The Walshes

Over on BBC Four things were uplifting, thanks to The Walshes - a new sitcom from Graham Linehan, co-written with comedy troupe Diet of Worms, the latter playing the members of the eponymous Dublin family. It's not the subtlest piece of work you'll ever see (dad Tony, under erroneous impression that daughter Keira's new boyfriend is a doctor, shows him his "small anal event - like a rubbery M&M behind me scrotum!") but there are lovely touches. Mother Carmel's "demented fridge". Neighbour Mike who appears quietly at intervals from behind the latest banjaxed Walsh appliance. The "28A" affixed to Keira's door to make her feel like she's got her own flat. I laughed. At two points I nearly cried. Linehan et al are either geniuses or need to be burned as witches. I'll tune in next week to decide.

The Walshes, BBC Four, review

The cast was funny and convincing, and, unlike Mrs Brown's Boys, the jokes weren't try-hard - nor was there any canned laughter. With its catchy theme tune and inoffensive humour there's plenty of mileage for a full series - and I'll definitely be tuning in.

'An anal event' pretty much sums up The Walshes

I'm sure it's meant as an affectionate send-up of Dublin home life but there was an odd lack of subtlety about the crudely drawn characters we were introduced to last night. There was a mad Mammy, an eejit jokester Dad, a simple son, a 'normal' daughter (played by Amy Stephenson) embarrassed by the lot of them - the same characters we've seen in all sitcoms.

The Walshes, TV review

The jokes hit home in a family sitcom with a touch of Father Ted.

Review: The Walshes, BBC Four

Zany Dublin family comprising eccentric parents, neurotic daughter and dozy slacker son prepare to meet daughter's new boyfriend... Sound promising? No not especially, but The Walshes is written by Graham Linehan (with help from the "Diet of Worms" comedy troupe), and where there's Linehan there's always hope.

It's a new sitcom from Graham "Father Ted/Black Books/The IT Crowd" Linehan, this time in collaboration with Irish comedy and theatre group Diet Of Worms (who created the characters in a 2010 webseries). The Walshes are a slightly-too-close family in a fictional suburb in Dublin: dad Tony's a bit of a silly sausage, mum Carmel talks too much, brother Rory is a little ... complicated, which makes daughter Ciara the "normal" one. It's fun and funny, with silly Linehanian touches and a nice naturalistic feel.

Father Ted, The IT Crowd, Count Arthur Strong - writer and director Graham Linehan has set the bar high with some TV comedy gems. So it's fingers crossed this new sitcom, charting the ups and downs of family life in Dublin, won't trip him up. As daughter Ciara ([p[Amy Stephenson]) invites her boyfriend to the Walsh house for the first time, her meddling mam (Philippa Dunnen, channelling Mrs Brown), practical joker dad (Niall Gaffney) and oddball brother (Rory Connolly, channelling Father Dougal) offer a unique welcome. There are just three episodes, so not much time for the characters to bed in, but if the Linehan spark ignites, it will be back for a full series.

Radio Times review

What's that, you say, a sitcom about an Irish family with an overbearing matriarch? Well, forget Mrs Brown's Boys, because writer Graham Linehan and Dublin comedy troupe Diet of Worms's take on the tropes of Irish family life is far more restrained.

We're introduced to the Walshes - "eejit" Dad (Niall Gaffney), smothering Mammy (Philippa Dunne), feckless son Rory (Rory Connolly) - as they prepare to invite desperate-to-flee-the-nest daughter Ciara's (Amy Stephenson) new, unassuming boyfriend Graham into their madhouse.

It's a traditional family sitcom full of comic misunderstandings, some wonderful moments of silliness and there's an affectionate charm in the playing, with Shane Langan particularly good as Graham - he has the look of a young Linehan about him.

Who are Diet of Worms?

Say hello to the Irish comedy troupe starring in Graham Linehan's new BBC Four sitcom The Walshes - by watching their best work on YouTube.

The Walshes marks new direction for Graham Linehan

Graham Linehan's new show steers away from the daft and broad work which made his name.