Mrs Browns Boys - Why doesn't it make me laugh?

[marcosgt]

Johnnytheboy said:

I've also been told Mrs Brown's Boys is hilarious and have tried watching it.

I assumed I was missing some deeper level of humour, but I suspect it's just ste.

It's the conclusion I've come to as well.

A number of people have assumed I've watched and enjoyed this programme, which surprises me as I find it the most predictable, hammy, amateurish load of ste I've seen masquerading as comedy (other than possibly Vicious and Citizen Khan) in decades.

There's nothing funny about a short Irish bloke in a dress, saying Feck a lot, getting his wife to grin stupidly and say "Oh, mammy" now and then (is that ALL she does, I've never seen a clip where she does anything else). Grandad is just a poor copy of the one from Only Fools and Horses (without any of the humour of course).

I'm stunned people watch and enjoy this sort of tripe. It's like On the Buses or Love Thy Neighbour, but without the biting social insight

Also, did anyone else think he came over as a humourless know-all on QI?

I'd think maybe young people might like it as they'd never been exposed to rubbish 70s comedy, but my parents (over 70) enjoy it too! Maybe that's just nostalgia. I guess I came from the era of the Young Ones and I enjoy stuff like Black Books, the IT Crowd, The Office, Extras, Flight of the Conchords and Father Ted.

Maybe I just find the broad brush (laid on thick?) humour of this recent stuff tiresome. It's a bit like American comedy like The Big Bang Theory where the jokes are laid out for you in advance, you KNOW what they're going to say and what's going to happen. Nothing's every a surprise, it's all just comfy expectation satisfying.

I mean, the Daily Mail (spit) is raving about Vicious, which is dire in my opinion, being on tonight. They accuse people who don't enjoy the camp bhing as "taking it too seriously", but seem to miss the point that its cliched old queens bhing at each other one-joke is a) not really that funny and b) as old as the hills!

The comedy about the Job Centre that followed it when it was on as a series, was infinitely better, imo, but barely gets a mention...

M

Edited by marcosgt on Friday 27th December 11:42

[vixen1700]

Eric Mc said:

Last night's programme had the highest viewing figures of ANY TV programme in the UK for all of 2013.

(That wouldn't have included me - I hasten to add).

Just read that somewhere too. Wow! I don't know anybody who has ever mentioned this programme at all, let alone say they like it.

Caught a few minutes of it once and thought it was one of the worst things I'd ever seen on telly in my life.

[ofcorsa]

Really makes me question the viewing figures accuracy. Its not on anyone I knows radar

[Pistom]

vixen1700 said:

Caught a few minutes of it once and thought it was one of the worst things I'd ever seen on telly in my life.

It's funny how different people have different opinions. I've been a MBB fan since it's first TV airing and imagine the radio shows are even better.

We had a busy Christmas Day so only caught up with this last night and must say it has all of us in fits of laughter. We had some family around who hadn't even heard of Mrs Brown but were rolling around and the niece had to leave the room as she was in fear of losing control of her bladder.

If you want to see the worst of TV comedy, catch up with Nick Helm. Keith Lemon being a close second. Both are utter ste.

[All that jazz]

Pistom said:

hadn't even heard of Mrs Brown but were rolling around and the niece had to leave the room as she was in fear of losing control of her bladder.

Wow..

[Bradgate]

My parents enjoy MBB. It's nostalgic, and I think it reminds them of the pre-PC comedy they grew up with, such as Carry On films. It's not my cup of tea, but 8 out of 10 cats and The Now Show are not theirs, so each to his own.

[moanthebairns]

ofcorsa said:

Really makes me question the viewing figures accuracy. Its not on anyone I knows radar

9 million odd tuned into see it, what else was on.

eastenders, the queens speech, some downtown abby pish, corrie.

compare that to 32 million who tuned into see the batman and robin episode of only fools

[berlintaxi]

moanthebairns said:

compare that to 32 million who tuned into see the batman and robin episode of only fools

Hardly relevant, how many TV channels were there then?
TV audiences as a whole are down.

[marcosgt]

All that jazz said:

Pistom said:

hadn't even heard of Mrs Brown but were rolling around and the niece had to leave the room as she was in fear of losing control of her bladder.

Wow..

Or pretended to need the loo to escape the appalling 'comedy' everyone else seemed to be enjoying?

M

[Phil Dicky]

Thank god it's not just me that thinks this is utter ste

[darren f]

It's a bit of a 'marmite' programme, you either hate it or think it's the funniest thing ever. I loved it initially, it was something different. Now I think it's a real 'one trick pony', completely formulaic. And relies on his (her?) use of the expletive far too much. Oh for some genuinely clever sit-com writing...., watch some old episodes of OFAH, Porridge, Open all Hours, or the Good Life and the difference is so stark.

[Pistom]

marcosgt said:

Or pretended to need the loo to escape the appalling 'comedy' everyone else seemed to be enjoying?

M

No, she asked us to rewind to where it was when she left.

The people who like Mrs Brown seem to be those that like classics like Fawlty Towers, Blackadder, Carry On. I'll never criticise others peoples humor as it is a personal thing.

The other enjoyable comedy I saw over Christmas was Nina Conti.

We also want more Miranda please.

Michael McIntyre has his moments too.

[marcosgt]

Pistom said:

marcosgt said:

Or pretended to need the loo to escape the appalling 'comedy' everyone else seemed to be enjoying?

M

No, she asked us to rewind to where it was when she left.

The people who like Mrs Brown seem to be those that like classics like Fawlty Towers, Blackadder, Carry On. I'll never criticise others peoples humor as it is a personal thing.

The other enjoyable comedy I saw over Christmas was Nina Conti.

We also want more Miranda please.

Michael McIntyre has his moments too.

Well I can really enjoy Fawlty Towers and think most Blackadder is brilliant, but I think it would be overly-generous (in the least) to compare Mrs Brown to either... I also quite like Miranda (a good twist on old-fashioned comedy) and agree that Michael McIntyre has his moments (Although we may disagree, I suspect, on how many) - I don't recognise the name Nina Conti.

I don't have a problem with someone finding Mrs Brown funny, I'm just slightly stunned that anyone does... It's one of those stone-faced moments for me when I see the trailer... sort of "was that even supposed to be funny?"

M.

Edited by marcosgt on Friday 27th December 14:15

[megaphone]

Pistom said:

The people who like Mrs Brown seem to be those that like classics like Fawlty Towers, Blackadder, Carry On.

No, no, just...no

[berlintaxi]

marcosgt said:

Well I can really enjoy Fawlty Towers and think most Blackadder is brilliant,

All a matter of personal taste, don't think Blackadder made me laugh once.

[Pistom]

darren f said:

It's a bit of a 'marmite' programme, you either hate it or think it's the funniest thing ever. I loved it initially, it was something different. Now I think it's a real 'one trick pony', completely formulaic. And relies on his (her?) use of the expletive far too much. Oh for some genuinely clever sit-com writing...., watch some old episodes of OFAH, Porridge, Open all Hours, or the Good Life and the difference is so stark.

I agree with all of this and don't find MBB as funny now for this reason. I think the use of expletives is not needed and detracts from what would otherwise be brilliant.

[Eric Mc]

Which just goes to show - discussions and debates on whether a comedy is funny or not are pretty pointless.

Sense of humour is one of the most subjective aspects of human nature. Just because I don't laugh at something doesn't mean that others wont find that same thing funny.

Nobody is right and nobody is wrong - just different.

[marcosgt]

Eric Mc said:

Which just goes to show - discussions and debates on whether a comedy is funny or not are pretty pointless.

Sense of humour is one of the most subjective aspects of human nature. Just because I don't laugh at something doesn't mean that others wont find that same thing funny.

Nobody is right and nobody is wrong - just different.

OK, that's fair enough, but WHAT do those who find it amusing find particularly so?

Is it the jokes, the situations, the fact it's a man in drag, some of all these or something else?

M

[Pints]

Intesting thread. As a Python fan, my mum thought I'd find Mrs Brown hilarious.

I just don't. That doesn't stop her calling me everytime it's on TV, telling me to switch over.

[Eric Mc]

marcosgt said:

Eric Mc said:

Which just goes to show - discussions and debates on whether a comedy is funny or not are pretty pointless.

Sense of humour is one of the most subjective aspects of human nature. Just because I don't laugh at something doesn't mean that others wont find that same thing funny.

Nobody is right and nobody is wrong - just different.

OK, that's fair enough, but WHAT do those who find it amusing find particularly so?

Is it the jokes, the situations, the fact it's a man in drag, some of all these or something else?

M

No point in explaining to those who don't find it funny.

Just accept that and move on.