Mrs Brown's Boys has returned to TV and creator Brendan O'Carroll recently revealed it's going to be on air until at least 2026 - here's a look behind the scenes to delve into some of the lesser known facts about this much-loved show
Here's a look behind the scenes to delve into some of the lesser known facts about Mrs Brown's Boys (Image: © BBC 2011)
Mrs Brown's Boys has become one of the popular sitcoms on TV in recent years and it's made millions for creator Brendan O'Carroll, but there's still plenty you might not know about the hit BBC show.
Irish comedian Brendan originally came up with the concept for his loud-mouth mammy Agnes Brown around 30 years ago so it's been a long time in the making.
Mrs Brown's Boys started as a radio play back in 1992 and lead character Agnes later became the star of a series of books.
Brendan wrote several novels all based around his ideas - The Mammy, The Granny, The Chisellers, The Scrapper and The Young Wan - and the first book landed him a movie deal.
The Mammy became the basis for the drama Agnes Browne starring Anjelica Huston in the title role.
Brendan wrote the screenplay and the starry cast also included Ray Winstone and featured a cameo appearance from pop legend Tom Jones.
(Image: BBC Studios / Alan Peebles)
The show took off and became a runaway hit, making Brendan and fortune and winning over a new legion of fans.
The comedian later revealed the show has fans in high places as he was asked to send preview copies to Buckingham Palace.
He had initially been reluctant to release any previews of the show, but made an exception for the Queen.
Brendan told TV Times magazine: "One of the few to get a preview copy is Buckingham Palace.
"I was speechless a couple of years ago when our producer first told me that they wanted an advance copy."
One of the secrets to the show's success may lie in Brendan's decision to keep casting in the family.
Much of the cast is made up of his real life relatives, from Winnie McGoogan – played by his sister Eilish O'Carroll, to Mrs Brown’s on-screen daughter Cathy, who is played by Brendan's wife Jennifer Gibney.
Brendan's real-life son Danny plays Buster Brady while Brendan's daughter, Fiona, stars as Maria Brown.
He has also got his in-laws involved too, with Danny's wife Amanda Woods playing Mrs Brown’s on-screen daughter-in-law, and Martin Delany, who is married to Fiona, playing Mrs Brown's youngest son Trevor.
Even Mrs Brown’s grandson, Bono, is Brendan's real-life grandson, Jamie O'Carroll, who parents are Amanda and Danny.
Tags
RECENT