By KAYLEE BREWSTER
One of the best things about television is that it lets you travel, both around the world and through time.
Thanks to "Moone Boy," one of my favorite places to travel is Ireland in the late 1980s and early '90s.
That is when and where the story of Martin Moone (David Rawle) takes place. Martin is a boy, and his best friend is Sean Murphy (Chris O'Dowd), or rather, his best imaginary friend. That's right, "Moone Boy" tells the troubles and trials of a young boy and his imaginary friend.
"Moone Boy" has something for everyone. For adolescent boys, Martin has trouble understanding girls (including his three sisters). For the Irish, Martin gets to experience the thrills of Ireland's football (or for us Americans, soccer) team heading to the World Cup. For the religious, Martin dedicates his life as an altar boy for the local Catholic church. For the child of the '80s, seeing the Berlin Wall getting torn down and being inspired to tear down walls. For siblings, trying not to get killed by the older ones and enjoying torturing the younger ones. And for everyone else, the normal struggles of surviving growing up.
This show is pure Irish comedy gold. At times it feels like "Arrested Development" as Sean Murphy narrates, and sometimes the image contradicts the narration. Other times it's the character of Martin, who is not always the brightest because of his innocence. Or just the comedic timing of the dialogue, which is short, quick, witty and delivered with the most beautiful Irish accents your ears have ever heard.
Although "Moone Boy" has something for everyone, the content can sometimes be geared for those a little more mature than Martin. It's also great for those who miss seeing O'Dowd's face on TV after "The IT Crowd" was no more.
If you're looking for cute kids, brilliant comedy and wacky characters, "Moone Boy" is the perfect destination. And nothing could make it more perfect, other than the fact it's available on Hulu, which is cheaper than a ticket to Ireland.
That means you can watch both seasons of it anytime. So what are you waiting for?
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MOONE BOY
360 RATING: Four popcorn kernals (out of five)
CAST: David Rawle, Chris O'Dowd, Deirdre O'Kane, Peter McDonald, Aoife Duffin, Clare Monnelly, Sarah White and Ian O'Reilly
WRITTEN: by Chris O'Dowd and Nick Vincent
