Hugh Dennis, Claire Skinner, Tyger Drew-Honey, Daniel Roche, and Ramona Marquez return to BBC One for the Outnumbered Christmas Special

Many people feel a sense of dread at their kids growing up.

In what seems like the blink of an eye, the once cherubic babies and toddlers (in the eyes of their parents, anyway), morph into moody teenagers and then fully grown adults, ready to fly the nest.

When Outnumbered first aired in 2008, the kids of exasperated south London parents Pete and Sue Brockman (Hugh Dennis and Claire Skinner) were aged just five, seven and 11.

There was the youngest, Karen (Ramona Marquez), who had a tendency for asking embarrassing questions, out-of-control pathological liar Ben (Daniel Roche), and the eldest, girl-obsessed tweenager Jake (Tyger Drew-Honey), who was trying to keep his dignity intact.

Guy Jenkin and Andy Hamilton’s series became a huge hit, mainly thanks the brilliant performances of the children, who improvised almost all their lines.

The writer/directors would just whisper an idea or a few lines into the kids’ ears before rolling the cameras. Ramona was, apparently, unable to even read a script when the show started.

As the years rolled on and the kids got older, the jokes started to wear a bit thin, and Outnumbered became a little less funny each year.

After all, stroppy teenagers are, by their very nature, a bit boring.

In March 2014, it was time to say goodbye to the Brockmans, although the family did return for a Christmas special in 2016.

Now, after eight years, they are back again, and it’s safe to say the kids have definitely grown up.

This special Christmas episode is set in Pete and Sue’s downsized home, as they grapple with the challenges of parenting kids who are now adults, with their own lives to lead.

Jake may have some sympathy now with his long-suffering parents as he’s been trying to work from home while also dealing with a three-year-old.

Ben is still finding ways to worry his family, this time by planning a big adventure, and Karen is frustrated by her work colleagues and personal relationships.

Throw in neighbours, hyenas and a bus replacement service, and it looks like it’s going be a very chaotic Christmas.

Co-creator, writer and director Hamilton says: “It’s a very exciting prospect to be revisiting the Brockman family – older, but not necessarily wiser – as they steer a path through the perils of Xmas and the rapids of modern-day family life.”

Jenkin adds: “I really wanted to find out what the Brockmans were up to these days, so Andy and I had to write this special.”

And it’s not just those behind the camera that are looking forward to this new episode of Outnumbered.

Hugh, who lives with co-star Claire in real life too, says: “I can’t wait for the Brockmans to be back together again.

“Pete and Sue have downsized, the children are no longer children, but I’m sure family life will prove to be just as chaotic as ever.”

Claire adds: “I’m really looking forward to being reunited with my TV family.

Working on this wonderful BBC comedy doesn’t feel like work and is one of the greatest joys for us all.”

Whether or not the public still has an appetite for additional episodes of Outnumbered following this one-off special remains to be seen.

At the moment, there’s no official confirmation of any future series, but Jenkin has hinted he would be up for working on more during an interview with Radio Times.

He said: “We might get another idea. 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.”