Father Ted

How anyone can fault this remarkably funny sitcom is utterly beyond me. The comedy ranges from the most crude to the superiorly intelligent. I particularly like Dougal's (Ardal O'Hannon) take on the death of Kurt Cobain, offensive as it was.

There is nothing to dislike about this; the characters are lovable (especially Dougal), they're hilarious and it is the most Irish humour possible. It's a big pity this show was not as renowned around the globe as it was in Ireland.

Eleven out of ten, just for showing us how unsophisticated comedy can win over every time.

This is one of the best things to come out of Ireland since U2. Dermot Morgan plays Fr. Ted Crilly, a priest on Craggy Island which is supposedly off the west coast of Ireland somewhere. However, Ardal O'Hanlon who plays Fr. Dougal Mc Guire and Frank Kelly who plays Fr. Jack Hackett, steal all the shows as far as I'm concerned.

Graham Norton appears frequently throughout the series as Fr. Noel Furlong. He is very funny and my favourite episode of the series is Hell. This is where we meet Fr. Furlong for the first time. Ted goes on holidays to a caravan and he is already there with some youngsters from a youth club.

Some great one liners that will remain in the Irish psyche for a long time to come. "Drink, girls, arse, feck", the immortal words of Fr. Jack for example. You are missing out if you haven't seen this series. Rent it out today or buy it. It is definitely worth buying the series on tape. Feckin brilliant.

I can only say that the TV will never be the same without Father Ted. I know it ended so long ago, but I have only just encountered this site. It had humour that only Dermot Morgan (Father Ted), RIP, could only have imagined. I remember seeing his work on the Late Late Show in Ireland as a kid growing up there. But not realising then what I know now is that he was a thoroughbred genius. Sadly to say we will never see the likes of him again. The comedy is class and it is only a shame that somebody someday will make a "remake" of it and it will be not a scratch on the original. Oh well. But there is still a lot more to come from the Emerald Isle, check out D'Unbelievables, they were in Father Ted, one of them wore the "I SHOT JR" T-Shirt and the other was the cinema owner and in another episode the Eurovision song contest compere.

The day I moved to Ireland, I didn't know I was about to discover one of the greatest comedy series of all times as "Father Ted" certainly is!

The basic plot in itself is amazingly simple, a stroke of genius: three "peculiar" priests and a housekeeper in an island off the Irish West coast. It's unbelievable how much fun, irony, satire, surreal humour and great characters can come out of so little. And if you are of Catholic extraction, the fun is even greater (we all have met a Dougal, a Ted or a Jack at some stage...)

It's even too hard for me to pick a favourite episode: Ted and Dougal entering the "EuroVision Song Contest" with the excellent pop hit (and video clip) "My lovely horse"? Ted is believed a racist by the islanders and organises a great multi-cultural event? Dougal becomes a milkman only to discover that his life is in danger at Speed 3? Father Stone comes for a visit and for playing a bit of mini-golf? "The Passion of St. Tibulus" is being shown at the local cinema? Cigarettes, drink and rollerblades are given up for Lent? Bishop Len Brennan is kicked up the arse? Impossible to decide.

I would recommend to anyone buying the complete series 1, 2 and 3 as they come out in DVD. You can watch "Father Ted" over and over and still laugh your head off.

One of my favourite quotes:

Dougal: "Ted, was Jack really dead? How could he come back to life?"

Ted: "I don't know, Dougal. I'd say he's resurrected from the grave...Like that fella...what's he called...E.T.!"

With reference to previous comments, nobody in the Catholic Church (including me) has a problem with this show. It's absolutely hilarious, as will be evident to almost any viewer (assuming you have a decent sense of humour). In 5 words: Surrealist irreverent Irish priest comedy.