[James2001]

Yes, they're using a filmic effect which was introduced for the 2022 Christmas Specials.

And it's one of the shows on TV least suited to being filmed like that as well. Just further highlights the massive slide in the show's quality.

[Scrotnig]

There are valid points here.

I can’t stand Mrs Brown’s Boys, but I accept many people do like it. The BBC should make television for as wide a variety of audiences as possible. I’m unlikely to find everything they make to be for me.

I wouldn’t want the BBC to stop making it, it’s a successful show. I just won’t watch it. That’s fine.

[London Lite]

While Series 4 from what I've seen so far doesn't match the quality of S1-3, nor is it going to be the ratings champion it had been during their heyday, it still provides comedy for an underserved audience who don't enjoy the BBC's more intellegent comedy offerings, for which PSB is all about serving different audiences.

Without spoling it for those watching on linear tv, there does seem to have been an effort to try and change it up a tiny bit with a new regular character joining in Episode 2.

[Brekkie]

There are valid points here.

I can’t stand Mrs Brown’s Boys, but I accept many people do like it. The BBC should make television for as wide a variety of audiences as possible. I’m unlikely to find everything they make to be for me.

I wouldn’t want the BBC to stop making it, it’s a successful show. I just won’t watch it. That’s fine.

I think most the complaints come from lapsed fans rather than haters - when it started it was quite refreshing and bit's success much deserved - but it continued long past it's sell by date and creatively just doing the specials hurt it with every other episode being a Christmas themed special then usually a non-Christmas episode at New Year.   Airing annually rather than weekly limited what they could do.

They probably still have a hit rate of one or two genuinely decent episodes in every six - you can get away with that in a series but not so much when airing annually.


It's not unique to Mrs Brown's Boys - many Only Fools and Horses fans would prefer the three extra episodes didn't exist (indeed I don't think I've ever seen the last two) and The Royle Family Christmas specials weren't that well received either.

[London Lite]

It's not unique to Mrs Brown's Boys - many Only Fools and Horses fans would prefer the three extra episodes didn't exist (indeed I don't think I've ever seen the last two) and The Royle Family Christmas specials weren't that well received either.

Strangers on the Shore was my favourite of the post Buster Merryfield Christmas Specials.

[James2001]

Strangers on the Shore was my favourite of the post Buster Merryfield Christmas Specials.

It's definitely the highest quality one. I think it helps that they weren't having to set up the premise of them losing the money, or trying to wrap things up as the other two episodes did, so were just able to tell a story.

The third one suffers because while they were wrapping things up, there was also still talk of more episodes at the time, so it was still left open ended for more, so it was quite unsatisfyingly done compared to the definitive 1996 ending.

[Score]

Under 2 million last night. Not the easiest slot and the heatwave has hit audiences this week but even so that’s a very poor start. I’m sure it’ll look a bit better in +7 with iPlayer included but it still won’t be great.

It really has fallen off a cliff. It’s weird as a decade or so ago when it was at its peak it was arguably the biggest show on TV (or definitely one of the biggest). I can’t recall another sitcom or scripted show experiencing such a drastic fall from grace. It happens in unscripted as formats run for a long time but it’s quite rare in scripted, in the UK at least. I think they’re contracted for another few years of specials but I wonder how low they’ll end up going.

[JMT1985]

Under 2 million last night. Not the easiest slot and the heatwave has hit audiences this week but even so that’s a very poor start. I’m sure it’ll look a bit better in +7 with iPlayer included but it still won’t be great.

It really has fallen off a cliff. It’s weird as a decade or so ago when it was at its peak it was arguably the biggest show on TV (or definitely one of the biggest). I can’t recall another sitcom or scripted show experiencing such a drastic fall from grace. It happens in unscripted as formats run for a long time but it’s quite rare in scripted, in the UK at least. I think they’re contracted for another few years of specials but I wonder how low they’ll end up going.

Actually any sitcom now on linear TV which can attract around 1 to 2 million overnight viewers is considered fairly stable - even Eastenders pulls in 2 million overnight viewers most editions. 

This is not just about Mrs Brown's Boys (which the quality is getting worse each year) - it is a sign of the new TV watching era - linear watching is on the way out, this is why the BBC put all four episodes of this new series on the iPlayer already.

[London Lite]

I've gone through Series 4. While still nowhere as good as in their peak, they do seem to be trying at least and there's some character development as the series goes through.

I've also noted there's nowhere as much of the fourth wall stuff. Brendan and Paddy seem to have taken it on board.

As for the linear v VOD argument, my 72 year old mother watched three episodes back to back last night from 10pm and the fourth this afternoon on iPlayer as she was watching something else at the same time as MBB despite being a fan.

She's in the MBB core demo and still loves the show.

Now if they could remove the filmic effect for the Christmas and New Year specials, otherwise I think they're doing a decent job at focusing the sitcom at their core audience.

[Score]

Actually any sitcom now on linear TV which can attract around 1 to 2 million overnight viewers is considered fairly stable - even Eastenders pulls in 2 million overnight viewers most editions. 

This is not just about Mrs Brown's Boys (which the quality is getting worse each year) - it is a sign of the new TV watching era - linear watching is on the way out, this is why the BBC put all four episodes of this new series on the iPlayer already.

I’m well aware of the TV era but for a returning brand like Mrs Brown’s Boys over 2 million would have been expected. Not Going Out managed it a few months back. A new sitcom will get away with 1 to 2 million plus iPlayer and catch up as there’s room to build it and grow, but that’s not going to happen with MBB. Its audience is also extremely old and so less likely to go and stream it and more likely to watch the old fashioned way.

Suspect it’ll limp its way to about 3 million in total, which again for a new sitcom wouldn’t be bad but is not great for a returning ‘hit’. 

The whole thing is a bit odd really. Why make a new series now, all these years later? Perhaps the tour revenue has started to dry up.