The cast of BBC Outnumbered now and then as sitcom returns for Christmas special

After eight years off the screen, the BBC are bringing Outnumbered back for a Christmas special that will air on Boxing Day.

The first episode of Outnumbered aired on BBC One in August 2007 where viewers were introduced to the Brockman family for the first time. The show continued to air until it ended after five series in 2014, but it did return for a Christmas special two years later.

As one of Britain's most popular sitcoms, the series focused on the mundane nature of regular life for a middle-class family living in London as parents Sue and Pete dealt with the realities of raising three children while dealing with their own everyday issues.

Discussing the success of the series, Hugh Dennis (Pete) said: "we knew right from the start as we did a pilot with Tyger, and even from that point I think I knew it was going to be really good", but that they had no idea whether the show would become popular with the audience.

Read more TV stories from Manchester Evening News here.

The cast appeared together on The One Show, and when asked if the kids are still causing chaos for their parents, Daniel Roche (Ben) responded: "I think it's quite hard to keep parents on their toes as much as eight-year-old Ben was, it was that level of menace... I don't know if I could even replicate that", adding that now the kids are older they're "trying to start to help out and support the parents." This sitcom has always managed to remain its relatability to many viewers, and watching the family grow and change in this new dynamic will be no different. Particularly, when many people watching will be reuniting with their own family for the festive season.

Creators of the show Guy Jenkin and Andy Hamilton have previously shared what first