This comedy has come in under the radar and has grown in popularity through word of mouth. It's basic ingredients are as old as the hills: a man in drag, bad language, farcical misunderstandings, recycled jokes and, if all else fails, slapstick. It owes a lot to I Didn't Know You Cared and Bread - and ought to be no more than a pale re-hash of a tired formula. It's as sophisticated as Bottom, as erudite as Play Your Cards Right, and as tasteful as a Frankie Boyle monologue.
And yet: it's carried off with such panache that none of the above matters. Every episode has had at least one moment that has made me laugh out loud - often to the extent that I was actually in pain.
It shamelessly breaks the fourth wall as well - even to the extent of not bothering with re-takes when something goes wrong. If, for example, a camera is caught in shot, the cast will break out of character for a moment, share a laugh with the audience, then get back to the script. What they broadcast is what actually happened. I get a feeling that some of these "mishaps" may be staged, but that doesn't matter.
The show has a strangely incestuous cast, too. It is written by and stars Brendan O'Caroll. Other cast members include his wife, his sister, his son, his daughter, his son-in-law and his daughter-in-law.
Best viewed with a beer and a couple of mates: but highly recommended in any event.
