Mrs Browns Boys

Mrs Browns Boys.

I recently saw a comedy series about an Irish grandmother who has a house full of her grown up kids. The series follows her day to day life with her children and the issues she has to face, usually because of them. She is a conventional old lady however, she swears, she drinks and makes inappropriate jokes with her friend: 'Winny.'

I like this program as it doesnt try to hide the fact it is in a studio and often makes 'mistakes,' forexample a camera man might get in the shot, the actor playing playing Agnes Brown would then acknowledge this and make a joke out of it. I think this is hilarious as it isnt trying to fool the audience and even though it breaks the idea of being emmersed in the program itself, the keep the audiences attention the whole way through and usually these mistakes as to the humour.

This is one of the moments where they break the illusion and allow us to laugh with the actors:

Mrs Browns boys often uses cuts, however, there was a moment when Agnes forgot her handbag at 'home' so she walked out of the pub set and along the floor to her sitting room to get the bag. This was done for humour and instead of the director using an elliptical cut - The camera followed her and we saw the edges of sets, etc.. This took the Alfred Hitchcock style of film making where you dont use cuts and follow the seen through sets, etc.. And used it in a comedic way.

I also enjoy the moments when Mrs Brown talks directly to the audience. We know there is an audience as we see them during the opening credits, which again breaks the illusion however it doesnt matter as it makes the comedy of the show more effective.

This the moment where Mrs Browns has mistaken drugs for sleeping pills and is feeling the effect.