To be nonplussed why people rave over Mrs Brown's Boys

[ComposHat]

I've tried watching it twice twice and haven't got past the first five minutes it was so awful.

It seemed like an artless parody of a shite 70s sitcom (like something Frankie Howerd forgot to make) Don't get me wrong I'm not a comedy snob and quite enjoy a broad knockabout comedy like Vicious, yet I am utterly bemused by Mrs Brown's Boys, it looks dated, absurd and utterly free from laughs.

Yet it has a massive following, especially amongst people of my parents' generation. Normally when there's a TV programme I dislike I can see why other people (Top Gear for example) may enjoy it. But Mrs Brown seems to be without any redeaming features.

There must be some fans out there who can explain its appeal?

Oh I loved Big School with David Walliams and Catherine Tate. I found that really funny.

YANBU It is utter drivel! Was given a DVD of it for Christmas last year and it went to the Cancer Research shop on the 7th of Jan unopened. It is worrying what passes for talent nowadays.

Now Psychoville was fucking brilliant. Everything about it was just fantastic and so downright creepy.

Still miss League of Gentlemen...

YANBU in the slightest. I like to think I've a reasonable sense of humour. I can't find anything remotely funny in it.
I've given it a couple of episodes, but no, not fucking funny.

See, what I enjoy about things like the Office, Extras, Peep Show and others is the subtlety. MBB is far too obvious for my taste. The humour is the sort of thing my 8 year-old would find funny...farts and smelly poos etc.

That's what it is waterlego.

Some people can't find something funny if it isn't spelled out out nice and clearly for them or the gags aren't signposted throughout.

The other wonderful thing about shows like The Office and Extras was the way the stories panned out (Tim and Daw especially) rather than just being hit with the 'fart mallet' every 30 seconds.

Plus, The Office gave us Martin Freeman, for which I will always be grateful.

I'd much rather watch something where the language, facial expressions, little details have been thought about, rather than a man in drag and his hilarious family.

Did no-one see what the vile little worm said to Stephen Fry on QI? Antisemitic crap.

Heartbroken I did not say that the office and extras were on BBC3 I said and other dire rubbish on BBC3.

Havant - who said what to Stephen Fry? More detail please - haven't watched QI in ages.

I need to know what was said by whom!

In answer to Pandas question, I'm most definitely not 2nd generation Irish - was born & brought up in Northern Ireland (although have lived in England for 10+ years) & only mid 30s, so think your theory is blown there, sorry

9:47

Heartbroken I feel the same about Martin Freeman :)

And I loved Tim and Dawn so much. That scene in the final episode with the box of pastels/paints...the song that played when Dawn came back to the party to get Tim...it made me cry and I could watch it again and again. And I even felt pleased for Brent that he'd managed to make a nice, normal woman want to see him again.

waterlego - have you watched the American Office?

I watched all 9 series back to back over about 3 months earlier this year. It's...different, but brilliant in it's own way, and because they had so long to play with it they could really drag things out and add things to the 'Tim and Dawn' relationship in it.

I loved it!

I was recommended this programme by a colleague, I looked forward to watching it thinking it might be a bit like Rather Ted (which I adore and watch repeats repeatedly lol). However, I disliked it intensely; it's not funny. at all. Ten minutes and I switched off. Awfully disappointed.

Haven't seen it yet Heart, but have heard lots of people saying the same as you. It's on my list of things to watch :)

Heartbroken I loved the League of Gentlemen! I sort of see life through a League of Gentlemen filter sometimes which is probably rather weird of me. That's another one which came over from Radio4. I can remember having to stop listening to it whilst I was driving because it made me laugh so much.

Utterly perplexed as to how this throwback is in anyway funny. Surely beebread can do better

Utterly perplexed as to how this throwback is in anyway funny. Surely beeb can do better

I'm neither Irish or the older generation, and I enjoy Mrs Brown's Boys.

There's no need for all the insults flying back and forth, people like different things, and it isn't a sign of low intelligence to like or not like something.

I loved The Royle Family, and am so excited to see that one of my other comedy favourites Rab C. Nesbitt is on BBC1 Scotland on Thursday.

Some might hate Rab, but I've been a fan since Naked Video days, and I'm really looking forward to it.

Each to their own!

See I found the League of Gentlemen to be the least funny programme in years. I don't get why some posters are so patronising and snobby though - just don't watch it if you don't like it. There are a lot of programmes on TV which appear to cater to people who don't have a particularly high IQ but I don't assume that everyone who watches those programmes is the same.

Yes, but likewise, why are some people calling others 'boring' and 'annoying' for not liking Mrs Brown's Boys?

It's going both ways, you know.

League of Gentlemen didn't really do it for me either. Very hit and miss.

Golden I LOVED Naked Video - it was amazing!

And couldn't agree with you more about the insults - no need for them.

My last post should have said lot of very popular programmes.

Heartbroken I think there is no need for either side to be insulting - it is just a TV programme.

I really hate it too. Who watches it? I find it offensive. My friends were asking recently, who watches it, anybosy you know??? And nobody knew of anybosy that watched it. The only conclusion we could vome to was a fondness for men dressed up as women, and (maybe) second or third generation iris people in the uk. It is just met with a groan and a sigh and "where's the remote?" In ireland!