Customer Reviews

Ballykissangel - Complete Series Four

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I just finished watching this season, and am very surprised to find that I like this the best of the four. I had expected to be disappointed with the departure of Fr. Peter and Assumpta, but their absence actually allowed a livelier, easier atmosphere to prevail in BallyK. In retrospect, I find that the Peter/Assumpta story early began to cast a kind of pall over the series, particularly in Season Three. New characters: Fr. Aidan and his sister Orla, Sean Dillon and Emma, and Danny Byrne--I was endlessly intrigued with all these new stories, and also found that the threads connecting the previous cast deepened and became more interesting. Five stars for this season--I very much look forward to seeing Season Five when it is released!

If you are new to Ballykissangel this is a fine show, but it is not the place to jump into this entertaining pastiche of small town Irish life (real or idealized). Season four is not just the fourth year of this program, but really is just the first of several attempts at trying to reinvent itself after huge cast changes. Bit players Liam & Donal who did their job well as hapless hired hands to the focal character of the show (Brian Quigley) have had their roles upped several fold during this year. Thus we see them dredge for gold balls in one of the water hazard's at Quigley's golf course. One of them mysteriously (with no explannation) becomes the guardian of a "pet" bear; a bear, who obviously then reeks a bit havoc. The eccentric uncle (making his first appearance) of this Donal character also does likewise with the town in the season's finale. New faces are also introduced. The town has a new priest (who brings his sister), a new farmer (with his teenage daughter), and the old farmer's presence is complicated by the arrival of his nephew (also a young adult who predictably catches the eye of the new gal in town). In short, a lot is new herein & it takes a bit to absorb all of it since all 5 newcomers are introduced en masse. 3 of these, incidentially, are flat-out successful in the roles and add much to providing much needed ballast after the 3rd season lost the progam's 2 central characters. Father Aiden, as the new understudy to Father Mac, helps to re-center the plot and his sister provides much needed livliness. If you pick up the show with this season, however, it'll be odd to go back to the first 3 seasons. So do partake of the initial 3 seasons (whose episodes, generally speaking, don't significantly suffer much with repeated viewings) first, then delve into and give this selection a try. (And, if you haven't seen it yet, do treat yourself to seeing the very Irish and funny film "Waking Ned Devine".) (06May) Cheers!

If viewers can get over father Clifford and Assumpta having moved on, sort of speak, and give this fourth season a chance they will be amazed to discover a really good collection! I LOVE BallyK and was surprised when I found this fourth installment quite good and upbeat. The new characters are interesting and well developed, the old remaining residents of Ballykissangel give it a warm welcome back feel. I just wish the DVDS were available sooner then once a year! Have to wait another year before season 5 is available for sale :( Recommended for old fans, happy to visit old BallyK, and new fans alike that haven't watched season 1-3. Season 4 stands on it's own!

I miss Assumpta and Father Peter, but life in Bally K continues to be as zaney as ever with the arrival of several newcomers. Father Aidan, the ex-monk, turns out to be a man of many parts. His very good-looking sister also does her bit to keep things interesting in the village. The return of the exiled Sean Dillon and his daughter sets tongues wagging and rekindles old feuds. Meanwhile the longtime residents continue to be as engaging, maddening, goofy and likable as ever. So life does go on in Bally K. Don't miss it.

This is the best show. I am so hooked on it that I cannot wait for series 5 to come out on DVD. I recommend the entire series - but series 4 stands on its own, where the first 3 must be seen in sequence.
You won't be sorry that you bought it - just sorry that it is over and you have to wait (impatiently) for the next set.

Ok, I agree that the new characters were welcome and interesting because frankly, by the end of season three, the Peter/Assumpta relationship had pretty much run it's course as far as holding my interest. As long as Brian Quigley and loonies, Liam and Donal were back, I was happy. I did, however, hate...HATE...the way the show handled the dissolution of Niamh and Ambrose's marriage. Granted Niamh married him for all the wrong reasons (thumbing her nose at her father was my guess), but watching Ambrose's increasing state of confusion, hurt, etc., while Niamh blithely pursued a man that had taken her fancy was painful to watch. I won't even go into how much I despised what happened in season six when they solved the problem in a totally unrealistic and unsatisfying way. I loved and enjoyed Ballyk from season one to it's ultimate end but the whole Niamh/Ambrose/Sean debacle is what keeps it from being five star all the way.

In case you haven't tuned-in to the British series BALLYKISSANGEL that aired on the telly from 1996 to 2001, its premise was to follow the career of a young priest assigned to the parish church in the Irish town of Ballykissangel (real-life Avoca, County Wicklow, Ireland), and specifically as he interacted with the town's cast of colorful and/or misfit characters. In series 1-3, the priest was Father Peter Clifford (Stephen Tompkinson), and it soon became evident that he was imperiling his priestly vows by falling for the owner of the local pub, Assumpta Fitzgerald (Dervla Kirwan). The growing sexual tension between the two, in addition to the charming and humorous subplots of each episode involving the village's other residents, made the series watchable to the point of addiction.

At the end of series 3, Assumpta dies tragically, and Fr. Clifford, grievously heartbroken, departs abruptly. From that point on, beginning with the first episode of series 4, the production becomes but a shadow of its former self.

The new priest, a former monk, is Fr. Aidan O'Connell (Don Wycherley), whose character is totally colorless and out of his depth. Without the Clifford-Assumpta axis, the other cast regulars gamely attempt to carry on: the local wheeler-dealer and business schemer, Brian Quigley (Tony Doyle), his daughter Niamh (Tina Kellegher), who takes over ownership and management of Fitzgerald's pub while staying married to Ballykissangel's deer-caught-in-the-headlights Garda officer, Ambrose Egan (Peter Hanly), and Quigley's two idjit can-carriers, Donal (Frankie McCafferty) and Liam (Joe Savino). But, it's just not the same - not even close.

Casting tried to keep things alive with several new personae, the most intriguing of which is Fr. Aidan's somewhat mysterious sister, Orla (Victoria Smurfit). Orla is steamy, but by the time I gave up on series 4 at episode 9, the writers had failed to take her character much of anywhere. Probably the most useless newcomer is Colin Farrell as shepherd Eamonn's nephew Danny, on the lam from the big city with a favorite horse for some unexplained reason. With this small-screen appearance, Farrell was perhaps trying to duplicate the early 90s success of Catherine Zeta-Jones in British television's popular The Darling Buds of May: When the Green Woods Laugh. But, unlike the luscious Catherine, Colin manages only a scruffy and lumpish taciturnity. In any case, it was impossible for this viewer to engage with Danny; another segment of stacked-stone wall around his uncle's pasture would've been more entertaining. Perhaps female viewers find him attractively enigmatic. (Ok, ok, I see the political incorrectness here; Victoria and Catherine are both Hot Babes, and Colin might as well be a rock. I'm a Male Pig; so sue me.)

At one point during the filming of BALLYKISSANGEL, Tompkinson and Kirwan became engaged, but they later separated after leaving the show. This perhaps illustrates the improbable truth that television art sometimes mimics real life and, in the cases of BALLYKISSANGEL and its protagonists' love affair, all good things must end. Two stars in admonition of what the former once was and fails to be.

Requiescat in pace.

Just turned the annoying age of sixty years old. Totally thought that I had seen and felt everything that life could do to me. Didn't believe I could experience another new
emotion until tonight.

The last two espisodes of "BallyKiss Angel' - Session 4 -
just tore my heart apart with joy and sadness!

-absolutely lost and alone-

wanting sessions five and six to be released on dvd
as soon as possible


This series is absolutely incredible

-life as life is - !

I first watched this when it was originally aired on the BBC and I was a little disappointed with the series. The magic just wasn't there as it had been in the first 3 series. Although the series features a large cast with the various storylines the real story centered around Father Clifford and Assumpta, once they were gone what made the series special just wasn't there anymore. The character Sean Dillon is a much needed boost to the series although I find his daughter a little annoying. I wasn't a fan of the new female character as I felt that she was always the person people turned to and she just happened to know or help the person out, i didn't think that was very realistic. The actors who played Father Clifford and Assumpta became a couple in real life during the filming but eventually broke up. On the whole this series is still pretty good but as more characters left the show in the coming series you could see it was running out of steam and the viewers stopped watching, that's what lead to the BBC cancelling it after another few series.

I love Ballykissangel series!!! My husband and I just finished watching Season Fourth and can't wait for the others to come out. For those who have not seen Season Fourth, do NOT miss!!!

This is the best Season yet!!!

When are Seasons 5th & 6th coming out???