Father Ted Series Views
After youl’ve laughed till yout’re weak in the knees watching every episode of this hilariously irreverent series, prepare to howl through 90 more minutes of extras! All hell breaks loose when three errant Catholic priests and their devoted housekeeper begin their well-deserved exile on isolated Craggy Island, off the coast of Ireland. Father Tedl’s (Dermot Morgan) valiant efforts to keep Father Dougal (Ardal Os’Hanlon) and Father Jack (Frank Kelly) out of trouble result in hysterically funny failure. Includes all 25 episodes in all three BAFTA
Thinking back on these and other moments as I type them, I'm laughing to myself, and trying to figure out when I can squeeze in a few more Father Ted reruns. Consisting of a short 25-episode run (a little more than just one season here in the States), Father Ted ends on a high note, never really repeating itself while creating a self-contained little world of violence, subversive humor and the most bizarre, surreal happenings. The third season was always intended as the final one, but in a sad, tragic instance of life imitating art, Dermot Morgan passed away just a day after finishing the final episode taping, during a celebration party at his home - a bizarre little twist of fate that no doubt could have been turned into a memorably sick gag on the series. But in some strange way, knowing that Morgan died almost immediately after the show ended, further cements that isolated, insular, completeness about Father Ted. There won't ever be a reunion show. It's fully realized. And perfect.
DISC TWO: SERIES 2, PART 1 Hell The holiday from Hell is upon Ted, Dougal and Jack, as they caravan in a too-small caravan. Highlights include Jack's sleeping box, the first appearance of Father Furlong, and Dougal's seeing antelope on the African veldt, when he peers out on Ireland through his binoculars. And no, Dougal still doesn't understand the difference between small toy cows, and big real cows, seen from a far-off distance.
The Video: It's important to note here that this review is based on screener copies of Father Ted: The Definitive Collection. All judgments on A-V quality, as well as extras, are based on this fact; final shelf editions may differ. The full screen, 1.33:1 video transfers for Father Ted: The Definitive Collection are about what you'd expect from British TV. They're grainy and alternately washed out/hot, but for this kind of series, that's perfectly acceptable.
Father Ted Series Images
