Pharyngula

It is such a shame that the lead actor in Father Ted died so youngg, thereby curtailing the show.
My favourite episode wsa Speed, when Dougal was trapped on the runaway milkfloat, and the Catholic Hierchy's answer was to say mass after mass for him.
Needless to say, it didn't work...

Posted by: Kimpatsu | January 16, 2008 9:37 AM

HIGHLY recommended. It was hugely popular in Ireland, and played no small role in increasing the secular momentum (arguably). There's even an episode where a bishop becomes an atheist (although he then becomes a hippie). Ardal O'Hanlon's Father Dylan Maguire is a very faithful representation of the intelligence of the average priest ;-)

Posted by: Amenhotep | January 16, 2008 9:37 AM

Father Ted is one of the funniest programmes in recent years - irrelevant, irreverent, surreal and eye-wateringly hysterical.

My favourite episode is the "racist" one "Are You Right There, Father Ted?"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Are_You_Right_There%2C_Father_Ted%3F

Posted by: vbloke | January 16, 2008 9:46 AM

Father Ted is genius; nearly perfect comedy. You won't be irritated by it on any level.

Posted by: manigen | January 16, 2008 9:50 AM

I have to ask, does anyone know where you can find copies of this stateside? It looks absolutely hilarious, just the thing I need to make me feel better about the concept that Mike Huckabee is actually a serious candidate in the upcoming election.

Posted by: Sparky | January 16, 2008 9:54 AM

Ditto everything above. The Catholic Church in Ireland got very pissed off about it; but oddly enough, Catholics themselves just love the show. Liberal Catholics whom I know are crazy about it, and that isn't so surprising -- liberal catholics have always been somewhat cynical about the hierarchy, and know that they are smarter than most priests. But also ultramontane, rad-trad catholic blogs are crammed with Father Ted references. I'm not sure I understand why.

Posted by: Altabin | January 16, 2008 9:54 AM

Father Ted is a good show, but not, IMnsHO great. It's mostly a three-joke-cycle comedy, but the three jokes are pretty funny, especially if you, like me, enjoy crude and scatological humor.

I don't find it deeply irreverent towards religion; it's superficially irreverent, but the main characters are explicitly represented as atypical and inferior: they've been exiled to Craggy Island (the worst parish in Europe) by the Church for their deep character flaws, and these flaws are the basis for the show's humor.

It's certainly not subversive towards Catholicism or religion in the same sense that Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister were subversive of democratic government, set in a context where the viewer expects representative or even excellent characters. (Indeed, I'd love to see a Yes, Minister style of show set in the College of Cardinals or some high-level Papal office.)

Posted by: The Barefoot BUm | January 16, 2008 10:01 AM

Sparky: DVDs are available through Amazon and the usual others.

It's a fantastic show. My favorite is when Father Jack has been drinking Toilet Duck and starts hallucinating. Beautiful!

Posted by: eruvande | January 16, 2008 10:04 AM

Recommend it? I'd pretty much command you to see it if I could. Really, this is must-see stuff.

You'll notice straight away that the BBC, emm, doesn't command production budgets quite on par with those of their American counterparts. Still, the wretched production values are part of the charm.

Some of the episodes allude to (then) current events in Ireland or to people well-known there and Britain, but not necesarily across the Atlantic. But that really won't detract from your enjoyment.

Trivia: die-hard Father Ted fans who speak Irish might wish to search YouTube for a short film called Yu Ming is Ainm Dom ("My Name is Yu Ming"). Frank Kelly, who plays Father Jack, has a smallish role in it.

Now, have you ever heard of A Scare at Bedtime...?

vbloke @6: what, no love for "A Song for Europe"?

Posted by: Mrs "Careful Now!" Tilton | January 16, 2008 10:13 AM

You can't help but like Father Jack (Drink! Arse! Feck!).

Posted by: Flex | January 16, 2008 10:18 AM

Father Ted is brilliant. I highly advise it - it's such a pity the main actor had to die so young.

Posted by: Conor Burke | January 16, 2008 10:20 AM

Great comedy. I'd go for the second series out of the lot. It had got into its stride by then. The third series got a bit repetitious. There's good stuff in all of them though.

Posted by: hinschelwood | January 16, 2008 10:24 AM

Go on, try it PZ.

Go on, go on, go on,......

..., go on, view it and you'll know what I mean

Posted by: Neutral Observer | January 16, 2008 10:28 AM

Father Ted is my favorite show. Speed 3 was the best episode by far.

Posted by: Baratos | January 16, 2008 10:41 AM

It makes this militant atheist extremely happy. Absolutely no chance of it aggravating an unbeliever; rather the opposite.

Posted by: Catherine Martell | January 16, 2008 10:46 AM

The same people who created Father Ted also made the IT Crowd which is 10x better in my opinion. Father Ted has some good moments but I never felt the urge to watch more then a couple episodes. IT Crowd on the other hand, I've watched several episodes more then once (though the second season is a bit of a let down).

Posted by: colin | January 16, 2008 10:50 AM

The thing about Father Ted is that it's not exactly a satire of the Catholic Church -- it's more of a parody of sitcom conventions using Catholic priests.

So a lot of Catholic satire gets into every episode (it's unavoidable), but the main point is that you have every element of a British situation comedy (awkward situations, rivals, an Archenemy), only they're priests. They behave like sitcom characters first and foremost, and only secondarily do they act like caricatures of the priesthood.

Still a very funny show, but I'm not sure it hold up well to repeated viewings. I own the DVDs nonetheless (all available in the US).

Posted by: minimalist | January 16, 2008 10:53 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHh3ykPQEl4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-T5snc_LYSY

Posted by: deviljelly | January 16, 2008 10:55 AM

Second best britcom ever, just behind Black Adder. It'll be right up your alley.

Posted by: TJ | January 16, 2008 10:58 AM

It's pant-wettingly funny. Religion has nothing to do with it, really, except in the sense that it provides boundless humour.

If you like Father Ted, I'd highly recommend Blackadder, Red Dwarf and Black Books.

Posted by: Dave Child | January 16, 2008 11:16 AM

a.h. @25,

ah sure, you're right (Ch. 4 not BBC). I must be getting very nearly Jack's age...

BTW, has the Pantload ever seen this episode:

Ted: I'm not a fascist, I'm a priest. Fascists dress in black and go around telling people what to do... whereas priests...

Posted by: Mrs Tilton | January 16, 2008 11:23 AM

Ya will like Father Ted... Ya will, Ya will, Ya will....

It's an affectionate look at the priesthood, but not religious in the sense you mean.

It is superb. (I have to disagree with the recommendation of 'My Hero' though).

Drink! Arse! Girls! Feck!

Personal Favourites: The 'speed' parody. The setup where the priests accidentally find themselves in the lingerie dept. The fascism episode (I'm *not* a racist!) and the episode with Richard Wilson (who starred in the farcical sitcom 'one foot in the grave' - his catchphrase in that was 'I don't *believe* it!').... oh, and Ted explaining to Dougal about near and far away....

Posted by: Murk | January 16, 2008 11:26 AM

Best line was Father Jack waking up from a nap long enough to blurt out "Feck! I'm still a priest!" before lapsing back into unconsciousness.

Posted by: Chili Pepper | January 16, 2008 11:30 AM

I don't find it deeply irreverent towards religion; it's superficially irreverent, but the main characters are explicitly represented as atypical and inferior

I disagree. While the show doesn't set out to humiliate the Catholic Church, it certainly shows the creators have a very low opinion of it. For instance, the bishop character has an illegitimate son and shares his hot tub with naked babes :) Every clergyman in the series has some major malfunction (then again, most characters in the show have one).

Father Ted has been one of my favorite sitcoms for years; it's not quite as good as Blackadder but it's close.

Posted by: Dr Strangelove | January 16, 2008 11:33 AM

From one atheist to another...you will probably pee yourself laughing at this show. I own all the episodes on DVD. Quit blogging and start watching.

Posted by: Actually Named Ted | January 16, 2008 11:34 AM

"Dougal's list of "things that don't exist" includes the Loch Ness Monster, Frankenstein, Magnum, P.I., Non-Catholic Gods, Darth Vader, The Phantom of the Opera and, of course, The Beast." - wikipedia

Pokes light fun at the Church, but that's not its raison d'etre... It's a very good show though!

Posted by: John A | January 16, 2008 11:36 AM

One more thing,Dougal is exactly my kind of Atheist, he was shocked that people actually believe in the dogmas of the church.

Just watch some of it.

Posted by: bpower | January 16, 2008 11:49 AM

"Will it aggravate a militant atheist?" not at all!

Posted by: bitbutter | January 16, 2008 11:54 AM

I started watching Father Ted years ago - I was rather young at the time. As a child of a typical Catholic father (left the church at 14 and mean as hell), and a non-practicing Protestant mother (anyone wonder why I'm an atheist??), I found the show to be full of blasphemy and truth. What more can you ask for? Oh yeah, it was hilarious! So enjoy it. The atheist in you will LOVE it.

Posted by: Tara Fields | January 16, 2008 12:02 PM

I have almost died laughing at Father Ted several times. It's easily one of the finest sitcoms ever made. Sparkling scripts, perfect timing, and lovely chemistry between the main characters. Make sure you see the Xmas special episode as well, as it's one of the best.

Most importantly, let us know what you think of it!

Posted by: MH | January 16, 2008 12:15 PM

Yes indeed! Even my Catholic wife loves this show immensely because it pokes so much fun at her Church and quotes from the show daily.

Posted by: Brett | January 16, 2008 12:23 PM

Definitely a great show. I agree it was not just about bashing Catholicism and Catholics. Most of them are not shown as bad people, but flawed. And that is the inherent humor. Usually shows steer away from showing a bad or screwed up priest. But this show threw them out for all to see. It is a silly show, but great for people who like to see piety and priest take a prodding. It makes the priesthood human and not divine emissaries of a great truth. The lie cheat, steal, drink, chase women, and make mistakes. But still you kinda like them, even the hyper high pitch priest, monkey priest, etc.

Ted isn't bad. He does his job, but he wants money, fame, and love (the love of God ain't enough). So when large sums of money get in his hands, things aren't going to go well, or when an attractive woman chats him up. He often wants to do the "right thing" but...

Dougal is a nice guy. Dumb as a post, but nice. The fun is that in his simple way he constantly asks the question you aren't suppose to ask about religion, and benignly challenges basic dogma. He keeps comparing it to cults, fantasy films, etc.

And Jack is just debouched. Drunk, mean, and at uninterested in the job. He tells everyone off, swears, decks anyone between him and a bottle, and runs around nude. And in one episode it is clear he is the natural progression of most priests.

And on their home, Craggy Island, you have the violent couple, always on the verge of killing each other, but when the priest walk in they play nice and hide it, often with knives hidden behind their backs and injuries out of view. And the psycho with the "I shot JR" shirt who may have killed someone and likes to torture bunnies. Ted does his best to ignore and not notice.

Sadly, it would be hard to do the show now. Then the joke is about priest fancying women. Now it would be...And that would be impossible to sell or laugh at.

Posted by: Odd Jack | January 16, 2008 12:26 PM

Those nitwits at Blogs 4 Brownback wrote something I'm hoping wasn't serious. God, that place is scary.

The Statue [of Liberty] is such a graven image. As proof, one need merely look at the New York state license plate. The Statue is very prominently displayed on this license plate, as befits a state renowned for Godlessness, savagery, Marxism, Atheism, and sexual deviancy. Conspicuously absent from this license plate is any depiction of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, Whose agonies on the Cross washed away the sins of the world and gave us hope in Salvation. Yes, there's no room for any depiction of the True Religion on the New York license plate, but there is room for a Bolshevist French harlot clad in nothing but a bedsheet, brandishing a firebrand and a copy of some book that may well be either the "Communist Manifesto" or "Origin of the Species," calling all evildoers to come to America and worship her as their false god. Yes, very little about this license plate is surprising, I am saddened to say.

Hopefully, President Huckabee or President Brownback will put aside the outcry of the dim-witted and idly sinful among patriotic Americans, as well as outright silencing the inevitable uproar from Marxist, secularist, Darwinist, Helioleftist, and immigrationist circles. Hopefully, either one of those men will show the strength of character and moral vision to cast down this disgusting monument to human iniquity. Cast down the Statue, that God may yet forgive our nation for its many sins and travesties.

True leadership means not having to apologize when you are right, just as you must humbly admit it when you are wrong. I hope our next Republican President remembers that, and demolishes this evil edifice once and for all.

Holy shit.

Posted by: Scruffy McSnufflepuss | January 16, 2008 12:44 PM

Highly recommended - the fact that catholicism is involved is irrelevant. It's a well written and very entertaining show. As a militant atheist myself I usually put it on every now and again to laugh at the "men in black".

Posted by: Pratik Patel | January 16, 2008 12:53 PM

Surreal

Subversive

Superb

Posted by: Amadan | January 16, 2008 1:18 PM

Every time there's a big religious protest against some movie or other, I'm always reminded of Fathers Ted and Dougal picketing The Passion of St Tibulus, ineffectually shouting "Down with this sort of thing!" and "Careful now!"

Posted by: Der Bruno Stroszek | January 16, 2008 1:32 PM

Dermot Morgan, who played Ted, was a fierce critic of the Catholic church, who had created a character called 'Father Trendy' for RTE.

Absolutely required viewing for atheists. In the first show Father Dougal eviscerates the whole business of faith on TV.

Posted by: Lee Brimmicombe-Wood | January 16, 2008 1:40 PM

The co-begetter of the show, Graham Linehan is very much a fellow traveller on religious issues, so I you shouldn't find Father Ted vexing you.

Posted by: Jon Deane | January 16, 2008 1:46 PM

Black Books also brilliant.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RedJLaNx31s&feature=related

2:10 in for those who prefer their humour irreligious.

Posted by: Don | January 16, 2008 2:10 PM

I'll have to go along with most of the others here. It's a great series. We have all the DVD's and have watched them many times. One of our favorite lines is, while offering brownies Mrs. Doyle exclaims, "There's cocaine in it!.....Oh no, what am I going on about, I mean raisins." And let's not forget the fantastic song, "My Lovely Horse".

I have to believe it is as funny here in the U.S. as it was in Ireland and the U.K. It really is a shame that Dermot Morgan passed away and so there are only 3 seasons of episodes.

Posted by: Joseph Ludi | January 16, 2008 2:25 PM

Among my favorite BBC comedies was "People like Us".

"The Vicar" from series two takes a hilarious swipe at The Church.

Most of the episodes are hilarious and both series are worth seeking out. Unfortunately, DVD format and region coding may present some difficulties.

Posted by: TL | January 16, 2008 2:41 PM

As a card-carrying atheist, I highly recommend "Father Ted". I wonder how it ever got the go-ahead.

Can you imagine some writer or producer coming up to a television network and saying, "I have a great idea for a story of three Catholic priests living on an isolated island. Oh yes, it is a comedy."

Who in their right mind would buy that? But it works.

Posted by: bernarda | January 16, 2008 3:13 PM

I got the box set for Christmas, it's absolute genius. The Passion of St Tibulus, what an episode - "Careful now"

Posted by: Ben | January 16, 2008 3:47 PM

Holy crap, Gareth! (#84) I forgot that episode! I just watched the greeks clip and almost expired trying not to laugh out loud. I'm at work.
I think Father Ted may be an "acquired" taste. The first time I saw it I thought it was disgusting (Father Jack mostly) but for some reason I went back and now I love it so.

Posted by: Kari | January 16, 2008 3:57 PM

Graham Linehan is an atheist, I believe.

Speaking of the Catholic Church in Ireland, I think there's always been an undercurrent of animosity towards the Church. Over the summer, I was with my father getting some bales of hay off an elderly farmer back in Ireland. This gentleman was ancient, at least eighty. While we were loading up the bales, he told us about how the Catholic Church "kept the populace ignorant to retain their power" and regaled us with a risqué nun joke. A farmer. Who grew up during the pre-Vatican II era. Wow.

Posted by: Alan | January 16, 2008 4:09 PM

Many secularists are pissed off at the control the Church have over education in Ireland, but I think they'd be amused at a story I heard from my brother. He had an R.E. class in which they read an incredibly biased newspaper article which ended with the author decrying the "permissive society". Then he had a sex-ed class where the friendly nurse taught them the correct contraceptive to use when rimming, or "giving a rimjob" as she told it. I couldn't help but burst out laughing

Posted by: Onias | January 16, 2008 4:16 PM

A little redundant after so many recommendations, but: watch it, PZ - it's a genius comedy that often pokes at the pomposity and hypocrisy of organised religion.

Father Dougal, describing 'The Beast': "They say it's as big as four cats, and it's got a retractable leg so as it can leap up at you better and you know what Ted, it lights up at night, and it's got four ears. Two of them are for listening and the other two are kind of back-up ears, and it's claws are as big as cups and for some reason it's got a tremendous fear of stamps and Mrs. Doyle was tellin' me that it's got magnets on it's tail so's if you're made out of metal it can attach itself to you, and instead of a mouth it's got four arses."

Posted by: Mono Ape | January 16, 2008 4:22 PM