What the hell was going on in outnumbered?

[Coalplay]

So dreadful. So unfunny.

I didn't know Gilbert and Sullivan had a Christmas Special 😁.

But I did think the Outnumbered one (while having a few home truths that made me laugh - paying adult children's mobile phone bills anyone?) was a bit weak.

It irrationally annoyed me as it went on

Jane - you would just tell her to go, especially when you wanted to tell your family news like that. I don’t like people with a lack of self awareness so I would definitely be like Karen there and ask her to go if she had overstayed her welcome

Same with the neighbour. If I heard them at home I would be knocking on their door and not phoning them. I did enjoy the throwing the presents over and the smashing of their own parcel because they assumed it was one for the neighbour

And then the cancer storyline. Maybe I am sensitive as we lost a close family member this year who had prostate cancer so it was very triggering and not what I was excepting from a “comedy”

I didn't find it funny when they were kids either tbh, parents were a bit useless

It was bad.

It was really bad. Made me cringe.

yes this 100%

it was nice enough viewing but not exactly funny and dull compared to G&S

You have to watch it once to find out if you like it. Same here - I watched it back in the day and couldn’t understand why my kids liked it, so did something else whenever they had it on. They’re now grown up themselves and were looking forward to watching it again so it will be interesting to find out if they enjoyed this Christmas episode.

Every conversation had both parents standing next to each other as if an a lineup talking to a third character. Was just so strange and the house was so strangely red and green.

Used to love this when the children were ad-libbing etc. But it totally lost all it's charm now they are grown up.

Found last night really boring and pedestrian.

Jake looked like a drug addict

The only one that was funny was the little grandchild.

Maybe a couple more precocious grandkids running about with Sue & Pete on babysitting duty and it would have been good - but this was duller than ditchwater .

It was so awkward. Not even humorous.

I found a granddaughter charmless and all that growling and screeching just made me feel very tired

It was very well written as always. I enjoyed it as it was so identifiable with many families ot the same generation. Gentle, sad but also ver y funny. So many characters similar to my family, Karen and Ben in particular. I loved it as for me that’s real life with a bit of good laugh that keeps you going.

Apart from there were no jokes

To be fair, there were never actual jokes

I think they could have got a funnier grandchild

Rude

Disappointing.
Leaving us with Pete having cancer is not really a good "ending" unless they are planning another Christmas special.
I kept thinking of mumsnet and its weird attitude to deliveries when they kept taking in all those packages - I was imagining posters shouting at the TV!

I really enjoyed it, and thought Karen and Ben were both brilliant. Apparently the parents are now a couple irl? I'd love to see Karen and Ben in something else but not sure they are acting outside of this?

Hardly! It’s quite true.

True. She was shit

Yes the child was lovely but the role she played was so annoying. Not her fault.

We all enjoyed it in this house, lots of very relatable situations

I gave up halfway through because it just wasn't the same. I think what drew me into the original is that I have small kids and I could relate to a lot of it. Mine are still small albeit a bit older but these lot have grown up and it's just not the same. Maybe if I were in a similar kind of life stage it would resonate with me more..

It was nice to see Ben and Karen with the same kind of mannerisms as they had when they were younger, made me wonder what mine will be like in years to come.

Perhaps if it had been an ongoing series watching them all grow up it would be better. I loved Modern Family and seeing them all grow up but there wasn't a big pause where we saw them in childhood and then again in adulthood.

Finally watched this tonight, and I loved it!! I thought it was really relatable, and reminded me of my family when we all get together now as adults.

Same!

I watched it the other night but having read this thread first, I was worried I wouldn't like it.

I loved it though, as did my adult DS.