Which must have given comedian Jason Byrne an idea. Just the one, mind, but, if he played his cards right, told it with an Irish accent (mainly because he’s Irish) and threw in a toilet gag he could spin the skit into a six-part sitcom.
With Father Figure, the slapstick motif is splattered everywhere, like chocolate mousse – which also makes an appearance – along with exploding baked beans (one punchline) sick (two punchlines) and poo (three).
Pal Roddy (Michael Smiley) steals a monstrously tiered wedding cake for a dinner party staged by Doyle as an apology for various acts of cruelty and ineptitude (“Careful of the cake, boys, it’s for the neighbours”).
Meanwhile, Granddad’s giving the boys sweets again.
“I wish you’d slip me a Curly Wurly,” says Grandma (Pauline McLynn).
“I’m too old for that,” says Granddad, although ageing is no bar to the gag that he used only the minute before.
Meanwhile Tom (Doyle) is Cocoa the clown in the kitchen and mum (Karen Taylor) resorts to the bottle to celebrate the fact that her kids have attained the rank of obergruppenführers in the Cardboard SS.
… And watch out for the cake!
… And watch out for the cake!
Why does the BBC make me side with the po-faced squares peering disapprovingly over the fence.
Father Figure,
BBC1, Wednesday, 10.35pm
PICTURE: BBC
