When you look at the top of the ratings table of British TV over the festive period, you don’t find quality TV shows which will in time become classics, it isn’t even TV shows which are considered highly by the critics and it also wasn’t a one off special series or episode which was made just for this time of year. No it was none of these, instead it was Mrs Brown’s Boys, a comedy which would’ve have looked out of date and pretty shit in the 1970’s.
Although it isn’t actually clear from my introducing statement, I don’t mind Mrs Brown’s Boys. Yes it is clearly a shit comedy and neither the acting nor the jokes are that good, but it is a nice enough show. The characters are likable and it is sort of funny in its own sort of way. It isn’t funny in a smart well-constructed episode or joke way but it is funny as in a man dressed as an old lady way.
I can remember when Mrs Brown’s Boys came on at first (I think it was after something like Graham Norton or Match of the Day or something like that), I watched the intro and thought this looks like so much shit you have to wonder how it was ever made. Not intending to I ended up watching the full episode and actually enjoying it, unbelievably it ended up becoming the crown jewel in the crown of the BBC’s comedy production. However as it gains viewing figures the funniness (as basic as it was) has decreased series on series. The simple fact is that there are only so many times that seeing a man dressed as a woman carry an entire cast of “actors” (god I’ve used that word loosely) whilst doing the same sort of jokes be funny.
Mrs Brown’s Boys is a perfect analogy to the problem with British TV just now, it isn’t very good, it certainly isn’t clever and it is about thirty years out of date. British TV has regressed drastically over the last ten years, and the fact that Mrs Brown’s Boys is one of the BBC’s most reliable and biggest shows is further evidence of this. It is a sad state of affairs when the two most watched comedies in Britain are Mrs Brown’s Boys and Miranda…what is the country coming too? (Stupid David Cameron!)
Anyway, as I said I think Mrs Brown’s Boys is ok and is fairly funny in a total shit way (unlike Miranda which is total shit in a total shit way), it’s also a good comedy to watch with your family (apparently kids love it…or so I’ve been told). The two episode that they made for the festive period were fairly good but as usual nothing special. Watch it, take it for what it is, and don’t expect anything special.
So what did you think of the Mrs Brown’s Boys festive specials? Do you think that this show epitomises everything that is wrong with British TV and comedy or am I just a grumpy goose? Let me know and leave a comment. Plus find all the latest updates for bm23tvreviews on Facebook and Twitter.