Outnumbered cast 'so happy' to be returning for Christmas special

(Image credit: BBC/Hat Trick/Colin Hutton)

An undoubted highlight of Christmas TV will be the Outnumbered special, featuring the return of TV's favourite dysfunctional family after a three year break

The Brockman family will be reuniting after a three-year break for a special Christmas episode of the hit television comedy Outnumbered.

Stars Hugh Dennis, Claire Skinner, Tyger Drew-Honey, Daniel Roche and Ramona Marquez will resume their roles as the family of five for the new 40-minute episode on BBC.

Set on Boxing Day, the Brockmans will face all sorts of problems as they try to take on a special mission for Granddad. They encounter car problems, child problems, parent problems, emotional problems and World War Two. If the adults can't sort things out the children will have to. Like all families everything has changed and everything remains the same.

This was the gang almost five years ago.

Hugh, who plays grumbling father Pete, said: “I can’t wait to rejoin our TV nucleus and what better place to experience the full joy of family life than stuck in the family car.”

Claire, who will be picking up her role as frazzled mum Sue, added: “I am so happy to be back dipping into the Brockmans’ lives again – it is like putting on a big comfy jumper.”

Created by Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin, guest stars on the special programme will include Daisy Edgar-Jones (Cold Feet), Ruth Madeley (The Level), Mark Benton (The Halcyon), Katherine Jakeways (Tracey Ullman), Martin Trenaman (PhoneShop) and Miles Jupp (Rev).

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Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix.

An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.