LOVE IT says IAN HYLAND
There was so much moaning about this year’s Christmas telly it was hard to tell who complained loudest. There were the keyboard ragers going wild over the whole DOCTOR WHO IS A BLOOMIN’ WOMAN!!! thing.
Then there were the comedy snobs who could not believe the WORST SITCOM OF ALL TIME!!! had topped the ratings.
Obviously, thanks to a growing number who just love to complain about anything, there would have been some crossover.
However the hatred for Mrs Brown’s Boys remains fierce – and I cannot understand it.
I love Mrs Brown. I even forgave large parts of that 2014 movie for being feckin’ awful.
Aside from the swearing and lewd humour it’s about as inoffensive as a sitcom could be.
It also has a genuine warmth that, on occasion, matches the BBC’s previous Christmas top dog, The Royle Family. Yes, you see the slapstick coming a mile off – but that did not stop people loving Miranda.
And yes, some gags are so old you’d want a refund if you found them in your Christmas crackers.
That just adds to the charm, though – especially if you get to groan along with your family.
It didn’t matter that the minute I saw Mrs Brown’s latest tree I knew she was going to end up spinning around on it. The joy is HOW she ends up spinning. And the stolen-carwash-brush-asa-tree idea was one of the funniest yet. I also liked how new Rory was introduced, not least because when we first heard him I was sure they’d persuaded Louis Walsh to join.
That still wouldn’t have been enough for some. “What’s funny about a man dressing up as a woman?”, they cried. Meanwhile they were probably booking tickets for their local panto. To them Mrs Brown’s Boys is rubbish and anyone who watches it is a moron.
To me that sounds like someone who doth protest too much. I suspect the haters don’t hate Mrs B at all. They hate themselves for secretly enjoying populist TV.
Deep down they know if they actually dared to watch they’d be laughing just as loudly as the rest of us.
It has a warmth that, on occasion, matches The Royle Family