Balls to Mrs Brown's Boys

A poll has declared Mrs Brown's Boys to be the greatest sitcom of the 21st Century.

It is a huge triumph for a programme which has divided opinion to such an extent that it is TV's equivalent of Marmite.

The show, which stars Brendan O'Carroll in his drag persona as Irish family matriarch Agnes Down, has raked in massive viewing figures, despite being utterly panned by critics.

Of course, no-one knows where TV hits will come from. Think The League of Gentlemen, The Mighty Boosh or The Young Ones. But, this one is a curve ball by anyone's standards.

How Mrs Brown's Boys could have topped a chart which also includes the hysterical Gavin & Stacey, Peter Kay's Phoenix Nights, The Inbetweeners and Outnumbered is anyone's guess. Even I'm Alan Partridge, which failed to make the list, would be preferable to a night watching Mrs Brown's Boys.

But I think it's an age thing. This is after all a poll for the Radio Times, which is known for having rather a lot of the blue rinse brigade among its readership.

Mrs Brown's Boys is a relic which relies on humour not seen since the days of Are You Being Served? O'Carroll even cites his comedy heroes as 70s double-act Cannon and Ball.

It's a blend of unsophisticated gags and fart jokes, but being stuck in the dark ages of comedy seems to have been the secrets of its success.

Mrs Brown's Boys is a flashback to a bygone era and nothing is better than a spot of nostalgia.

Even if I can't bring myself to sit through an episode of it, maybe there's a reason it's such a smash hit for a certain generation.

Readers who submit articles must agree to our terms of use. The content is the sole responsibility of the contributor and is unmoderated. But we will react if anything that breaks the rules comes to our attention. If you wish to complain about this article, contact us here