Mrs. Brown's Boys gets a second series

Tuesday 22nd March 2011, 4:00pm

Mrs. Brown's Boys. Agnes Brown (Brendan O'Carroll). Copyright: BBC / BocPix

The BBC has announced that it has recommissioned Mrs. Brown's Boys, the studio-based sitcom written by and starring Irish comedian Brendan O'Carroll.

Mrs. Brown's Boys, which is currently airing on BBC One on Monday nights, is based on the sell-out theatre tour which features Brendan O'Carroll as Agnes Brown, a Dublin matriarch who just can't resist interfering in the lives of her family and friends.

Despite heavy criticism from some newspaper reviewers (press clippings), BBC One boss Danny Cohen and Comedy Commissioner Cheryl Taylor have ordered a second series of the sitcom due to good audience figures and a high AI rating (the BBC's measure of audience appreciation). The show has been averaging over 3m viewers, 28 per cent higher than the timeslot's normal average.

Brendan O'Carroll says: "This is unbelievable! I'm just thrilled that the BBC continues to have confidence in the show. The support we have had from all involved, from Danny Cohen and Mark Freeland and BBC Scotland makes us just so excited to get back there and do it all again. Producer Stephen McCrum promised me that he would be faithful to the stage show and he has gone beyond this in making the show the success it is. I am living the dream."

In an interview with The Scotsman, the star added: "It's the first sitcom with an 85 AI rating, I have no idea what that means but people seem really f***ing impressed by it."

Mrs. Brown's Boys. Image shows from L to R: Dermot Brown (Paddy Houlihan), Rory Brown (Rory Cowan), Winnie McGoogan (Eilish O'Carroll), Agnes Brown (Brendan O'Carroll), Cathy Brown (Jennifer Gibney), Buster Brady (Danny O'Carroll). Copyright: BBC / BocPix

Mrs. Brown's Boys is notable for breaking the 'fourth wall' (such as the star talking to the audience, acknowledging that it is a sitcom and not 'real'). O'Carroll explains: "I thought it was only fair to the audience that what they saw was a fair representation of what they would see if they came to the stage show. The last thing I wanted to do was do a sanitised version of Mrs Brown and have a nice audience coming to the theatre and saying: 'Holy s**t what it this?', But the BBC supported us all the way. We shoot it from start to finish without stopping. I wanted it to have a raw edge. It's old fashioned-style comedy, but with a modern edge and it makes people laugh out loud."

The TV show is made using the regular stage show cast, including O'Carroll's real-life wife Jennifer Gibney as Cathy, his daughter Fiona O'Carroll as Maria, his son Danny O'Carroll as Buster, and his sister Eilish O'Carroll as Winnie McGoogan.

Danny Cohen says: "Mrs Brown has been a big hit with BBC One viewers. It's a laugh-out loud funny show with wonderful performances at its heart.", and Cheryl Taylor adds: "Brendan O'Carroll and his irrepressible alter ego Agnes Brown have lit up Monday nights for the past few weeks and, despite the rarefied language, the warmth of this series and the laugh-out-loud comedy antics have proved a huge hit with BBC One viewers. We're delighted that Agnes and her wonderful family will be returning later in the year."

The new six-part second series, produced by the BBC's in-house comedy department, will be filmed at Pacific Quay in Scotland later in the year, and broadcast on BBC One in the winter.

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