Mrs.Brown’sBoysbecamearunawaysuccessuponitsinitialbroadcast.EveryepisodeairedwonitstimeslotforRTÉ,withanaverageviewershipof753,500inJanuary,2011.Oneepisode’sratingbeatthatofRTÉ’sownratingsgiantTheLateLateShow,with856,000viewerstuningintowatch.However,criticsdislikedtheshow."Thewholethingisentirelypredicatedonviewersfindingamandressedasafoul-mouthedelderlywomanintrinsicallyfunny,"notedBerniceHarrisonintheIrishTimes."Ifyoudo,you’reawayinahack(andtheviewingfiguresareastronomical),butifyoudon’t,andyouthinkthatdiedoutwithLesDawsonandDickEmery,thenit’salonghalf-hour."TheIrishIndependentsaidthatMrsBrown’sBoyswasthetypeofTVprogrammethat"thatmakesyouvaguelyembarrassedtobeIrish".TheDailyTelegraph’sSamRichardsnotedthatshow’scomedyhasa"rudimentarynature",consistingof"anold-fashionedblendofsillyvoicesandslapstick,playedoutinfrontofalivestudioaudiencewhocollapseintogigglesatthemerementionoftheword“willy”.
