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{{Template:Episode
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{{Infobox Episode
 
|title = The Passion of Saint Tibulus
 
|title = The Passion of Saint Tibulus
 
|season = 1
 
|season = 1
|number = 3
+
|episodeno = 3
 
|airdate = May 5, 1995
 
|airdate = May 5, 1995
|writer = Graham Linehan<br>Arthur Matthews
 
|director = Declan Lowney
 
 
|previous = [[Entertaining Father Stone]]
 
|previous = [[Entertaining Father Stone]]
|next = [[Competition Time]]|image = The Passion of St Tibulus.jpg}}
+
|next = [[Competition Time]]|image = The Passion of St Tibulus.jpg}}'''The Passion of Saint Tibulus''' is the third episode of [[Series 1]] of ''[[Father Ted]].''
'''The Passion of Saint Tibulus''' is the third episode of [[Series 1]] of ''[[Father Ted]]''.
 
 
   
 
==Synopsis==
 
==Synopsis==
  +
Father Ted and Dougal protest a blasphemous new film on the orders of Bishop Len Brennan who has a terrible secret.
Father Hernandez, from Cuba, is staying on Craggy Island. During a game of 'Cluedo' (which has lasted for hours because the priests have forgotten to put any cards in the "Murder Envelope", meaning there is no solution), Father Hernandez, seeing Mrs Doyle, confesses he sometimes finds the life of celibacy difficult, at which point Ted mentions Bishop, who is rumoured to have a son who lives in America.
 
  +
  +
==Story==
  +
The priests are hosting Cuban priest Father Hernandez and playing a game of "Cluedo". Ted tells him about their supervisor Bishop Len Brennan, including the rumours that he has a son in America who was born via his former housekeeper. Hernandez says their oath of celibacy is hard and he gives Mrs. Doyle a look when she brings the tea. Brennan then phones Ted to announce that he will be paying a visit to the parochial house the next day. Dougal finds the pack of cards empty and they realise they have been playing the game for three hours without deal the cards.
  +
  +
The following day as Hernandez prepares to leave, he gives Ted and Dougal gifts made by the people from his homeland. To Dougal he gives a VCR and apologizes for it only having a two-week pre-record function and to Ted he presents something even more special - a Cuban fertility statue. Ted is taken aback but thanks him for it. Hernandez puts on his sunglasses, says his goodbye and speeds off in his Porsche. As Dougal is hooking up the VCR, Ted warns him not to say anything to Bishop Brennan about his son.
  +
  +
Later that day, Bishop Brennan pays them a visit, having just recently returned from California. The atmosphere turns awkward when Bishop Brennan spots the fertility statue on top of the TV and Dougal blurts out about his son. Bishop Brennan gets down to business by telling the priests about an erotic film called ''The Passion of Saint Tibulus'', which has premiered on the island. Dougal asks him if he knows it is any good but Bishop Brennan does not care about that and tells them the Pope has banned it virtually everywhere. However, a loophole means it is showing on the island. Bishop Brennan orders Ted and Dougal to protest against it in the hope it gets pulled from the local cinema.
  +
  +
The two priests attend a screening which is being seen by two other people, one of whom walks out before it begins. The cinema owner, Michael Cocheese, is surprised to see the priests there and they tell him that Bishop Brennan has sent them to protest against the film. Cocheese does not like Bishop Brennan and tells the priests not to cause too much fuss so as not to disturb the other attendees.
  +
  +
The following morning, the priests discuss the film as they lie in bed and both are shocked about the amount of nudity with Ted saying it made no sense. Suddenly, a furious Bishop Brennan bursts through the door and the priests are soon back protesting outside the cinema, complete with placards. However, the place does not open for a few more hours and since they are unable to leave Ted tells Dougal to go to the shop and purchase a pair of handcuffs for the railing and does so from the O'Learys who are having another argument before Dougal shows up. There is some confusion when he tells John and Mary that the handcuffs are for him and Ted, but he gets them nonetheless.
  +
  +
Back outside the cinema, the priests start their protest by chanting the words on their placards but soon realise that the fuss they are making is causing more residents to become more interested in seeing the film. Back at the parochial house, Jack is rebuked by Bishop Brennan for not being at the protest and says that he cannot find his bag and leaves. Jack has it and rummages though it, finding a camcorder with a video, which he tosses aide and, much to his delight, a bottle of ''Jack Daniels''. Clearly delighted, Michael Cocheese tells Ted and Dougal that he has not seen as big an attendance for a single film since ''Jurassic Park'' before Jack shows up to watch the film. Ted decides to give up but since Dougal did not know keys come with handcuffs there is no way of freeing themselves.
   
  +
Later they are back in their living room, still handcuffed to the railing with Bishop Brennan rebuking them. It turns out that their protest has made the film the most successful ever screened on the island. He produces a poster which includes Jack giving it two thumbs up. He produces a globe and says it would be better for the priests to continue their work elsewhere. Ted gets excited when Bishop Brennan decides to send him to America as he chooses Las Vegas, but Bishop Brennan corrects himself by saying he will be sent to Suriname. For Dougal, he suggests a place in the Philippines with no sewage system but when he comes to Jack, who he tells to wake up, Ted tries to warn him that it is not a good idea but Bishop Brennan tells him to shut up and tries to call him again. Jack's eyes fly open and Bishop Brennan ends up being punched in the nose. Both shocked and angry, he tells Ted and Dougal that he is not finished with them and leaves.
The next day, Brennan himself arrives unexpectedly at the parochial house. Ted hopes that it's because they're being sent back to their original parishes, but Brennan swiftly dashes this hope: they're not going anywhere after the incidents that put them there in the first place (Ted stole money that was supposed to send a child to Lourdes and lost it all on a gambling spree in Las Vegas, a disastrous wedding in Athlone for Jack and the "Blackrock incident" for Dougal that "irreparably damaged" the lives of several nuns). Instead, Len has another reason for visiting: ''The Passion of Saint Tibulus'', a film condemned by the Pope as "blasphemous" and banned everywhere else, is being shown on Craggy Island because of an unknown loophole. He declares the Catholic Church must be seen to make a stand on this matter, and orders Ted and the others to sort things out as quickly as possible, especially given that he has been recalled from his holiday in California to deal with it.
 
   
  +
Ted and Dougal sit on the couch and the latter says he does not want to leave as he does not even know where the Philippines are. Jack puts a video in the VCR and Ted says the last thing he wants to watch is another film, but it turns out to be a video from Bishop Brennan's trip to California as it shows him at the beach with his son and mistress. This cheers Ted and Dougal up with the former asking if they should call Bishop Brennan or watch the video again. They choose the latter and Ted signals to Jack to play it again.
Ted and Dougal go to the local cinema and find only two other people watching the film, one of whom leaves because the film is in French, subtitled and not dubbed. Originally, they plan to protest before the film begins, but after a polite request from Michael the cinema manager, they agree to watch it peacefully and be thrown out afterwards (to be seen "making a fuss").
 
   
  +
==Cast==
That night, Ted and Dougal discuss the film, and rather than debate its ethical or theological aspects, simply agree the film was difficult to understand and inaccurate, as well as sexually explicit. The next morning, the pair decide they'll take their time going down to the cinema and protesting: however, Bishop Brennan returns and orders them to start protesting immediately. Bemoaning the fact that there are still seven hours before the cinema even opens, Ted and Dougal stand outside with placards reading "Down with this sort of thing" and "Careful now". Dougal then goes to the O'Learys' shop to buy a pair of handcuffs, so they can fasten themselves to the railing to gain more attention.
 
  +
===Main Cast===
  +
* [[Dermot Morgan]] as [[Ted Crilly]]
  +
* [[Ardal O'Hanlon]] as [[Dougal McGuire]]
  +
* [[Frank Kelly]] as [[Jack Hackett]]
  +
* [[Pauline McLynn]] as [[Mrs. Doyle]]
   
  +
===Guest Cast===
Meanwhile, back at the parochial house, Bishop Brennan is looking for his travelling bag, which contains his passport "and everything". Father Jack, sitting in his chair as always, plays dumb when questioned. However, once the Bishop leaves, he produces the bag and examines it. Inside, he finds Brennan's passport, a VHS camcorder containing a video cassette labelled "Holiday '95 California" and- to his delight -a bottle of Jack Daniels. Ted and Dougal continue protesting earnestly, but their actions have the opposite effect - people now want to see the film, attracted mainly by their protest. As islanders wander in (including Jack), Michael happily declares ''The Passion of Saint Tibulus'' is already the cinema's most successful film since ''Jurassic Park''. Ted angrily realizes that no one cares what the Church says about the film, and decides to leave. Unfortunately, Dougal doesn't have the keys for the handcuffs.
 
  +
* [[Derrick Branche]] as [[Jose Fernandez]]
  +
* [[Geoffrey Perkins]] as [[Spanish Interpreter]]
  +
* [[Jim Norton]] as [[Len Brennan|Bishop Brennan]]
  +
* [[Patrick Drury]] as [[John O'Leary]]
  +
* [[Rynagh O'Grady]] as [[Mary O'Leary]]
  +
* [[Jon Kenny]] as [[Michael Cocheese]]
  +
* [[Ann Rowan]] as [[Mrs. Glynn]]
  +
* [[Blanaid Irvine]] as [[Mrs. Sheridan]]
  +
* [[Hugh B. O'Brien]] as [[Pat Harty]]
   
Back home - with the pair of them still handcuffed to the railing - they are scolded by Bishop Brennan for making ''The Passion of Saint Tibulus'' the most successful film in the island's history. People have been arriving from all over Iteland and Europe to watch it. As punishment, the three will be relocated to locations even worse than Craggy Island: Ted is being sent to an island off Suriname where two tribes have been "knocking the shit out each other" since 1907 and is supposed to unite them "in the spirit of Christian harmony" (and make arrows), Dougal is off to an area of the Philippines (which he can't spell, but he "know[s] it starts with an 'f'") bereft of sewerage systems and Jack, to somewhere Bishop Brennan swears is much worse, although Jack punches him in the face before he can reveal exactly where. On that note, Bishop Brennan leaves; Ted and Dougal are devastated, until Jack plays the Bishop's holiday video. It shows the Bishop with a woman and a young boy on a beach - his secret mistress and his son. Ted realises they can use this to blackmail the Bishop into changing his mind, and they revel in their good fortune by watching the video a few more times.
 
 
==Trivia==
 
==Trivia==
*Bishop Brennan's scandal mirrors that of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eamon_Casey Eamon Casey] in the 1990s.
+
*Bishop Brennan's scandal mirrors that of [[Wikipedia:Eamonn Casey|Eamonn Casey]] in the 1990s.
 
*The vague protest signs carried by Ted and Dougal are among the show's most recognised jokes. This is acknowledged in the closing montage of the final episode, where the slogans are the only soundbite used.
 
*The vague protest signs carried by Ted and Dougal are among the show's most recognised jokes. This is acknowledged in the closing montage of the final episode, where the slogans are the only soundbite used.
*The signs were referred to by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Party_%28Ireland%29 Green Party] leader [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Gormley John Gormley] - on 28 June 2010 - to describe his view that the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labour_Party_%28Ireland%29 Labour Party] have little or no polices. He accused the Labour Party of saying "Down with this sort of thing" without providing their alternative.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-3">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Passion_of_Saint_Tibulus#cite_note-3 [3]]</sup>
+
*The signs were referred to by Green Party leader John Gormley - on 28 June 2010 - to describe his view that the Labour Party have little or no polices. He accused the Labour Party of saying "Down with this sort of thing" without providing their alternative.
*During a number of high profile UK protests including the Pope's state visit to the September 2010 and Student protests against tuition fee rises in November 2010, as well as protests against the Irish EU bailout and austerity measures in November 2010 several protesters displayed banners saying "Down with this sort of thing" and "Careful now".
+
*During a number of high profile UK protests including the Pope's state visit to the September 2010 and student protests against tuition fee rises in November 2010, as well as protests against the Irish EU bailout and austerity measures in November 2010, several protesters displayed banners saying "Down with this sort of thing" and "Careful now".
*The line is referenced in the 2013 video game ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Theft_Auto_V Grand Theft Auto V]'', where a protester is seen carrying a "Down with this sort of thing" sign.
+
*The line is referenced in the 2013 video game ''Grand Theft Auto V'', where a protester is seen carrying a "Down with this sort of thing" sign.
  +
*This marks the first time that Bishop Brennan has been attacked when he was punched by Jack followed by [[Kicking Bishop Brennan Up The Arse]] which was committed by Ted
   
 
==Production==
 
==Production==
*The episode's central theme is ineffectual protest. The plot of the Church's opposition to a blasphemous film was inspired by the reaction to several real-world films, including ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sebastiane Sebastiane]'', ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hail_Mary_%28film%29 Hail Mary]'' and ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monty_Python%27s_Life_of_Brian Monty Python's Life of Brian]''; the latter was banned in Ireland upon its release, so Linehan joined a film club specifically to get a chance to watch it.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-com_1-0">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Passion_of_Saint_Tibulus#cite_note-com-1 [1]]</sup>
+
*The episode's central theme is ineffectual protest. The plot of the Church's opposition to a blasphemous film was inspired by the reaction to several real-world films, including ''Sebastiane'', ''Hail Mary'' and ''Monty Python's Life of Brian''; the latter was banned in Ireland upon its release, so Linehan joined a film club specifically to get a chance to watch it.
*This episode was the second to be recorded, and the writers originally planned to air it first; they later moved it to second, feeling that "[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Luck,_Father_Ted Good Luck, Father Ted]" would make a better introduction, and finally moved it to third because of Mathews's particular love for "[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entertaining_Father_Stone Entertaining Father Stone]".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-com_1-1">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Passion_of_Saint_Tibulus#cite_note-com-1 [1]]</sup> The cinema used was the Cinema by the Sea in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greystones Greystones], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/County_Wicklow Co.Wicklow]. It continued to operate until July 2007, when it closed due to commercial difficulties.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-2">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Passion_of_Saint_Tibulus#cite_note-2 [2]]</sup>
+
*This episode was the second to be recorded, and the writers originally planned to air it first; they later moved it to second, feeling that "[[Good Luck, Father Ted]]" would make a better introduction, and finally moved it to third because of Mathews's particular love for "[[Entertaining Father Stone]]".The cinema used was the Cinema by the Sea in Greystones, Co. Wicklow. It continued to operate until July 2007, when it closed due to commercial difficulties.
*One of the writers' early ideas for the series was that every priest in the world knows every other personally; this idea is introduced in the opening scene with the Cuban priest Father Hernandez. When Hernandez speaks in Spanish, he is clumsily dubbed over by an English translator, which the Craggy Islanders can inexplicably hear and understand – an idea Linehan considered "just this side of being too mad to do". The translator's voice is provided by producer [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoffrey_Perkins Geoffrey Perkins].<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-com_1-2">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Passion_of_Saint_Tibulus#cite_note-com-1 [1]]</sup>
+
*One of the writers' early ideas for the series was that every priest in the world knows every other personally; this idea is introduced in the opening scene with the Cuban priest Father Hernandez. When Hernandez speaks in Spanish, he is clumsily dubbed over by an English translator, which the Craggy Islanders can inexplicably hear and understand – an idea Linehan considered "just this side of being too mad to do". The translator's voice is provided by producer Geoffrey Perkins.
*This episode introduced the recurring character of Bishop Brennan, who was initially based on [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eamon_Casey Eamon Casey], and later on [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Cleary_%28priest%29 Michael Cleary]. The writers cast [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Norton_%28Irish_actor%29 Jim Norton] after seeing him as Wentworth in the 1995 ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frasier Frasier]'' episode "The Club"; Mathews has also heard his reading of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Joyce James Joyce]'s ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulysses_%28novel%29 Ulysses]''. The writers always felt that Bishop Brennan was Father Jack's nemesis, as Jack himself had the potential to become a bishop, but never did because we was not a career priest.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-com_1-3">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Passion_of_Saint_Tibulus#cite_note-com-1 [1]]</sup>
+
*This episode introduced the recurring character of [[Len Brennan|Bishop Brennan]], who was initially based on Eamon Casey, and later on Michael Cleary. The writers cast [[Jim Norton]] after seeing him as Wentworth in the 1995 ''Frasier'' episode "The Club"; Mathews has also heard his reading of James Joyce's ''Ulysses''. The writers always felt that Bishop Brennan was Father Jack's nemesis, as Jack himself had the potential to become a bishop, but never did because we was not a career priest.
*The scenes with Ted and Dougal sharing a bedroom were inspired by similar scenes in the ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morecambe_and_Wise Morecambe and Wise]'' shows. The writers used these scenes for end-of-the-day conversations to wrap up the story, and to provide a sort of "safe zone" for Ted and Dougal to discuss the plot. Linehan and Mathews had to cut laughs in some scenes because the studio audience incorrectly thought they were making sex jokes.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-com_1-4">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Passion_of_Saint_Tibulus#cite_note-com-1 [1]</sup>
+
*The scenes with Ted and Dougal sharing a bedroom were inspired by similar scenes in the ''Morecambe and Wise'' shows. The writers used these scenes for end-of-the-day conversations to wrap up the story, and to provide a sort of "safe zone" for Ted and Dougal to discuss the plot. Linehan and Mathews had to cut laughs in some scenes because the studio audience incorrectly thought they were making sex jokes.
==References==
 
<references/>
 
   
 
{{Season1}}
 
{{Season1}}

Revision as of 11:29, 6 August 2019

The Passion of Saint Tibulus is the third episode of Series 1 of Father Ted.

Synopsis

Father Ted and Dougal protest a blasphemous new film on the orders of Bishop Len Brennan who has a terrible secret.

Story

The priests are hosting Cuban priest Father Hernandez and playing a game of "Cluedo". Ted tells him about their supervisor Bishop Len Brennan, including the rumours that he has a son in America who was born via his former housekeeper. Hernandez says their oath of celibacy is hard and he gives Mrs. Doyle a look when she brings the tea. Brennan then phones Ted to announce that he will be paying a visit to the parochial house the next day. Dougal finds the pack of cards empty and they realise they have been playing the game for three hours without deal the cards.

The following day as Hernandez prepares to leave, he gives Ted and Dougal gifts made by the people from his homeland. To Dougal he gives a VCR and apologizes for it only having a two-week pre-record function and to Ted he presents something even more special - a Cuban fertility statue. Ted is taken aback but thanks him for it. Hernandez puts on his sunglasses, says his goodbye and speeds off in his Porsche. As Dougal is hooking up the VCR, Ted warns him not to say anything to Bishop Brennan about his son.

Later that day, Bishop Brennan pays them a visit, having just recently returned from California. The atmosphere turns awkward when Bishop Brennan spots the fertility statue on top of the TV and Dougal blurts out about his son. Bishop Brennan gets down to business by telling the priests about an erotic film called The Passion of Saint Tibulus, which has premiered on the island. Dougal asks him if he knows it is any good but Bishop Brennan does not care about that and tells them the Pope has banned it virtually everywhere. However, a loophole means it is showing on the island. Bishop Brennan orders Ted and Dougal to protest against it in the hope it gets pulled from the local cinema.

The two priests attend a screening which is being seen by two other people, one of whom walks out before it begins. The cinema owner, Michael Cocheese, is surprised to see the priests there and they tell him that Bishop Brennan has sent them to protest against the film. Cocheese does not like Bishop Brennan and tells the priests not to cause too much fuss so as not to disturb the other attendees.

The following morning, the priests discuss the film as they lie in bed and both are shocked about the amount of nudity with Ted saying it made no sense. Suddenly, a furious Bishop Brennan bursts through the door and the priests are soon back protesting outside the cinema, complete with placards. However, the place does not open for a few more hours and since they are unable to leave Ted tells Dougal to go to the shop and purchase a pair of handcuffs for the railing and does so from the O'Learys who are having another argument before Dougal shows up. There is some confusion when he tells John and Mary that the handcuffs are for him and Ted, but he gets them nonetheless.

Back outside the cinema, the priests start their protest by chanting the words on their placards but soon realise that the fuss they are making is causing more residents to become more interested in seeing the film. Back at the parochial house, Jack is rebuked by Bishop Brennan for not being at the protest and says that he cannot find his bag and leaves. Jack has it and rummages though it, finding a camcorder with a video, which he tosses aide and, much to his delight, a bottle of Jack Daniels. Clearly delighted, Michael Cocheese tells Ted and Dougal that he has not seen as big an attendance for a single film since Jurassic Park before Jack shows up to watch the film. Ted decides to give up but since Dougal did not know keys come with handcuffs there is no way of freeing themselves.

Later they are back in their living room, still handcuffed to the railing with Bishop Brennan rebuking them. It turns out that their protest has made the film the most successful ever screened on the island. He produces a poster which includes Jack giving it two thumbs up. He produces a globe and says it would be better for the priests to continue their work elsewhere. Ted gets excited when Bishop Brennan decides to send him to America as he chooses Las Vegas, but Bishop Brennan corrects himself by saying he will be sent to Suriname. For Dougal, he suggests a place in the Philippines with no sewage system but when he comes to Jack, who he tells to wake up, Ted tries to warn him that it is not a good idea but Bishop Brennan tells him to shut up and tries to call him again. Jack's eyes fly open and Bishop Brennan ends up being punched in the nose. Both shocked and angry, he tells Ted and Dougal that he is not finished with them and leaves.

Ted and Dougal sit on the couch and the latter says he does not want to leave as he does not even know where the Philippines are. Jack puts a video in the VCR and Ted says the last thing he wants to watch is another film, but it turns out to be a video from Bishop Brennan's trip to California as it shows him at the beach with his son and mistress. This cheers Ted and Dougal up with the former asking if they should call Bishop Brennan or watch the video again. They choose the latter and Ted signals to Jack to play it again.

Cast

Main Cast

Guest Cast

Trivia

  • Bishop Brennan's scandal mirrors that of Eamonn Casey in the 1990s.
  • The vague protest signs carried by Ted and Dougal are among the show's most recognised jokes. This is acknowledged in the closing montage of the final episode, where the slogans are the only soundbite used.
  • The signs were referred to by Green Party leader John Gormley - on 28 June 2010 - to describe his view that the Labour Party have little or no polices. He accused the Labour Party of saying "Down with this sort of thing" without providing their alternative.
  • During a number of high profile UK protests including the Pope's state visit to the September 2010 and student protests against tuition fee rises in November 2010, as well as protests against the Irish EU bailout and austerity measures in November 2010, several protesters displayed banners saying "Down with this sort of thing" and "Careful now".
  • The line is referenced in the 2013 video game Grand Theft Auto V, where a protester is seen carrying a "Down with this sort of thing" sign.
  • This marks the first time that Bishop Brennan has been attacked when he was punched by Jack followed by Kicking Bishop Brennan Up The Arse which was committed by Ted

Production

  • The episode's central theme is ineffectual protest. The plot of the Church's opposition to a blasphemous film was inspired by the reaction to several real-world films, including Sebastiane, Hail Mary and Monty Python's Life of Brian; the latter was banned in Ireland upon its release, so Linehan joined a film club specifically to get a chance to watch it.
  • This episode was the second to be recorded, and the writers originally planned to air it first; they later moved it to second, feeling that "Good Luck, Father Ted" would make a better introduction, and finally moved it to third because of Mathews's particular love for "Entertaining Father Stone".The cinema used was the Cinema by the Sea in Greystones, Co. Wicklow. It continued to operate until July 2007, when it closed due to commercial difficulties.
  • One of the writers' early ideas for the series was that every priest in the world knows every other personally; this idea is introduced in the opening scene with the Cuban priest Father Hernandez. When Hernandez speaks in Spanish, he is clumsily dubbed over by an English translator, which the Craggy Islanders can inexplicably hear and understand – an idea Linehan considered "just this side of being too mad to do". The translator's voice is provided by producer Geoffrey Perkins.
  • This episode introduced the recurring character of Bishop Brennan, who was initially based on Eamon Casey, and later on Michael Cleary. The writers cast Jim Norton after seeing him as Wentworth in the 1995 Frasier episode "The Club"; Mathews has also heard his reading of James Joyce's Ulysses. The writers always felt that Bishop Brennan was Father Jack's nemesis, as Jack himself had the potential to become a bishop, but never did because we was not a career priest.
  • The scenes with Ted and Dougal sharing a bedroom were inspired by similar scenes in the Morecambe and Wise shows. The writers used these scenes for end-of-the-day conversations to wrap up the story, and to provide a sort of "safe zone" for Ted and Dougal to discuss the plot. Linehan and Mathews had to cut laughs in some scenes because the studio audience incorrectly thought they were making sex jokes.


Series 1
#101 "Good Luck, Father Ted" #104 "Competition Time"
#102 "Entertaining Father Stone" #105 "And God Created Woman"
#103 "The Passion of Saint Tibulus" #106 "Grant Unto Him Eternal Rest"