Mrs Brown's Boys live episode won't have a swear buzzer

There will be no safety net when the occasionally foul-mouthed Mammy goes live for the night.

The danger of constantly celebrating the past

Nostalgia. Easy promotability. A blend of old and new. Low risk. Lots of press. And a brand new half hour to be written by Clement and Frenais, writers of the near-perfect Porridge. What's not to like? As a consumer of comedy, I'm fine with all of the above obviously. As a writer of comedy, my feelings are slightly more mixed.

Not to everyone's taste, but Mrs Brown's Boys is widely watched over the festive season. There's precious little concession to the holidays in this New Year special - more, as ever, a procession of near-the-knuckle jokes, delivered while the cast try their hardest (not always successfully) to avoid laughing. Tonight, Robert Bathurst guests as a surprise visitor to Foley's Bar. He has designs not on Kathy (who has "been on so many blind dates she needs a guide dog") but on Agnes Brown herself.

Mrs Brown's Boys Christmas Day Special 2015, review

Despite constant lambasting by critics for its lowest-common-denominator formula, there were some funny moments in Brendan O'Carroll's throwback sitcom, says Gerard O'Donovan.

Meet the cast of the Mrs Brown's Boys

In case you're not familiar with the Brown Clan, here's a breakdown of some its most important faces.

Why you just don't get Mrs Brown's Boys

Can't fathom why Brendan O'Carroll's comedy wins the Christmas TV battle every year? You're missing a very simple truth.

The real family behind Mrs Brown's Boys

Star Brendan O'Carroll's sister Eilish has given the Mirror a rare insight into the inspiration behind the smash hit Christmas institution.

Radio Times review

Kathy bemoans being "one more bad relationship away from owning 50 cats", but when a stranger makes eyes at her and the ladies in the pub, to everyone's shock, he's ogling Agnes. Mammy still has her "needs" and says, "Even a ripe banana likes to be squeezed." But is her admirer William (Robert Bathurst, who played Edith's drippy suitor in Downton) just a shade too ardent?

A lot more fun than the Christmas edition, this has laugh-out-loud lines, a smutty spin on the words "yoyo" and "scuttle" and great physical comedy from Brendan O'Carroll, as Agnes seeks advice on amorous matters from her GP and the vicar.

Radio Times review

"I'm determined to have a safe Christmas this year," says Agnes, as she takes delivery of another preposterous, life-threatening tree from Buster. She's also preoccupied with Winnie's bucket list and the family's plan to ship her off to Canada.

Mrs Brown's Boys has zero sophistication but still manages to be peculiarly endearing and pull in the punters. This ramshackle special squeezes in decent visual gags, a trumping grandad and a swearing vicar; the usually effective ad-libs for once look well rehearsed. And watch out for a throwaway cameo for Noddy Holder.