I sure hope Michael McIntyre didn't see tonight's episode. Going to be awkward if Michael appears on Hugh's team during the next series of Mock The Week. It's strange, because I've always heard that the two have never got along and then in tonight's Outnumbered there was a blatant dig towards Mr McIntyre from Hugh's character.
I usually love this show but thought that ending was poor. Karen's "accident" was completely undramatic & hardly likely to have shaken the parents up to the point they claimed - after all the trips to A&E they had had with Ben. (And is it just me, or was that the quietest Hospital EVER?)
The best thing about it was Jake oh so subtley taking charge of the family. And his total embarrassment at being with Kelly! Also - he's 13?! And the rest...
The best thing about it was Jake oh so subtley taking charge of the family. And his total embarrassment at being with Kelly! Also - he's 13?! And the rest...
Tyger is only 14 and a quarter, so he would have been 13 when it was being filmed.
I sure hope Michael McIntyre didn't see tonight's episode. Going to be awkward if Michael appears on Hugh's team during the next series of Mock The Week. It's strange, because I've always heard that the two have never got along and then in tonight's Outnumbered there was a blatant dig towards Mr McIntyre from Hugh's character.
I'm sure I remember them all taking the mickey out of Michael McIntyre on one of the Mock The Weeks last series - I don't think he appeared on any last series.
So sad it has finished!! I have watched all of them but imo this was the best series. I really hope there will be another one!!
I love all the characters but Jake is my favourite, very realistic!!
I really enjoyed the first two series of this programme but thought this last one was a series too far. I found the two younger children, especially Ben, to be really annoying now
So sad it has finished!! I have watched all of them but imo this was the best series. I really hope there will be another one!!
I love all the characters but Jake is my favourite, very realistic!!
yeah, it seems jake is the only one who knows he is acting, apart from the adults of course. Its very clever:D
I'm sure I remember them all taking the mickey out of Michael McIntyre on one of the Mock The Weeks last series - I don't think he appeared on any last series.
He hasn't been in the last two series of Mock The Week but I think he's recently been rather busy with his own stand-up career. His style of humour is not suited to game shows anyway as he needs time to expand his thoughts rather than just come up with one-liners. I don't know anything about Hugh disliking him but in any case surely the derogatory remark about him was scripted by Hamilton and Jenkin and I'm sure he can take the joke.
Ok, so it's hit and miss, and the serious bits aren't at all effective, i.e. the kiss saga. However I love Ben's constantly surreal lines "Have you got anything we can use as a dead camel?" Karen's dialogue seems increasingly forced (dare I say scripted?). Jake's role has significantly improved, it's just spot on and believable as a 13 year old boy.
In summary, after series 3, there's still mileage in this show, but the scripting and gags content was sometimes underpowered. Guy and Andy need to bring in more comedic help in the scriptwriting.
I actually think the recurring serious bits, not just in this series, but throughout the show, have really kept a balance and stopped the humour from ever getting 'too much'. Like the grandfather's memory going, I thought the Pete/Sue relationship troubles kept the show feeling real - but never in a way that became too over-the-top dramatic, it was nicely woven in between funny scenes with the kids.
I think the development of Jake as a character has been done very well, too, and obviously they're lucky that the actor is continuing to be very believable and good, even as he gets older. I think they've kept a good balance of teenage hormonal huffiness and still keeping him as a likable and mostly sensible/nice/intelligent character. Too often tv makes out teenagers to be incoherent horrors!
While I agree that perhaps sometimes the writers push Karen's lines a little too far into we-know-she's-so-funny territory, the little actress, to me, doesn't yet seem too knowing or self aware, she's still believable. And Ben isn't too self aware yet either, I think he's really improved actually (not that he wasn't good before, he was, but I think he's getting even better). In fact, I thought Ben was the best part of the final episode there, his tangents/questions/rambles to Kelly were really hilarious, and it was actually nice that for once someone was amused by him, rather than being exasperated/telling him to shut up - which is believable since the family have him 24/7, but it was a nice change. And his 'climbing Everest... without oxygen... or even a jumper!' was brilliant
The series could go on for more seasons as long as the writing adapts to Karen and Ben growing up. The style of the comedy will have to change, they won't be able to make their rambling quite so random and unaware, but if they can write equally funny stuff for the two, inkeeping with their age, I don't see why the show can't still work. Even already the show's humour has changed slightly from the way it was in the first series, as Karen/Ben have gotten older.
Although, maybe more-so the test will be with the writing for Karen as she becomes more self aware as a character and an actress - because I've known plenty of boys that have acted exactly as Ben does now right until they were about 14, hehe!
I really enjoyed the first two series of this programme but thought this last one was a series too far. I found the two younger children, especially Ben, to be really annoying now
I agree, it wasn't as good as previous series. They just about got away with it this time, but I hope it's the last..better to quit while they are still ahead.
I can't see how another series would work anyway, the key aspect that separated this from other "family sitcoms" was the apparent unscripted spontaneity of Karen and Ben..that is already beginning to look forced. Two great series and another that was still good..that's enough.
I love this programme ... I don't think it woul work if it were played for laughs all the way through, so I think it has the mix of comedy and drama just about right.
I have to admit to finding Sue a bit annoying at times, but not unbearably so.
Jake's great ... Spot on for a teenage boy.
Also, I seem to be in a minority, but I find Ben the more entertaining of the two younger kids.
The best thing about it was Jake oh so subtley taking charge of the family. And his total embarrassment at being with Kelly! Also - he's 13?! And the rest...
I like the line where she says.."13? I thought you said you were 16?"
He replies: "I think what I actually said was, I'll be16.....eventually"
Also, I seem to be in a minority, but I find Ben the more entertaining of the two younger kids.
No, no, not the minority I love him as well - especially in that last episode, and the one where that couple were being shown around the house. I think Ben is absolutely adorable, funny and completely believable - and as I said earlier, perhaps beginning to remain the more believable out of him and Karen, since the writers do push a bit at the boundaries of Karen's steely questioning of adults.
I like Ben and Karen equally, Karen used to be the absolute star for me, while I had a soft spot for Ben, but I think they're equally wonderful now. And Jake, of course, in a different way.
Wow, I've just been watching the first couple of episodes of the very first series on You Tube, and OMG how young does Jake look! The other two don't look all that different really, but I can't get over how much Jake has changed.
^ I know! He looks like a little kid, and his voice, too! The other two just look like slightly grown versions of the way they were before, but Jake is so different! He's very lucky he hasn't gone through an awkward, gawky teenage phase!
Wow, I've just been watching the first couple of episodes of the very first series on You Tube, and OMG how young does Jake look! The other two don't look all that different really, but I can't get over how much Jake has changed.
Its normal how much he's changed actually.
Just before my daughters started middle school (aged 9), we had the obligatory parent talk from the headmaster. He told us that our kids were kids at present, but by the time they left middle school, aged 13, the boys would be starting to shave, their voices would be breaking, and they may be as tall as us. The girls would appear more adult than us parents. And its true. My daughters are 13.5 and unrecognisable from what they were like at 9, or even 11. One went out with a boy of 14 (who's six foot and whose voice has broken) for 24 hours before she dumped him.
Comments
The best thing about it was Jake oh so subtley taking charge of the family. And his total embarrassment at being with Kelly! Also - he's 13?! And the rest...
Tyger is only 14 and a quarter, so he would have been 13 when it was being filmed.
From next month you can watch it from the beginning on Gold
I'm sure I remember them all taking the mickey out of Michael McIntyre on one of the Mock The Weeks last series - I don't think he appeared on any last series.
So did I. For a second I thought she was going to be killed off.
One thing I found funny though (maybe it is due to my experience of irish A&E's) was that the A&E that Karen was brought to was completely empty
K
I love all the characters but Jake is my favourite, very realistic!!
yeah, it seems jake is the only one who knows he is acting, apart from the adults of course. Its very clever:D
He hasn't been in the last two series of Mock The Week but I think he's recently been rather busy with his own stand-up career. His style of humour is not suited to game shows anyway as he needs time to expand his thoughts rather than just come up with one-liners. I don't know anything about Hugh disliking him but in any case surely the derogatory remark about him was scripted by Hamilton and Jenkin and I'm sure he can take the joke.
In summary, after series 3, there's still mileage in this show, but the scripting and gags content was sometimes underpowered. Guy and Andy need to bring in more comedic help in the scriptwriting.
I think the development of Jake as a character has been done very well, too, and obviously they're lucky that the actor is continuing to be very believable and good, even as he gets older. I think they've kept a good balance of teenage hormonal huffiness and still keeping him as a likable and mostly sensible/nice/intelligent character. Too often tv makes out teenagers to be incoherent horrors!
While I agree that perhaps sometimes the writers push Karen's lines a little too far into we-know-she's-so-funny territory, the little actress, to me, doesn't yet seem too knowing or self aware, she's still believable. And Ben isn't too self aware yet either, I think he's really improved actually (not that he wasn't good before, he was, but I think he's getting even better). In fact, I thought Ben was the best part of the final episode there, his tangents/questions/rambles to Kelly were really hilarious, and it was actually nice that for once someone was amused by him, rather than being exasperated/telling him to shut up - which is believable since the family have him 24/7, but it was a nice change. And his 'climbing Everest... without oxygen... or even a jumper!' was brilliant
The series could go on for more seasons as long as the writing adapts to Karen and Ben growing up. The style of the comedy will have to change, they won't be able to make their rambling quite so random and unaware, but if they can write equally funny stuff for the two, inkeeping with their age, I don't see why the show can't still work. Even already the show's humour has changed slightly from the way it was in the first series, as Karen/Ben have gotten older.
Although, maybe more-so the test will be with the writing for Karen as she becomes more self aware as a character and an actress - because I've known plenty of boys that have acted exactly as Ben does now right until they were about 14, hehe!
I agree, it wasn't as good as previous series. They just about got away with it this time, but I hope it's the last..better to quit while they are still ahead.
I can't see how another series would work anyway, the key aspect that separated this from other "family sitcoms" was the apparent unscripted spontaneity of Karen and Ben..that is already beginning to look forced. Two great series and another that was still good..that's enough.
I have to admit to finding Sue a bit annoying at times, but not unbearably so.
Jake's great ... Spot on for a teenage boy.
Also, I seem to be in a minority, but I find Ben the more entertaining of the two younger kids.
He replies: "I think what I actually said was, I'll be16.....eventually"
K
I like Ben and Karen equally, Karen used to be the absolute star for me, while I had a soft spot for Ben, but I think they're equally wonderful now. And Jake, of course, in a different way.
Its normal how much he's changed actually.
Just before my daughters started middle school (aged 9), we had the obligatory parent talk from the headmaster. He told us that our kids were kids at present, but by the time they left middle school, aged 13, the boys would be starting to shave, their voices would be breaking, and they may be as tall as us. The girls would appear more adult than us parents. And its true. My daughters are 13.5 and unrecognisable from what they were like at 9, or even 11. One went out with a boy of 14 (who's six foot and whose voice has broken) for 24 hours before she dumped him.