The description for the next episode (Karen vs. Chugger) sounds really good. I reckon this first episode was probably weaker than most.

I didn't discover "Outnumbered" until the third series, so the first two would probably have been different from what I'm used to as well.

For all Aunty Angela fans, she'll be making an appearance later in the series.

Karen knocking on the coffin and Sue laughing were the two highlights of the episode for me. It is the sort of programme that gets better on a second watch though - knowing what's coming somehow makes it more enjoyable to watch.

Am I the only person who doesn't find Outnumbered funny? I've tried watching it but I can't get into it at all.

Yes, yes you are.

The other 6.94 billion (minus one) people on earth all find it hilarious.

The children were on Steve wright last week and the older boy said he thought there might not be another one


Love the "that was a hog roast" bit

Oh dear...

It's different to most sitcoms out there. It's improvisational comedy with the adults getting the scripted lines. And the kids do so well. Keep watching and I think you'll get it.

How is it actually done? I don't recall any "making of" features.

As I have heard it described, the adults have the outline of the plot and a number of scripted lines. They know the beginning, middle and end of the episode and the general path it's meant to take to get there.

The children have a general idea of what's it's about and hints of what sort of things they should talk about, but no (or certainly few) actual lines. For example Ben might have been told to talk about "things Jesus could do" but he is then left to come up with teh actual questions (e.g. "What if Jesus was attacked by a polar bear").

The adults therefore have to improvise to react to whatever the children say, run with that a while, before eventually getting the episode back on track heading towards the next improvised bit.

(And then there's lots of editing)

They had little bits on the red button last series, don't know if there are any this time though

There have been numerous articles about how it is made and just about every time that anyone involved in the show is interviewed it is brought up. Watch the children on The One Show last week on iPlayer.

Everyone to their own taste, there are numerous allegedly funny comedy programmes that I find completely unfunny - most stand-up, The Office, Little Britain, Simpsons (and anything else from the US) etc etc.

I think my difficulty with it now is that they're still relying on laughs through Karen and Ben going on a fantastical random rant about one thing or another. This was funny and charming when the kids were 5 and 7 or whatever but, as any parent knows, kids of 9 and 11 just don't talk like that. Therefore the whole thing has started to seem artificial and lacking in charm.

If they can manage to give the kids a voice which is appropriate to their real age then it might still be made to work. But, sadly, Episode One didn't fill me with confidence that this will happen.

I don't find The Office funny either. I don't know why that programme is classed as a sitcom.

I'd have to agree; there is a disjoin between their ages and their "lines".
Though I did like the "trained badgers" bit.

I sadly think this has had it time. Ben and Karen have just got too old for the parts they play. Especially Ben. He has really shot up and is more grown up but they are still trying to get him to play the naughty little boy. He also sounds a bit posh.

bens voice is gone so deep!

yeah i agree, it seems like ben has lost his innocence

I've loved previous series but I've just switched this off after 10 minutes. It just seems to have lost all of its charm and innocence.

Loving it a lot more tonight. Karen speaking to the heart disease man was better than anything in last week's show?

My favourite bit so far - chuggers really annoy me sometimes!

That was very good.

I like Ben and the vacuum cleaner too.

its getting better! only the first 5 mins was rubbish but now its good love ben cleaning up, karen shopping and jake doing homework!

Size has nothing to do with how old a child is. I was 5' at 9 and my cousin was 5'6" at 11.

As for sounding posh, they are supposed to be a middle class family.

Karen is every bit what I was at 9.

Last week was disappointing but all shows have that. It's still the best British comedy on TV, along with Modern Family being the best non-British.