Ballykissangel

One of my favourite series. Ballykissangel is an example of how Ireland can produce quality family drama with wonderful characters and good writing against a picturesque backdrop of the Irish countryside.

Filmed at Avoca in Ireland it follows the characters in the fictional town of Ballykissangel, mainly the Catholic priest Father Peter Clifford. Hidden underneath the weekly episodes was the quietly growing attraction of Father Peter and Assumpta Fitzgerald (pub owner of Fitzgeralds)

The series had a slightly quirky edge to it and its humour helped make the series such a ratings winner. The show went for 6 seasons but the best episodes were the first 3 seasons. After the end of the first 3 the two main characters left and the the creator and writer, Kieran Prendiville, also handed over the reins to other writers. The show was never the same and lost some of its humour. Then Peter Hanley (Ambrose) left the show. Later on the series suffered more blows with actors, Birdy Sweeny (Eamonn) and Tony Doyle (Brian Quigley), dying in real life.

With falling ratings Season 6 saw Ballykissangel given some new life with the arrival of a more charismatic priest, Father Vincent Sheahan (played by Australian Robert Taylor) and the return of the original writer Kieran Prendiville. Despite Season 6 being more enjoyable, and showing more promise, it was decided to end the show after 58 episodes.

Personally I think it could have continued as long as Kieran Prendiville held its reins but it was not to be.

Ballykissangel will go down in television history as an example of how good an Irish production can be, which, at its best, was extremely likeable.

For some time now, I am following the TV-series "Ballykissangel". Why? Simply because it´s one of the few TV-series which is worth being watched: no unnecessary violence, no stupid, easy-to-see-through jokes, and a good storyline, combined with a set of good actors. I call this a real top british TV-product, and it´s a shame that the Dutch TV stations don´t show it on prime time! Ballykissangel is all about the life and complications of the people of a small irish village, where there has been assigned a new young catholic priest, which happens to be british. The main characters are the english priest, father Clifford, and the owner of a local pub, Assumpta, who gets sick from everything connected to the church. The fundamental differences of character of these two (Assumpta is verbally aggressive, sarcastic and sometimes even vicious, whereas Clifford is friendly, sweet, helpful, and unbelievably naive sometimes) result in a mutual love/hate relationship and neither of them knows what to do with it. Most episodes can be watched separately, however watching most of them gives you the best clue as to the development of the relationship of the main characters, or should I say, the non-development. However, it is very easy to identify yourself with one or more of the main characters. This, combined with the misunderstandings and tricks in every episode, makes it a joy to watch this series, time after time.

If you've ever the chance to watch this program, do give it a chance. It's brilliant and even though some characters have left it is still just as great! The new characters are very exciting and as always it is very well written. I answer to those who watch on PBS in the states, I've heard they are starting to play new episodes now.

It is not for everybody most likely but as you can see at my rating it is for me. I never saw this originally when it came out but a re-run about 6 years or so ago. I really enjoyed the simple humor, the simple drama, the stories as a whole, the characters. It's nearly real life with a bit of a twist at times but you could imagine is to actually have taken place. It never left my mind so this year I bought the DVD's to watch it all again and, so far, not disappointing, it has not lost it's charm. You like action, hero's, spectacular drama, belly aching laughter, this is not for you. You like good humor that puts a smile on your face, a nice story line, things that could be happening next door (if you would live there), this is for you.

This is a great series. As you watch you get pulled into the lives of the various characters living in a small village. While there is a tendency to romanticize the rural life in many films (and in part here), there is a greater depth than the average show. There is much humor in this series and also much heat break. As much as the viewer yearns for things to go right in the characters lives, things tend to go wrong and the characters must deal with personal loss, death, divorce, and financial ruin. For a show billed as a comedy, it is more drama with an overlay of humor. I am being somewhat vague in this review because this is a series to be dipped into for episodes that are uplifting and heart warming but ultimately overshadowed by reality. If you watch it once you will find find that after the passage of a few years you are longing to revisit Ballykissangel and share in the lives of what almost become real people.