The Hughes family – mum, dad and three point five children - may sound like an average bunch, but bosses at Channel 4 think their 'averageness' is interesting enough to make into eight hours of television.

Over four months, the Hughes family - who live in Harbledown, near Canterbury - had more than 20 cameras capturing their every move for a new observational documentary series, which aims to give an insight into Britain’s most cherished institution.

Filmed over 100 days and nights, The Family follows the highs and lows of every aspect of the Hughes's life - including rows over bedtimes and curfews, stressful wedding plans and work issues.

Meet the family:

• Dad: Simon, 44, describes his role in the family as “cook, taxi, painter and decorator, encourager, the default person to ask anything, provider, giver of cuddles and the one who has to pretend to be in charge";

• Mum: Charity worker Jane, 40, has been married to Simon for 22 years. She defines her responsibilities as "peacekeeper, general dogsbody and keeper of all knowledge of where people have to be and where their belongings are";

Children:

• Eldest Jessica is 22 and lives nearby with her fiancé Pat and their 10-month-old daughter, Ruby. They get married at the end of the series.

She’s a stay-at-home mum but a regular visitor to the Hughes household and describes the family as "loving, loud and food obsessed";

• Emily, 19, sees herself as the headstrong, rebellious, trouble-making party animal of the clan. She works in sales;

• At 17, Charlotte is still at school, and was once the district shot-put champion for the under 14 girls. She describes her role as “someone to lighten the mood” and says it’s never boring with a big family;

• Baby of the family is 14-year-old Tom. He says his biggest role model is Batman.

The series starts on September 17.