RTE & BBC comedy Mrs Brown's Boys has been voted the best British sitcom of the 21st century thus far in a poll conducted by the Radio Times.
The Irish show beat out a number of recent classics including The Office, Gavin & Stacey and The IT Crowd in a poll of some 14,000 readers.
Despite having come in for considerable flak from critics, in which it has been described as the ‘Donald Trump of sitcoms’, the show has nevertheless proved a massive hit with audiences either side of the Irish Sea.
A recent live episode of the show attracted 6.5 million viewers on a Saturday night, 2 million higher than the average viewership for the 9.45 slot. The show had previously dethroned the Queen’s Speech in a Christmas Day ratings showdown.
Brendan O' Carroll who plays Mrs Brown meeting fans at Mrs Brown's Boys Da Movie (Photo: Sam Boal/RollingNews.ie)“It vindicates the fans’ belief in the show”, said Brendan O’Carroll, show creator and man behind the colourful mammy. “They have kept us on air, it certainly wasn’t the reviewers."
They have kept us on air, it certainly wasn’t the reviewers.
The show has already spawned a movie in Mrs Brown’s Boys D’Movie, which managed to top the UK and Ireland box office for a fortnight after its release in June 2014.
O’Carroll revealed that plans were afoot for a sequel, but had recently ran into delays due to concerns over post-Brexit funding.
The Radio Times’ top 20 list was compiled by a selection of experts from the British Film Institute.
Here's a list of the 9 other fan-favourites making up the top 10...
2. The Office
Brainchild of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, The Office didn't take long to become a classic after it aired between 2001 and 2003. The show collected a number of awards including a Golden Globe, inspired a hit TV series in the US of the same name, and recently spawned the movie David Brent: Life on the Road which follows the show's protagonist in later life.
3. Peter Kay's Car Share
Having only launched last year, Peter Kay's newest venture has clearly gone down well with viewers. The BBC 1 show, which follows Kay's character John Redmond and a coworker's automobile exploits, won a host of awards at the Baftas earlier this year.
4. Count Arthur Strong
Written by Graham Linehan and Steve Delaney, who plays the titular character, Count Arthur Strong follows a jobless and eccentric former variety performer with delusions of grandeur. The show was nominated for a Bafta for its first series in 2014.
5. The IT Crowd
Another Linehan show, The IT Crowd followed a trio of calamitous IT specialists and their disastrous exploits. It won a variety of awards, critical acclaim, spawned both German and American versions and launched the careers of Chris O'Dowd and Richard Ayoade into the mainstream limelight.
6. The Thick of It
Perhaps the most critically acclaimed sitcom on the list, The Thick of It's seven year run of British political satire reaped a whole host of illustrious awards. Its American spin off Veep has won so many that they have their own Wikipedia page. The Thick of It even paved the way for a new addition to the English language, with 'Omnishambles' becoming a go-to term for a mess.
7. Gavin & Stacey
Written by co-stars James Corden and Ruth Jones, the British romantic situation comedy followed the long-distance relationship of the titular Gavin and Stacey between Essex and Wales. The show was much-loved by critics and audience alike, and acted as a springboard for Corden and Jones’ careers.
8. Miranda
Miranda Hart’s self-written situational comedy followed the awkward exploits of her socially-inept character and was well-received, with Hart herself winning a Royal Television Society award and the show itself receiving several Bafta nominations.
9. Raised By Wolves
Caitlin Moran's sitcom may have been discontinued following a second series earlier this year, but the show was a critical success, having been garnered almost universal approval from the tabloid press. The show followed Moran and her sister’s youth in Wolverhampton.
10. Outnumbered
Outnumbered centered on a mother-father pair played by Claire Skinner and Hugh Dennis, quite literally outnumbered by their three unruly children. The show received a number of awards and nominations from the British Comedy Awards, the Broadcasting Press Guild and the National Television Awards.
