I missed the Playhouse pilot (Miller's Mountain) partly because the 'comedies' that I did see in that season were awful and therefore I never got as far as this one.
So, coming to Mountain Goats fresh I was surprisingly pleased. I am English, but have always had a liking for Celtic humour (Still Game, Chewin' The Fat, Rab C) so warmed to the characters early on. Although to be fair the relationship between Conor and his mother, in the first episode, was more akin to Last of The Summer Wine humour and somewhat tiresome a times. But, three episodes into the first series I am enjoying Mountain Goats greatly.
It is clear that the production team had the concept clear in their head from the start and the mix of study work and exteriors is well worked to provide a depth to each of the weekly set ups.
The acting is, as you would expect, from a comedy of this sort best described as 'broad'. There will be no calls from the RSC but that has been the problem with far to many comedies of late where the fun as been replaced with introspective study rather than belly laughs.
Mountin Goats follows the theme of 'Mrs Brown's Boys' and Miranda. Just get the laughs, no matter how stupid the set up. And no, I am not claiming that Mountain Goats is in their class, but it delivers a good belly laugh every few minutes therefore it does it's job.
The cast work well as ensemble headed by Jimmy Chisholm as the titular lead from the pilot. But for me it is the deadpan delivery of his lines by David Ireland that works for me. His 'vajazzle' scene was very funny.
I like this and I want more if it. Fingers crossed that the Beeb gets enough 'numbers' to enable BBC Scotland to fund a second series of this show.
7/10
