Outnumbered is a British Comedy Award winner and BAFTA nominated British sitcom that has aired on BBC One since 2007. It stars Hugh Dennis and Claire Skinner as a mother and father who are outnumbered by their three children. Produced by Hat Trick Productions, Outnumbered is written, directed and produced by Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin, although the show is also semi-improvised. Most of the improvised lines are given to the child characters, in order to make the performances more realistic. The first series was broadcast late at night, over two weeks. A second series was broadcast one episode per week. The show received mostly positive reviews (particularly in its second series), gaining praise for its use of improvisation and for the use of a laid back, mundane setting. However some criticised the show for not being funny and the BBC for the way the programme was scheduled, although Hamilton was fine with it saying that, "it kept us out of the ratings bunfight of prime time." (via Wikipedia)