Oh how we've missed a Brockman Christmas. Once a staple of the BBC's festive schedule, it's been eight long years since we've checked in on the tumultuous family's holiday happenings. But this year they're back, and there might just be a few more family members in tow, with the promise of one of the children having offspring of their own. So, read on below as we explain how to watch the Outnumbered 2024 Christmas Special online and for free with BBC iPlayer and stream from anywhere with a VPN.
For those to whom the Brockmans are still strangers, Outnumbered follows the lives of married couple Pete (Hugh Dennis, Not Going Out) and Sue (Claire Skinner, Coma) and their three children - eldest sibling Jake (Tyger Drew-Honey), energetic middle child Ben (Daniel Roche) and precocious youngest Karen (Ramona Marquez). Through five seasons and a number of specials, audiences followed the family as the kids grew from hilarious but chaotic youngsters to almost fully functioning adults.
Created and scripted by Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin, who also return to pen this new special, the key to Outnumbered's success was in the writing, or lack thereof. Each episode was heavy on improvisation when it came to the children, with the young actors allowed to be spontaneous in their dialogue, often taking the episode off on hilarious tangents. The effect is that performances from child actors have never felt more real, and the show captures some absolute gems that could only come from the mind of a child.
The new special finds the younger Brockmans all grown up of course, with Pete and Sue having chosen to downsize their empty nest. Gathering the family for an old-fashioned Christmas may seem like a great idea, but with the Brockmans, things rarely run smooth. Enter unwanted neighborly visits, bus replacement services, Ben planning to travel the world, Karen chastising her incompetent colleagues and Jake trying to work from home with a hyper three-year-old under his feet. Sounds like a classic Outnumbered Christmas to me.
BBC iPlayer, the BBC's online platform, is 100% free to use. Simply go ahead and sign-up for a BBC iPlayer account. All you need is an email address and a UK postcode (e.g. W12 7FA) and a valid TV licence.
Overseas? Use a VPN using the instructions below to access BBC iPlayer like you would at home.
If you're a UK citizen on vacation or working overseas, you can still watch the 2024 Outnumbered Christmas Special online just as you would at home.
While services like BBC iPlayer block access from IP addresses outside of the UK, there's a handy piece of software called a VPN that can change your IP address, allowing you to watch UK TV online by making it look like you're accessing streaming services from any country in the world.
For example, UK citizens overseas can subscribe to a VPN, join a UK-based server and access their subscription from anywhere in the world, just like they would back home.
1. Choose your ideal VPN and install - our go-to recommendation for unblocking is NordVPN.
2. Connect to a server - for BBC iPlayer, for example, you'll want to connect to a server based in the UK
Currently out of the country? Simply download a VPN to connect to BBC iPlayer or your regional streaming service, regardless of where you're located.
Brit abroad? If you're abroad and want to connect to your usual streaming services, you can purchase a VPN to allow you to watch no matter where in the world you happen to be.
The 2024 Outnumbered Christmas Special will go out on Boxing Day, Thursday, December 26 at 9:40pm on BBC One in the UK. It will also be available to stream live and on-demand on BBC iPlayer. The special lands on Binge in Australia on Friday, December 27 with a North American release TBC.