Mrs Brown’s Boys fans have thrown their support behind the sitcom ahead of the next Christmas special (Picture: BBC)
When it comes to Christmas, Mrs Brown’s Boys brings out the Scrooge in many people.
Year on year it’s crowned the most watched TV special of December 25 and eachtime many ask: ‘Who has been watching Mrs Brown’s Boys?’
Well, sneer all you want because the divisive BBC sitcom doesn’t appear to be going anywhere.
It’s popularity is solid as a rock.
As Lee Mack recently put, it he wanted to help avoid the ‘death’ of the British sitcom from commissioners and critics who didn’t understand the ‘working class art’ of the shows’ beloved by the masses.
The series first hit screens back in 2011 and follows the loud-mouthed Irish matriarch Agnes Brown, whose favourite pastime is meddling in the lives of her six children.
Speaking to Metro.co.uk, fans have rushed to defend Mrs Brown’s Boys ahead of its latest Christmas special.
It first hit screens back in 2011 (Picture: BBC / Alan Peebles)
For Sudakshina Bhattacharjee, she’s been tuning in since the start and ‘instantly’ fell in love with the titular character and ‘her feisty sense of humour’.
‘I have all the DVDs and books and have even seen the show live at the Apollo Theatre in London last year,’ she said.
She said her loved ones were looking forward to settling in tonight too.
‘It’s a family ritual for us to watch the Christmas and New Year specials because the messaging is always so cheerful, warm and comforting,’ she shared.
Addressing the criticisms of the show, she said the fact it was still on air speaks for itself.
‘I am aware of the criticism that this show gets on social media and is it a bit bizarre to me,’ she explained.
‘I think it could be that this type of comedy simply doesn’t resonate with some because they don’t vibe with the show’s concept or may think this is passé in some way.
‘But the data and facts speak for themselves.’
Some people make their dislike of the show known on social media each year (Picture: BBC)
Despite being lambasted by some critics and audiences over the years, the show quickly became a ratings success in both Ireland, where it is set, and the United Kingdom, where it is recorded.
It has also received high ratings in Australia, New Zealand and Canada and has received BAFTA and NTA nominations.
Ciara Lawrence said the series provided a sense of nostalgia as it reminded her of her extended family there.
While she only tuned in for the first time last year, stumbling across it by chance, she was quickly hooked and now calls it her ‘go-to show’ when she needs a ‘positive lift’.
And she’s particularly looking forward to tonight’s special because it’s ‘funny and fun to watch over Christmas,’ she explained.
She added that she believed people simply took such harsh aim just because they didn’t enjoy the show, but that there were many others who did.
Writer and star Brendan O’Carroll recently defended his series against critics (Picture: BBC)
They also include Trix Smith, who said she was ‘such a fan’ because it always bought a smile to her face so of course she will be watching the Christmas special.
‘It keeps going because it is such a funny show and everyone gets a laugh out of it,’ she said.
For Beckie Smith, it is also her ‘comfort show’.
‘If I’m happy, I watch Mrs. Brown’s Boys… if I am sad, I watch it…. It never gets old. I could watch it on repeat and still laugh so hard. I love them,’ she said.
In a recent interview, O’Carroll hit back at the frequent criticisms that Mrs Brown’s Boys receives, explaining why he didn’t let the disparaging remarks get to him.
‘First of all, I’m well aware that comedy is very subjective. What some people like, other people just detest. So I don’t take it too serious,’ he told BBC Radio Sounds, via MailOnline.
He spoke about the subjectivity of comedy (Picture: Amy Sussman/Getty Images)
Ahead why he thought there were still numerous people who will tune in to the series every year without fail, in spite of the mixed reception it receives, he explained how he thought it was to do with the state of the world.
‘You know what it is, I think since 2008 the world hasn’t had a break. We’ve had all sorts of challenges, we’ve had a pandemic, we have had wars, all sorts of worries and it just gets to the stage where people get unsure, they get nostalgic,’ he answered.
‘They go “Oh do you remember before, all this was lovely, that was lovely, the summers were longer and Christmas was brighter.” Mrs. Brown’s Boys has a kind of nostalgia to it.’
He said it’s beauty was in its simplicity as viewers ‘didn’t need to have a university degree’ to understand the comedy.
‘It’s just gags and it’s let’s sit down on Christmas Day, whatever else happens, let’s sit down and just have a laugh.’
Earlier this year some people had called for it to be pulled off air completely because of how much they disliked the New Year’s Day special, with one person saying it ‘was not funny’ and another claiming a child ‘could write a better script’.
Mrs Brown’s Boys: Mammy’s Mare airs tonight at 10.45pm on BBC One.
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‘The criticism is a bit bizarre to me.’