Hugh Dennis would be "very happy" to do more Outnumbered – and has an idea for new episode

After making its debut back in 2007, the series quickly established itself as one of the nation's favourite comedies, introducing struggling parents Pete and Sue Brockman, as well as their three cheeky kids: Karen, Ben and Jake.

Outnumbered has been missing from the schedules since 2016's Christmas special, which saw the Brockman clan embark on a stressful and emotional journey to scatter the ashes of Sue's late father.

While the comedy has been forced to evolve as the former child actors have grown up, Dennis remains enthusiastic about the project and even has his own idea for a reunion in the far future.

"I really liked making it, and I’d be very happy to do some more," he told Radio Times. "Maybe in 20 years when the children are looking after us. That would be a great format."

Dennis went on to discuss why the show remains so popular more than a decade on from its initial debut, crediting the writer's grounded depiction of family life.

He added: "I think it was one of those sitcoms that acknowledged how difficult it is to bring up kids and what an unholy mess it is, quite often. That stuff is confusing and confused.

"The number of people who have come up to me and said, ‘You are basically telling me the story of my own life.’ But I would like to say that I’m a much better father than I appear to be on Outnumbered."

Outnumbered was one of several classic sitcoms repeated on BBC One during the first national lockdown in an effort to keep the public's spirits up.

For the biggest interviews and the best TV listings subscribe to Radio Times now and never miss a copy. Read the full interview with Hugh Dennis in this week’s Radio Times, out Tuesday.

Outnumbered is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Looking for something else to watch? Check out our TV Guide to see what's on tonight.