Hugh Dennis

Hugh Dennis: I'm a happy rambler

How the comedian and Great British Countryside host has unchained himself from his desk.

Hugh Dennis reveals MI5 approach

Comedian Hugh Dennis has revealed that he was approached to work for MI5 as a student.

Sue and Pete (Claire Skinner and Hugh Dennis) decide to go on holiday to the Canary Islands... on Christmas Day. Cue a well-worked against-the-clock farce involving a dental emergency, a house-sitting sister whose boyfriend may or may not have a criminal record, and a visit to Sue's father (the excellent David Ryall) in hospital.

After four years and as many series, this sitcom about the daily life of a middle-class family in south London still manages that rare feat of being genuinely funny. Tonight's festive special follows the misadventures of Pete Brockman (Hugh Dennis) and his wife Sue (Claire Skinner) as they take their family to the Canary Islands. They're hoping to spend a sunny, stress-free Christmas - doubtless a prelude to a comic disaster.

Now in their 21st year, the British Comedy Awards have long served as a bellwether for the state of British comedy, from the quirky satire of the early 1990s, through the energetic sketch shows of the mid- to late-90s, to the recent success of family-friendly stand-up comics like Peter Kay, Michael McIntyre and John Bishop. Thanks to a sharp host, a ready supply of funny clips and a suitably witty audience, they've also been one of the few live awards ceremonies actually worth watching.

Tonight's event is hosted live by Jonathan Ross. Leading the nominees is Miranda Hart, who is up for four awards, while Harry Hill gets three nods. Hart, last year's Queen of Comedy winner, is up for the award again, with David Mitchell, Telegraph agony uncle Graham Norton, Jack Whitehall, Jo Brand and Sarah Millican also in the running. Tamsin Greig and Tom Rosenthal are nominated for best TV comedy actress and best comedy breakthrough artist respectively for their roles in Friday Night Dinner, while Hugh Dennis and Claire Skinner have been singled out for their contribution to Outnumbered. Downton Abbey's Hugh Bonneville receives a nomination for his role in the Olympic comedy Twenty Twelve.

The irrepressible Ricky Tomlinson, best known for The Royle Family, introduces clips from festive editions of classic sitcoms, from Rising Damp to Blackadder. The likes of Hugh Dennis and Miranda Hart discuss what it takes to make the perfect Christmas special. Meanwhile, cast members revisit memorable locations used in One Foot in the Grave, Gavin & Stacey, Father Ted and The Vicar of Dibley.

This semi-improvised comedy continues to assert itself as top dog of British comedies, delivering more laughs per minute than perhaps any home-grown sitcom of the past decade. A bold claim, perhaps, but week after week Outnumbered brilliantly captures the essence of family life today, in which a generation of middle-class parents are in thrall to their bossy children. We all know a Sue or a Pete (Claire Skinner and Hugh Dennis), who tie themselves in knots trying to do right by their impossible offspring.

The programme also packs in a remarkable number of throwaway jokes. Tonight, for example, Pete is late home from work. "Passenger action on the trains," he says. "I think they were lynching the driver." And the children's quirky interpretations of the world are impressively relevant. The flights of fancy from Karen (Ramona Marquez) tend to be the funniest, thanks to the juxtaposition of solemn observation and her adorable voice. Tonight, when Karen is quizzing her mother on terrorism, Sue mentions that when she was young, the terrorism threat came from Ireland. "The Irish? Are you sure?" squeaks Karen. "You mean people like Graham Norton and Jedward?"

It's eerily quiet in the Brockman household. Karen's staying overnight with her fashion-mad friend Tanya, pretending to be the new Gok Wan; Ben's terrorising the other kids and their teacher at an activity camp; while Jake's out with his band mates, doing whatever teenage boys do. "It's not natural!" whimpers Sue, visualising how empty life will be when it's just her and Pete. Even the prospect that they could have sex during the day isn't helping.

Except that they're not completely alone. Archie is staying with them and although he doesn't argue or answer back or ask impossible questions as the kids do (after all, he is a dog), he's a bit of a comedy star, acting as a wonderfully doleful, four-legged straight man to Hugh Dennis and Claire Skinner.

Pete (Hugh Dennis) and Sue (Claire Skinner) are left home alone when the Brockman children go their various ways for the weekend: Ben to an adventure camp where he takes pride in terrorising the teacher; Karen, who has written UGG on the side of her boots, to her fashion-mad friend Tanya's house; and Jake is out jamming with his bandmates. With all that spare time on their hands, the pair get a taste of what life will be like with an empty nest.