Moone Boy (2012–2015) might be viewed as an ancestor of Derry Girls: a quirky, off-the-wall period sitcom set in Ireland. It’s about a young boy named Martin Moone (David Rawle) who lives with his moderately dysfunctional family in Boyle, but spends most of his time chatting with his imaginary friend Sean (Chris O’Dowd). A bit of a dim bulb, Martin sails through his days relying on Sean’s untrustworthy, rubber-stamping guidance, while his working-class parents struggle to manage the expectations of Martin’s three volatile sisters.
There isn’t a massive amount of substance to Moone Boy, but it’s got loads of charm and comic invention, centered on Rawle, O’Dowd, and playful animated interstitials. The shining stars in support, though, are Peter McDonald and Deirdre O’Kane as Martin’s cheerfully inept parents, with an honorable mention to Ian O’Reilly as Martin’s upbeat friend Padraic. It’s a short, sweet season and I would have gladly continued with it had Hulu not expired it on me.
