Ben Elton: Lay off Mrs Brown’s Boys : News 2024 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide

‘You can’t say it lacks skill,’ says Blackadder writer

He’s no stranger to critical pile-ons himself, and now Ben Elton has leapt to the defence of probably the most-derided comedy of our age: Mrs Brown’s Boys.

The writer of Blackadder and Upstart Crow – as well as best-forgotten show such as The Right Way and Get A Grip – said: ‘It’s insane this show is so abused. It’s so inoffensive. 

‘You can say it’s unfunny or old-fashioned but you cannot say it’s stupid and lacks skill. These are brilliant comedians with perfect timing.

‘They’re doing a type of comedy you may not find appealing because maybe you’re embarrassed about the fact you have no understanding of why it’s funny, so you can’t give yourself over to it.’

Elton’s comments to The Sun come after Mrs Brown creator Brendan O’Carroll had to apologise after making  racist joke on the set of the sitcom’s Christmas special.

He added: ‘I’ve watched a few episodes, sometimes I think it’s hilarious, sometimes I think it’s treading water but you can’t dismiss comedy that you don’t like by saying it’s stupid. 

‘It’s not my favourite show but I enjoy it and I see the incredible skill and also it’s all about goodwill.’

Published: 21 Dec 2024