A festive visit to Finglas has become as much a part of Christmas as tucking into turkey. So here at What to Watch, we were delighted to catch up with Mrs Brown’s Boys writer Brendan O’Carroll to find out about this year's double helping of seasonal specials.
In Christmas Day cracker Mammy’s Mare — BBC1 at 10.45 pm — Brendan’s alter ego Agnes Brown has trouble remembering "tis the season to be jolly!".
In the New Year’s Day knees-up New Year, New Mammy, — BBC1 at 10pm — the mouthy matriarch comes face-to-face with a blast from the past!
In this exclusive interview, Brendan, 68, reveals why Agnes starts out feeling bah humbug but soon fully embraces the spirit of the holidays…
Brendan O’Carroll exclusive interview — Mrs Brown’s Boys spoilers beyond this point
Merry Christmas Brendan! What can you tell us about Agnes’ sour mood in this year’s first festive visit to Finglas?
“Happy Christmas! In the Christmas Day episode, Mammy’s Mare, Mrs Brown's daughter Cathy [played by Brendan’s wife Jennifer Gibney] announces that she’s going to cook Christmas dinner for the first time! Now, everybody who watches Mrs Brown’s Boys knows that Agnes is a complete control freak, so she really wants Cathy to fail! It’s amazing to see Agnes surrender as Cathy drags Christmas into the 21st century. The dinner reveal is magnificent and one of my favourite moments in the show.”
There’s another heartwarming and hilarious story involving a missing Christmas tree decoration too. What was the inspiration for that?
“My wife Jenny! Firstly, when she was growing up, there was one specific ornament that the youngest kid in the house hung on the tree every Christmas Eve. Secondly, when I decided to ask Jenny to marry me I stole her Claddagh ring as a model for her engagement ring! In this episode there’s a stealing of a rocking horse ornament that Agnes’ dad carved for her one Christmas. All the family gets stuck in and it’s a really lovely ending. Sometimes you don't realise how much of what you're doing is based on real stuff until you see it unfolding.”
You’ve named a guest character after your own mum, Maureen, too haven’t you?
“Yes, there’s a story involving Father Damien [Conor Moloney] and his mother Maureen [The Woman in the Wall’s Helen Roche] who has Alzheimers. Conor and Helen play it really well. Even though I wrote the fecking thing, I was filling up at the read-through, it was just magical. I wanted it to be a little Christmas miracle and I hope that comes through.”
We always look forward to the annual Christmas tree joke. Would you ever axe it if you were stumped for ideas?
[Laughing] “Well, I can’t now, I've gone down the rabbit hole. Every year at some stage Jenny will hear me saying ‘Why did I ever start with this joke?’ I’m often asked when do I start thinking about the tree and the answer is, the day after Christmas! We get lots of photos from people who’ve got spinning Christmas trees or turned mops and all kinds of things into a Christmas tree, so it’s nice to see people playing along.”
What can we expect in the second episode New Year, New Mammy?
“They all decide to lose weight for the New Year and set up The Blubber Club! June Rodgers, who plays Birdie, is fantastic. At one stage she’s wheeled in in a supermarket trolley because she’s absolutely exhausted after a jog! As they’re trying to lose all this weight Winnie [Brendan’s sister Eilish O’Carroll] sees a guy from her past, who she thinks is stalking her. Agnes confronts him and he makes a revelation!”
Are you ever tempted to have celebrity guest stars in these specials?
“I remember working on a show back in the ‘90s writing sketches and, after we had a meeting about Christmas, thinking ‘Is that what your Christmas special is going to be, lining up celebrities and walking them on and off?’ It made no sense to me and I didn’t want to fall into that category. It would take away from the story. The closest we got - and we got very close! - was when we were going to do a scene at the end of one of our Chsitmas specials where there’s a live band in Foley’s pub and it was going to be U2! Bono would start with ‘Where the Streets Have No Name’ Agnes would tell them to sing a proper song! Unfortunately at the time, just coming up to it, someone became very unwell, so that’s the closest we got to it.”
Brendan, you’re a big advocate for the Society of St Vincent de Paul in Ireland, especially at Christmas. Can you tell our readers why the charity holds such a special place in your heart?
“I remember, growing up, there were two men who used to call to my house every Christmas - well, all through the year, but especially at Christmas. They would look after my mother, pay the electricity bill, give her enough for a bag of coal and to get toys for me. Without them I wouldn’t have had a Christmas. I used to think that the two men who called were my Uncle Vincent and Uncle Paul! Now when Mrs Brown’s Boys play Dublin every second year, we always do a Sunday matinee for St Vincent de Paul. They were good to me, so it's nice to be in a position to give back to them.”
Finally, when writing the seasonal special, is it important to have a strong sense of Christmas spirit?
“Yes, I think it is. There’s a nostalgic feel of 1980s and ‘90s comedy shows to Mrs Brown’s Boys that makes viewers feel comfortable. I don’t want to be clever, I just want to be funny. All we want is for people to sit and watch this show and laugh for half an hour on Christmas Day.
“When I was a kid it wasn’t Christmas until we watched Morecambe and Wise and had a supper of leftovers - turkey and stuffing sandwiches and Christmas pudding! It was the highlight. The fact that Mrs Brown now has that slot is absolutely unbelievable and a huge, huge honour.“
Donations to St Vincent De Paul Ireland and St Vincent de Paul UK can be made via their websites.
Mrs Brown's Boys Christmas Special airs on BBC1 on. Monday 25 December 2023 at 10.45pm.
Mrs Brown's Boys New Year Special airs on BBC1 on Monday 1 January 2034 at 10p.
Episodes will be available on BBCiPlayer after transmission.
