Fans of the BBC series ‘Mrs Brown’s Boys’ are in for a treat when the show goes live, for one episode, next year.
The special episode of the hit series will kickstart Landmark Sitcom Season in summer 2016, to coincide with the 60th anniversary of ‘Hancock’s Half Hour’.
‘Mrs Brown’s Boys’ creator Brendan O’Carroll, who plays the eponymous “mammy” Mrs Brown, says: “This is very exciting. When I heard the BBC were letting us go fully live I thought: ‘They've lost their minds!’
Brendan O'Carroll as Mrs Brown
“I'm seriously delighted about this… Put the kids to bed early!”
Of course, Brendan and his co-stars have plenty of experience performing completely live, as the sitcom originated as a live show which was a hit with theatre-goers, before making the move to the small screen.
In keeping with this, the sitcom stands out from other shows on UK TV as it often includes bloopers and mistakes the cast have made in the final edit, including moments they break the fourth wall and can’t control their laughter.
Brendan adds: “As ‘Mrs Brown's Boys’ started in the theatre it gives us a chance to show the TV audience LIVE what we really do. Put the kids to bed early!”
Despite being panned by some critics, ‘Mrs Brown’s Boys’ has proved to be a ratings hit, with its 2013 Christmas special emerging as the most-watched programme in the UK that day, drawing in 9.4 million viewers.
Last year a film adaptation, ‘Mrs Brown D’Movie’, was released in cinemas.