The WORST episodes of Outnumbered

Every episode of Outnumbered ever, ranked from worst to best by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The worst episodes of Outnumbered!

Outnumbered is about a family living in South London, where the parents are "Outnumbered" by their three children. The parents constantly try to keep their children under control, but completely fail to do so. The father, Pete, works at an inner city school as a history teacher, whereas mother, Sue, is a part-time PA. The three children are eleven-year-old Jake who worries about everything, from worrying about starting at his new school to the world being sucked into a black hole, seven-year-old Ben who constantly lies to his parents and always wants to watch Little Britain, and five-year-old Karen who constantly asks too many questions.

Last Updated: 10/4/2024Network: BBC OneStatus: Ended
The School Run
star
6.43
363 votes

#1 - The School Run

Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 8/28/2007

It is Jake's first day at secondary school. However, Ben makes the family late because he wants to take an electric drill to school and eventually Pete has to pay him £5 to leave the house. Meanwhile, Karen has nits and wants to keep one as a pet.

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The Swimming Competition
star
7.16
118 votes

#2 - The Swimming Competition

Season 5 - Episode 2 - Aired 2/5/2014

Karen indulges her competitive instincts, Ben delves into the mysteries of human psychology and Jake appoints himself as a parenting expert. Meanwhile, Mum falls victim to a dysfunctional printer and Dad is hounded by a vigilant Daily Mail reader.

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The Quiet Night In
star
7.24
187 votes

#3 - The Quiet Night In

Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 9/3/2007

Ben's fibbing goes to a whole new level as parents at a school football match begin to compliment dad on his friendship with Gordon Brown and his SAS training. Later, a romantic night in for mum and dad doesn't quite go to plan, as Karen has a friend round whose mum is over an hour late picking her up. When she does finally arrive, she insists on pouring her heart out over a very long cup of tea. As their romantic evening recedes into the distance, Jake raises fears about his friend's parents' divorce, and calls from his form teacher bring more alarming news.

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The Pigeon
star
7.26
156 votes

#4 - The Pigeon

Season 3 - Episode 4 - Aired 5/6/2010

Dad is suffering from a terrible hangover, and it seems worse as he struggles against a rising tide of superstition, astrology and conspiracy theories that seem to be taking over the family. Ben takes time off from re-enacting the crusades to show a couple of prospective buyers around the house.

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The Special Bowl
star
7.38
198 votes

#5 - The Special Bowl

Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 8/29/2007

The celebration of parental incompetence continues, with the problems piling up for mum and dad. Their little girl is outwitting them in the endless negotiations about what she will eat, and seven-year-old Ben is further developing his extraordinary talent for lying. In addition, dad has strayed into job-threatening controversy at school, while mum starts a turf war with her sister. Samantha Bond joins the cast as Auntie Angela.

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The City Farm
star
7.45
242 votes

#6 - The City Farm

Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 8/30/2007

Stuck on the A3, mum tries to keep the peace in a car containing a new-age auntie, a bewildered grandfather, three fractious kids and several full bladders. Meanwhile, dad waits outside the headmaster's office, following an ill-judged joke involving obesity and Ramadan. Later at the urban farm, discussions about death, heaven, racism, bird flu and granddad lead to raised tempers, which boil over in the living hell that is a gift shop. As a hectic day draws to an end, mum and dad look fondly at their sleeping kids in the back of the car and have a brief moment of contentment – until they notice that Ben's acquired a new friend.

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The Goddaughter
star
7.45
88 votes

#7 - The Goddaughter

Season 5 - Episode 3 - Aired 2/12/2014

The arrival of Dad's god-daughter from Australia has an unfortunate effect on the Brockman household.

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The Hamster
star
7.46
123 votes

#8 - The Hamster

Season 5 - Episode 1 - Aired 1/29/2014

The Brockman family returns, older but no wiser, to face new challenges. Karen is having trouble adapting to big school, Ben is auditioning for a part in the school musical (even though he has a voice like a walrus), and Jake has made a foolish (and possibly permanent) fashion choice. Meanwhile, Mum and Dad try very hard not to interfere or send disastrously explosive emails.

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The Mystery Illness
star
7.55
178 votes

#9 - The Mystery Illness

Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 9/4/2007

Ben's on the case again – this time he's got a mystery illness and is far too sick to go to school, or so he says. Auntie Angela's been dumped by her boyfriend, so the family rally round to cheer her up in the best way they know how – sparking off a jolly discussion about Nazis and rat bags. Meanwhile, dad's little problem at school becomes public knowledge and he begins to wonder if he might be out of a job. Mum's job is safe, however, or is it?

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The Dinner Party
star
7.60
175 votes

#10 - The Dinner Party

Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 9/5/2007

Five-year-old Karen decides she's had enough of mum's nagging and announces that she's leaving home to go to Spain, or possibly Greenland. Meanwhile, preparations are in full swing for a dinner party, and dad agrees to let Ben crack some eggs – which is a huge mistake. As the guests arrive, Ben gets his first taste of gin and mum gets some unwelcome news from Angela. The drink soon loosens some tongues, and things are said that can never be taken back. The dinner party becomes a disaster zone, and, this time, the parents can't blame any of it on the kids.

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The Funeral
star
7.60
215 votes

#11 - The Funeral

Season 4 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/2/2011

The Brockman family have some tough decisions to make about work, video games and who to take to a family funeral. The vicar probably wishes none of them had ever come.

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The Chinese Horde
star
7.61
87 votes

#12 - The Chinese Horde

Season 5 - Episode 5 - Aired 2/26/2014

Mum struggles to maintain a work life balance (mainly because her children keep going missing) while Dad battles with a mobile phone that has a mind of its own. Meanwhile, Jake is attempting to get home without money or transport, Ben encounters a Chinese horde and Karen has a life-changing conversation with her headmistress.

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The Wedding
star
7.63
172 votes

#13 - The Wedding

Season 2 - Episode 1 - Aired 11/15/2008

Cousin Julie is getting married. However, trouble comes when "Executive bridesmaid" Karen asks her troubling questions about her previous boyfriends, and Ben asks the vicar complex theological questions involving the baby Jesus and lasers.

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The Girls' Day Out
star
7.65
160 votes

#14 - The Girls' Day Out

Season 4 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/9/2011

Mum has enough of the boys' attitude to housework so sets out on a campaign to civilise them. Karen battles with chuggers and buying shoes, while Dad goes to war with a domestic appliance.

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The Parents Evening
star
7.65
210 votes

#15 - The Parents Evening

Season 4 - Episode 4 - Aired 9/23/2011

There is a lot to discuss at Ben's parents' evening including muggers, dangerous chemicals and re-enactments of the Great Plague. Mum is still suspicious Jake is hiding something and Karen decides which of the world's great religions to lead.

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The Dead Mouse
star
7.71
145 votes

#16 - The Dead Mouse

Season 2 - Episode 2 - Aired 11/22/2008

Karen mourns the death of a mouse killed by her parents while also getting into the habit of swearing, Ben uses some devious tactics when he stands for election as class rep and Jake causes Sue to worry when he brings home a girl for tea. Meanwhile, Pete and Sue have to worry about money, chest pains, a friend is using them as a glorified babysitting service and the the superior mother next door.

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The Musical
star
7.79
109 votes

#17 - The Musical

Season 5 - Episode 6 - Aired 3/5/2014

Stacey is back, Ben has a crisis of confidence over his starring role in Spartacus The Musical and Karen still hopes her escaped hamster will be found. Auntie Angela returns.

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The Internet
star
7.79
157 votes

#18 - The Internet

Season 3 - Episode 2 - Aired 4/15/2010

When Mum finds an inappropriate image on the family computer, an investigation begins. Gran is still staying, and Dad is horrified at the thought of having a heart-to-heart with her. Meanwhile, the ancient game of chess will never be quite the same again after Ben brings his own special talents to it.

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The Restaurant
star
7.82
157 votes

#19 - The Restaurant

Season 3 - Episode 5 - Aired 5/13/2010

The last time Mum's sister Auntie Angela came to visit, it all ended in disaster. Now she is back to show off the American therapist she has married. Dad is determined to avoid a major incident as they all go out to dinner. Ben tells everyone about his sex education class, Karen puts Auntie Angela's husband straight on therapy, but then there is a bigger problem between Mum and Dad.

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The Labrador
star
7.86
181 votes

#20 - The Labrador

Season 4 - Episode 3 - Aired 9/16/2011

Karen is on a sleep-over and Ben is away at adventure camp. Mum and Dad are left with a Labrador to look after and a glimpse of what life will be like once the children have left home.

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The Gap Year
star
7.89
81 votes

#21 - The Gap Year

Season 5 - Episode 4 - Aired 2/19/2014

Dad and Ben go on a winter camping trip, where Ben shows off his survival skills. Jake has to decide about a gap year, and Mum has had enough of Australian god-daughter Stacey staying.

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The Hospital
star
7.90
155 votes

#22 - The Hospital

Season 3 - Episode 6 - Aired 5/20/2010

Mum and Dad struggle to put things right between them, but Karen is unimpressed by their behaviour. She is worried by her vital role in the school concert, while Ben is busy recreating the assault on Everest on the stairs. But then there is a major panic about one of the children...

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The Night Out
star
7.90
187 votes

#23 - The Night Out

Season 2 - Episode 5 - Aired 12/13/2008

A Croatian babysitter has a night to remember when Mum and Dad manage to escape for a meal together. Meanwhile, Ben gets thrown out of his sister's pretend restaurant, and Jake gets advice from Grandad on why he should not invade Russia. And a big decision is looming about Grandad's future, but who is going to tell him?

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The Tennis Match
star
8.00
245 votes

#24 - The Tennis Match

Season 3 - Episode 3 - Aired 4/22/2010

Karen recreates Britain's Got Talent, Ben takes a close interest in Dad's medical tests, Mum thinks Jake's healthy interest in girls is becoming unhealthy, and the ghost of John McEnroe hovers over Dad's Saturday morning game of tennis. Karen decides to sort things out.

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The Exchange Student (2)
star
8.01
181 votes

#25 - The Exchange Student (2)

Season 4 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/7/2011

As the family tries to get rid of Auntie Angela, another guest arrives to stay. Mum has to decide what to do about Jake's girlfriend. Ben and Karen discuss dreams, the Mafia and trampolining bears.

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