Customer Reviews

Ballykissangel - Complete Series Six

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

 

 

What sort of person are you? Do you relish variety or prefer the TV shows, musical artists, actresses you like to be recognizably the same over their runs, careers? The answer to that will determine whether you relish the changes introduced for series six of Ballykissangel, as the following exit the show: Sean Dillon (Lorcan Cranitch), Emma Dillon (Kate McEnery), Father Aidan O'Connell (Don Wycherley), Orla O'Connell (Victoria Smurfit), Danny Byrne (Colin Farrell), and Brian Quigley (Tony Doyle) who, arguably, was the franchise character and driving force of the entire show. Mr. Doyle passed away in January of 2000, just after the last episode of the fifth year of BallyK was broadcast (in December of 1999). There were no more episodes of BallyK until the spring of 2001 at which time series six (the first of 8 episodes) began to be broadcast. Item one of this final year thus was explaining the absence of Brian Quigley, dealing with that and then trying to move on without this central character. Of course, it's still BallyK and a welcoming program to watch, but at one and the same time, not the same anymore without the fulcrum (raison d'être even), of the whole program.

Series Six Episodes

Episode One - God.com
Brian Quigley goes missing & there's a new online confessional.

Episode Two - Drink
Father Vincent, the new parish priest buys Fitzgerald's Pub AND gets caught for drink driving!


Episode Three - The Cat and Daddy G
Grainne Dooley receives a goat for her birthday and the residents of Ballyk go to the races.

Episode Four - Spirit Proof
Talk of Ghosts and fishing problems, meanwhile Kathleen learns to drive.

Episode Five - Paul Dooley Sleeps with the Fishes
A stranger in town turns out to be from Avril's past. And the famous Fitzgerald's Bar might be in for a name change.

Episode Six - In a Jam
Vincent is in charge of this year's parish fête and something appears to be bothering Siobhan.

Episode Seven - Getting Better all the Time
An old friend of Vincent's arrives in Ballykissangel and Liam and Donal have to decide what to do with Quigley's money.

Episode Eight - Smoke Signals
Father Mac confronts Vincent when he finds out that Lyn and Barry are married.

I am currently viewing Season 6 of Ballykissangel after having watched the first 5 seasons on DVD over the past few months. Although there were many changes to the cast throughout the 5 seasons, there always seemed to be a central core that kept it glued together. Indeed it was this constant that made BallyK what it was--surely one of the best TV shows on either side of the pond. I really enjoyed spending my evenings with these wonderful folks from a country and culture far from my own. From reading the reviews here I see that the actor who played Brian Quigly passed away shortly after season 5 concluded. I didn't know that as it was never mentioned in Season 6. I thought that like the others who left before him, he merely went on to other pursuits (more money, etc.) The show also failed to note the passing during season 5 of the wonderful Birdy Sweeny who played the farmer Eamonn. I came to love that old geiser. It would have been nice to give him a nod when he passed.
I am so disappointed with the writing and newer characters this season. If it weren't for Liam and Donal I would think it was a different show. Not just that the characters are different, but the writing seems to have lost the spark that made this show special. Even a new, handsome Aussie priest couldn't help it. That's probably why there are only 8 episodes to Season 6. Like an old, sick horse, someone did the humane thing and put it out of it's misery.
I belatedly mourn the passing of Tony Doyle and Birdy Sweeny and the death of a great piece of television history. But I am so grateful I found it and was able to enjoy it's wonderful 5 year run.

Thought the writers did a great job dealing with the changes. I was suprised when I came to the end of disc 2 however, that there seemed to be no real ending. It just trails off and leaves you wondering what happens to father mac and other characters.

I love this series,but this Series 6 has taken a deeper look into life in Bally K. Some new characters showed up with no explanation of their reason to be in town. One of the things I really liked was being able to follow characters through the series. I am sorry to see the demise of Ballykissangel,but I will remember it as an intimate peek into the life of a small Irish town,and it's folks. Wonderful cast members,and totally believable.

I had no plans to watch season 6 after the end of season 5. I was very tired of the antics of Donnal and Liam which seemed to be more and more of each program. I also cringed every time Uncle Minto made an appearance. I knew that many of the characters were just going to disappear without any kind of acknowledgement and felt that the wedding at the end of Season 5 would make good break with the series.

In the end I'm very happy that I decided to watch season 6 as I enjoyed it very much. The new curate, Father Vincent is a great character. Unlike his predecessors , Peter and Aidan, he is not intimidated by Father Mac and won't be bullied by the older priest. He even stands up to the bishop who is far worse that Father Mac. Father Vincent has his shortcomings, which makes him believable, but he is a good central character for the show.

They did a good job of giving the Brian Quigley character a sendoff, in spite of the death of actor Tony Doyle. This was an improvement over the way the Eamonn character was quickly written out of the show when actor Birdy Sweeney passed away.

Some new characters, especially Avril, are interesting and add to the series. On the other had, Louie, who speaks with an unintelligible accent, even Brendan can't understand him, is very annoying.


There is no "final episode" which happens in many other series. Former cast members do not make one final appearance nor do dead characters appear in people's dreams. The last scene, which takes place in Fitzgerald's, was a perfect way to end the series. It was as if there are more stories to be told.

Ballykissangel is one of the very best TV series ever! We bought it several years ago and have fallen in love with the characters. This is one series we watch every year and fall in love all over again. Why can't/won't Hollywood raise their bar to this level? Our only regret is that the series ended! Beautiful scenery, writing and acting.

If you are a fan of Bally-K, like myself, skip this series. There were people i didnt even know or knew how they arrived at Bally-K. The priest was "off" too.
Ballykissangel - Complete Series Six

This was another great BBC series, I wished they had made more.......
Very good story lines, kept wanting to watch it all the time!
Very good purchase, I highly recommend it.

By the sixth or seventh series you realize they are phasing out all of the characters that were so endearing... and yet you find you can't help but liking the new ones just as much. While some may find it's not how they want to see the clergy portrayed - perhaps it is because they are just so HUMAN - flawed and fantastic all rolled into one. Isn't that a commentary on all of us? Fr. MacAnally gives every single curate he has a hard time and is a complete pill - but each of them seems to give kindness back to him in their own way. Maybe that's a life lesson. But I will always miss Assumpta ... If you haven't seen BKA from the very beginning, DO IT! And even Brian Quigley manages to do one last graceful gesture to his village fools, Donnal and Liam. Again, what a great series.

The character development just gets better and better in the sixth series of Ballykissangel. There are the old favorites such as Liam and Donald plus Kathleen and Father Mack but we are treated to a new, dynamic Australian priest and the exceptionally portrayed life of the Dooly's (new pub managers). Additionally, like a breath of fresh air, a stable manager named Avril appears on the scene bringing with her top notch acting and a rich character perfectly in line with the theme of the series.

You can see where the directors are taking the series and it leaves the viewer equally enthralled as from the days of Asumpta (the original pub owner in series one). I find this rarely happens with a successful series as they tend to become rather silly over time but not so with BallyK. The attention paid to each character's development shows and they never resort to cheap laughs or overly outrageous scenarios.

Sadly, this is the last BallyK series ever to be produced and it still remains somewhat of a mystery as to why the BBC did not choose to continue the show. You really get the sense that they could have continued for several more series before the material became too tired. In fact, seeing the sixth series leaves the viewer desperately wanting a continuation but it is simply not to be.

At least we have the chance to own the entire series now and I'm sure it will bring many years of enjoyment to those wishing to indulge in the that perfect combination of subtle but gripping story line and a level of acting which often has us forgetting that the characters are, in fact, actors.