Mrs Brown’s Boys star Brendan O’Carroll hits back at trolls who have slammed the BBC show’s Christmas specials
Mrs Brown’s Boys star Brendan O’Carroll has hit back at trolls who criticized the show’s Christmas specials.
The BBC recently unveiled its TV and online offerings for the Christmas period, with two specials coming under particular scrutiny – both Mrs Brown’s Boys.
Brendan, the sitcom’s creator, told BBC Radio Sounds: “First of all, I’m very aware that comedy is very subjective. What some people like, other people simply hate. So I don’t take it too seriously.”
The actor said the show remains extremely popular and has even helped children with autism.
He said: “When we started… around episode four or five, we got a couple of letters from people who had autistic children.
Mrs Brown’s Boys star Brendan O’Carroll has hit back at trolls who criticized the show’s Christmas specials
“It started with a couple of letters and now there are over 3,000. And they said their children were watching Mrs. Brown and that was the first time they heard them laugh in context.
“One woman said that she was in the kitchen and heard her son laugh for the first time.
“So when you get a letter like that, I don’t care what the critics say. That’s enough for me.
It comes as the BBC unveiled its TV and online offerings for the Christmas period, with two specials coming under special scrutiny – both Mrs Brown’s Boys.
Fans of the holiday broadcast calendar have complained about the decision since the announcement, saying “we’ve suffered enough.”
The BBC announcement said: “Mrs Brown’s Boys returns with two episodes as Mummy tries to enjoy a nice and peaceful Christmas before the whole gang kicks off the New Year by trying out a tough new health and fitness regime.”
“Please stop,” read one reaction on X (formerly Twitter), “we have suffered enough.”
Brendan, the sitcom’s creator, told BBC Radio Sounds: “First of all, I’m very aware that comedy is very subjective. What some people like, other people simply hate. So I don’t take it too seriously.”
Another commented: “Why? It’s not funny anymore.’
Others simply exclaimed “NO” or asked “WHY?”
Someone else called the decision “absolutely pathetic.”
But one critical user X reacted more positively to the move, saying: “It’s good that they’ll put things on so people will turn off the TV and play board games with their families instead.”
Since it first aired in 2011, the BBC sitcom created by Brendan O’Carroll has produced a Christmas special every year, often with a second special episode on New Year’s Day.
Since 2013, Mrs Brown’s Boys had only produced special episodes until the polarizing program aired its fourth season in September this year.
As a result of this brief return to regular television, the show was branded “nonsense and completely unfunny”.
‘We’ve suffered enough’: The BBC has come under fire for showing two more episodes of Mrs Brown’s Boys in this year’s festive broadcast calendar
The glass is half full: One critical user X was more positive about the move, saying, “It’s good that they’ll put things on to get people to turn off the TV and play board games with their families instead.”
And 11 months ago, the latest holiday version of the comedy had fans voicing their displeasure once again.
One tweeted at the time: “#Mrsbrownsboys Enough please, I used to really like this but it’s lost its way.”
The BBC further teased this winter’s episodes with the following synopsis: “All Mrs Brown wants is a nice, peaceful Christmas, but the family has other ideas!”
“Katie has decided to cook Christmas dinner for the first time, the sentimental decorations are gone, and an unexpected dinner guest threatens to ruin Agnes’ quiet Christmas.”