18 hours Ago By Yahoo TV UK
returned to BBC One after eight years off air on Thursday, 26 December, but appears to have fallen flat with fans of the sitcom. Starring (as dad Pete Brockman), Claire Skinner (mum Sue), Tyger Drew-Honey (eldest son Jake), Daniel Roche (son Ben) and Ramona Marquez (daughter Karen), the 42-minute episode found visiting their parents for an early festive gathering. However, Pete's prostate storyline was deemed "insensitive" and "cynical" on social media, with viewers suggesting wasn't an ideal time to be weaving life-threatening illnesses into comedic material and that by leaving the whole thing unresolved, it mishandled the severity of this very real killer.
Just minutes into the new Outnumbered episode, Pete and Sue were cryptically referring to his cancer with lines like "with all that's going on", but it was quickly revealed that doctors had caught it in its early stages. Jake (who was accompanied by wife Rani and their daughter Zara), Ben and Karen each reacted supportively to the news, but what tipped viewers over the edge was the fact it went largely unexplored. "What was the point? It literally added nothing to the episode," , to which : "Unless the aim was to highlight the #Outnumbered family's emotional detachment, which only trivialises the trauma real families face in such situations.
Either way, it feels like a disservice to those navigating the pain of cancer in reality." "The #Outnumbered Christmas Special will be memorable for the wrong reasons. Whilst it's perhaps about raising awareness, who honestly thinks cancer for Christmas is funny? Such a shame to end a legendary show like that," read .
Here were another handful of embittered messages as the episode aired: had the potential to be 1/2 hour of its former hilariously genius light relief we all needed but irresponsible BBC instead chose a cancer storyline which was highly insensitive and completely ruined it. Promoting, normalising & disguising cancer in comedy is NOT OK! — Jo Love (@JoLovewon) Possibly the most depressing and disappointing Christmas Special ever. There is nothing funny about the episode at all.
They all looked bored, tired and unenthused throughout. To use a cancer story at Christmas to try to provoke emotion is so cynical and cruel. — BC (@GunnerWin1_0) Christmas Special.
.. Pretty devastating actually.
A little bit TOO relatable when you're just trying to have as normal Christmas as possible...
with your Dad who's battling cancer. A story which unfortunately is too close to home, and just not comedy for so many. — Hayley Lightfoot 🖍️ (@HCLightfoot) Outnumbered was depressing this year.
It lost its magic. I don't know why they felt the need to introduce a cancer storyline into a one off special 😭 — @Aoifs123 (@Aoifs123) Totally unnecessary and unresolved cancer storyline. With many families going through this, don’t need a poorly handled storyline rubbed in their faces at what is suppose to be a light hearted programme.
— Joe Bloggs (@JoeBlog377719) Turned on to have a laugh. Sitting on my own after losing my husband to prostate cancer and had to turn it off. Who the hell thought that this was a good subject for a comedy? Just NO!! — Vicki Hawkes (@hawkes_vicki) Contrary to the storyline complaints, there's a chance Pete's cancer could provide a doorway to more episodes of Outnumbered, although its creators Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin were non-committal .
"We haven't really thought about that. I know that sounds like a really crass answer, but we're just living in the moment," said the former about the show's future. Jenkin added: "We might get another idea and think 'now's the time'.
But we wanted to make this a really special event. Having waited eight years, hopefully everybody will be very curious to see where this family they grew up with ended up.".
