable comedy.

Two years has not dulled my affection for Outnumbered and the Brockman family; I’ll enjoy this series’ last laugh, and miss it when it’s gone.

Tune in this Wednesday at 21:00 for the second episode of the new series of Outnumbered, on BBC One.