This is a list of episodes for the British sitcom Outnumbered which is written, directed and produced by Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin, It is about a family where the parents are Outnumbered by their three children. The first series first aired between the 28 August and the 5 September 2007. A second series aired between the 15 November and the 27 December 2008. A Comic Relief Special, Christmas Special and Sport Relief special aired on the 13 March 2009, the 27 December 2009 and the 19 March 2010, respectively. A third series aired between 8 April 2010 and 20 May 2010. The fourth series aired between 2 September 2011 and 7 October 2011.
Unlike most British sitcoms, where one episode is shown per week, all six episodes of the first series aired over two weeks, three per week, at 10.35pm. On Wednesdays it aired at 10.40pm due to the midweek national lottery draw. This scheduling was partly inspired by an earlier series written by Hamilton called Bedtime, which was also broadcast in the same way. The fact that it was broadcast at a late time also meant that there was less pressure on it to attract high viewing figures. No-one can remember who suggested the scheduling format originally.[1] The second series, however, was broadcast at 9.00pm on Saturday nights.[1] The episodes contain recurring story lines; the main ones being Jake worrying about secondary school and later being bullied,[2][3] Sue's rivalry with Angela after she begins to look after Grandad,[4] as well as her relationship with Veronica,[3] and Pete coming into trouble with his school after he makes a supposed racist comment to one of his pupils.[4] There are also storylines about Ben's constant lying,[3] and Sue's dislike of Angela.[4]
Contents |
| Series | Broadcast | No. of episodes | DVD releases | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Series premiere | Series finale | Region 2 | Region 4 | |||
| Series One | 28 August 2007 | 5 September 2007 | 6 | 17 November 2008 | 1 July 2010 | |
| Series Two | 15 November 2008 | 27 December 2008 | 7 | 16 November 2009 | 2 September 2010 | |
| Series Three | 8 April 2010 | 20 May 2010 | 6 | 15 November 2010 | — | |
| Series Four | 2 September 2011 | 7 October 2011 | 6 | 21 November 2011 | — | |
The first series was broadcast between 28 August and 5 September 2007.
| # | Title | Airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The School Run" | 28 August 2007 |
| It is Jake's (Tyger Drew-Honey) first day at secondary school and he doesn't want to be late, but Pete (Hugh Dennis) has difficulty getting Ben (Daniel Roche) to leave the house as he won't put his father's power drill down to take to an adjusted date of show and tell. Meanwhile, Karen (Ramona Marquez) has nits and wants to keep one as a pet, and Sue (Claire Skinner) is worried about Ben's lying. | ||
| 2 | "The Special Bowl" | 29 August 2007 |
| Ben, whose lying is getting out of control, brings his friend Deion (Reuben Lee) round. Meanwhile Karen refuses to eat dinner because it is not in her special bowl, which unbeknown to her has been broken. Pete is in trouble at school after a parent complained about a racist comment made to their Turkish son. Sue is annoyed when her sister, Angela (Samantha Bond), arrives having been in the United States for some time. | ||
| 3 | "The City Farm" | 30 August 2007 |
| It's Karen's 5th birthday and the whole family including Angela and Grandad (David Ryall) are treated to a typically stressful day at an urban farm, after school. Sue gets increasingly irritated during a traffic jam which they got caught up in after Angela and Grandad made them late, Karen and Ben argue over who gets to wee in a plastic container while busting for the toilet (along, it turns out, with Grandad), Karen continues to reject Angela's attempts at bribery and when Grandad gets lost Sue's resentment of her sister bubbles over. Meanwhile, Pete continues his struggle with a sensitive Turkish boy and his parents while also trying to convince Ben and Karen he is, in fact, not racist. Pete also continues to fret over how Jake is fitting into 'big school' and if he is getting bullied, and when Karen spies some bruises on Jake's arm and he asks her to keep it a secret, it seems his concerns may not be unfounded. | ||
| 4 | "The Quiet Night In" | 3 September 2007 |
| Pete and Sue want a night to themselves, but delays constantly arise. Pete watches Ben playing football and Ben insists he is the best player in the school team. Karen has a friend, Alexa (Danni Benattar), round whose mother Jane (Hattie Morahan) is very late picking her up and then stays for a drink. Angela then turns up and asks for the spare keys to their father's house. Jake's form tutor rings and speaks to Pete about bullying. | ||
| 5 | "The Mystery Illness" | 4 September 2007 |
| Sue has problems fixing the waste disposal unit, whilst being overworked by Veronica. Ben's got a mystery illness and claims to be far too ill to go to school. Angela's boyfriend dumps her, so the family rally round to cheer her up in the best way they know how. Pete worries that he could be out of a job when his little problem at the school becomes public knowledge. | ||
| 6 | "The Dinner Party" | 5 September 2007 |
| Karen decides to leave home for Spain, or possibly Greenland, while Jake's issue with bullying is resolved. Pete and Sue prepare for a dinner party with the help of Ben, who gets his first taste of alcohol. The dinner party turns out to be a bit of a disaster, after a revelation at the table sparks an argument. | ||
The second series of Outnumbered began on 15 November 2008. New characters in the second series include Barbara (Lorraine Pilkington), the next door neighbour who is brilliant at raising her children and always highlights Sue's problems,[5] and Jo, a female friend of Jake's, played by Michaela Brooks. Pete and Sue are suspicious that Jo may actually be Jake's girlfriend, although there is no evidence to suggest that Jake and Jo are more than friends. Angela appears less prominently in the second series than in the first, although she still appears in the first episode. Sue's demanding boss, unseen character Veronica, is replaced by another unseen character, Sue's new boss Tyson, who Pete is suspicious of. It is revealed in the final episode of Series 2 that Tyson was a conman.
| # | Title | Airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | "The Wedding" | 15 November 2008 |
| Cousin Julie (Olivia Poulet) is getting married. However, trouble comes when "Executive bridesmaid" Karen asks her troubling questions about her previous boyfriends. Ben asks the vicar (Rhashan Stone) complex theological questions involving Jesus and lasers, while Pete catches him dipping unsuitable things into the chocolate fountain. Karen is worried that Sue will get put in jail after an event at the wedding reception. | ||
| 8 | "The Dead Mouse" | 22 November 2008 |
| Karen mourns the death of a mouse killed by her parents while trying to understand the need for swearing, Ben uses some devious tactics when he stands for election as class rep and Jake causes Sue to worry when he brings home a friend who's a girl (Michaela Brooks) for tea. Meanwhile, Pete and Sue have to worry about money, chest pains, a friend who is using them as a glorified babysitting service, and the superior mother next door (Lorraine Pilkington). | ||
| 9 | "The Old-Fashioned Sunday" | 29 November 2008 |
| Sue and Pete ban TV as they attempt to have a traditional family Sunday playing games such as hide-and-seek, Pelmanism and scissors, paper, velociraptor, but matters are complicated when Grandad comes to stay after he suffers an accident involving a tin of baked beans. Later, Pete worries about teaching sex education, Karen plays the recorder, and Ben's headmaster suggests that he should take a few days off school. | ||
| 10 | "The Airport" | 6 December 2008 |
| Pete and Sue find themselves trapped in their own living nightmare - stuck in a foreign airport for hours with three bored children and an increasingly senile grandfather. Karen asks Pete about al-Qaeda and comes up with some ideas to stop terrorism, Jake and Ben drink a double espresso and cause trouble, an accident or two involving an elderly woman (Liz Crowther) occur, Pete and Ben get stopped by security and Grandad goes missing. | ||
| 11 | "The Night Out" | 13 December 2008 |
| The parents plan to have a quiet night out and leave the kids with Draxi the babysitter (Anna Koval), but Karen thinks that they are being financially irresponsible. Sue is pleased with her new boss, Ben is refused entry to Karen's imaginary restaurant, Jake is advised by Grandad not to invade Russia, and it is discovered that Pete has been doing something unsettling on the internet. | ||
| 12 | "The Football Match" | 20 December 2008 |
| Ben falls foul of a hardline football referee, while Karen becomes worried about the exact whereabouts of Satan. Sue continues to battle against the supermum next door, Pete is asked to write some propaganda, and Grandad is alarmed to see Gillian McKeith looking down people's toilets on TV. | ||
| 13 | "The Long Night" | 27 December 2008 |
| The family have a restless night after Ben has a visit to casualty (again). Karen is writing a letter to the Prime Minister asking for her teacher to be fired. Jake is asked to cover for Jo by lying to her father that she is round at his house. As the night goes on, Sue gets some upsetting news concerning her dream boss, disturbing noises come from next door and there is a visit from the police. | ||
A Comic Relief, Christmas and Sport Relief special have aired.
| # | Title | Airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 14 [6] | "Comic Relief Special" | 13 March 2009 |
| It's Comic Relief and everyone is doing something funny for money. Sue tries some jokes, Karen draws some bizarre pictures and Ben tries to find what to wear. After their school day Karen raises a lot of money from the retirement home and Sue finally manages to make Jake laugh, but not due to one of her jokes. | ||
| 15 | "Christmas Special" | 27 December 2009 |
| It is Boxing Day in the Brockman household and Father Christmas has paid a visit, along with some burglars. Karen is worried the burglars will return, Sue and Jake are worried after Grandad and a friend from the home (Jake D'Arcy) go missing, Karen obsesses over a hamster as well as questioning Jane's (who actually turns up early for lunch much to Pete's shock) Christmas present to the family, Ben wreaks havoc with a mechanical hand and one of Grandad's friends from the home join them for lunch, and reveals something about his past. | ||
| 16 | "Sport Relief Special" | 19 March 2010 |
| Ben presents Pete with his list of things to do for Sport Relief, including shooting things with an air rifle and running the Sport Relief Mile — neither Sue nor Jake appear. | ||
The third Series has been filmed and started on Thursday 8 April 2010 at 9:30pm – 10:00pm on BBC One.[7][8] Series 3 introduces Pete's mother Sandra, who has a gambling problem, in the first two episodes. Another new recurring character throughout the series is Kelly (Anna Skellern), a young woman who lives nearby on whom Jake has a crush. Auntie Angela also returns for one episode. Granddad, Barbara and Jo all fail to make reappearances, and the same can be said for recurring character Jane (who has previously appeared in one episode of each series and the Christmas special), however, she was mentioned discreetly in episode 2 when Jake says "Jane" is on the phone, and has to tell Pete "not annoying Jane" before he would take the call. This series averaged 4.99 million viewers. The series finale aired on 20 May 2010.
A recurring concept throughout the series is the family planning to move house, although this presumably came to nothing, as in Series 4 they are still living in the same house.
No episode was broadcast on Thursday 29 April 2010 due to the Prime Ministerial Debate on BBC1.
| # | Title | Airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 17 | "The Family Outing" | 8 April 2010 |
| Gran (Rosalind Ayres) takes the Brockman family for a day out seeing the sights of London. Ben thinks up a new game, Karen is unimpressed with modern art, Jake suffers serious trauma when he is unable to text, Dad uses a visit to HMS Belfast for a brief re-enactment of World War Two and Sue is embarrassed twice during trips to the toilet. Dad's mum asks Sue to take a cheque and Karen asks questions on what the trip has to do with World War II for her project | ||
| 18 | "The Internet" | 15 April 2010 |
| When Sue finds an inappropriate image on the family computer, an investigation begins. Pete is horrified at the thought of having a heart to heart with Gran. Karen and Ben are convinced that they have won half a million pounds and start to spend it. Meanwhile, the ancient game of chess will never be quite the same again after Ben brings his own special talents to it at a chess tournament. Gran reveals she has an addiction, and Karen recreates Britain's Got Talent. | ||
| 19 | "The Tennis Match" | 22 April 2010 |
| Karen recreates The Apprentice, Ben takes a close interest in Pete's medical tests and Sue thinks Jake's healthy interest in girls is becoming unhealthy. Pete finally gets to play a game of tennis with mates after a double booking occurs, but after a substitute player (Michael Fenton Stevens), Karen and Ben turn up, it all ends badly. | ||
| 20 | "The Pigeon" | 6 May 2010 |
| Pete is suffering from a terrible hangover from a work-do the night before, and it seems worse as he struggles against a rising tide of superstition, astrology and conspiracy theories that seem to be taking over the family. Ben takes time off from re-enacting the Crusades at school to show a some potential buyers (Abdul Salis and Katy Wix) around the house, while Sue tries to get rid of an unwanted guest. | ||
| 21 | "The Restaurant" | 13 May 2010 |
| Sue makes a shocking discovery which causes problems between her and Pete. Angela pays a visit with her husband (Douglas Hodge), who Karen puts straight about his profession. Jake wins two bets, and Pete's plan to have a conflict-free meal out fails to work. | ||
| 22 | "The Hospital" | 20 May 2010 |
| Pete and Sue struggle to put things right between them, and Karen is unimpressed by their behaviour. Karen is worried by her vital role in the school concert, while Ben is busy recreating the assault on Everest on the stairs. Karen gets knocked over by a car and is taken to hospital, resulting in Kelly (Anna Skellern) to look after Jake and Ben. Jake unwittingly reveals his feelings for Kelly. | ||
| # | Title | Airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | "Comic Relief Special 2011" | 18 March 2011 |
| A special mini episode for Comic Relief, guest starring tennis player Andy Murray. Jake spots Andy Murray first and gets a picture with him, Ben gives him tennis tips, Karen questions him about his 'proper' job, and Pete accidentally injures him. Sue does not appear in this episode. | ||
The fourth series started on Friday 2 September 2011 at 9:00pm on BBC One. A Christmas Special has also been filmed.[9]
| # | Title | Airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 24 | "The Funeral" | 2 September 2011 |
| The Brockman family have some tough decisions to make about work, video games and who to take to a family funeral. The vicar probably wishes none of them had ever come. Sue has a giggling fit during the service due to a memory of her mother, and it is revealed that Pete has "resigned" from his job as a history teacher. | ||
| 25 | "The Girls' Day Out" | 9 September 2011 |
| Mum has enough of the boys' attitude to housework so sets out on a campaign to civilise them, resulting in Ben making a 'salad' for tea, that involves the use of Toblerone and a blender. Karen battles with chuggers and buying shoes, while Dad goes to war with a domestic appliance. | ||
| 26 | "The Labrador" | 16 September 2011 |
| Karen is on a sleep-over and Ben is away at adventure camp. Mum and Dad are left with a Labrador to look after and a glimpse of what life will be like once the children have left home. | ||
| 27 | "The Parents' Evening" | 23 September 2011 |
| There is a lot to discuss at Ben's parents' evening including muggers, dangerous chemicals and re-enactments of the Great Plague. Mum is still suspicious Jake is hiding something and Karen decides which of the world's great religions to lead. | ||
| 28 | "The Cold Caller" | 29 September 2011 |
| Mum is still convinced Jake has a secret, which turns out to be that he is dating a nineteen year old pole dancer. Ben is determined to enter a school talent competition with an unusual double act. Then a couple of surprise callers make life more difficult than usual for the family. | ||
| 29 | "The Exchange Student" | 7 October 2011 |
| As the family tries to get rid of Auntie Angela, a wise German exchange student called Ottfried arrives to stay. Mum has to decide what to do about Jake's girlfriend, who turns out to be 16. Ben and Karen discuss dreams, the Mafia and trampolining bears. | ||
| # | Title | Airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 30 | "The Broken Santa" | 24 December 2011 |
| It's Christmas at the Brockman house. When grandad is taken seriously ill, he is planted in the hospital from hell which is likely to disrupt the family's holiday. Meanwhile, Sue's friend Jane is looking after the house with her ex-con boyfriend, but what could possibly go wrong?! | ||