For a man with no formal training in acting, Whitehouse is an absolute genius.

Higson is seriously good in these

Whitehouse is one of the few comedy actors who can do a convincing Irish accent. Actually the guy can do any accent perfectly..a great actor.

The greatest love story ever told!

this is such a comic, but tragic and tender sketch all rolled into one.

Brilliant stuff. The absolute awkwardness between men, especially when there's the faintest hint of affection. The avoidance of eye contact, the class distinction only exacerbates the discomfort. I love it! Thank you Sir!

Higson is awesome in the role.

"That's a dramatic sky, isn't it? See the way the wind's tugging those clouds along. So typically English. That's a Constable sky, isn't it, Ted? It's Turner, Gainsborough. It's the music of Elgar and Vaughan Williams. It's picnics with Scotch eggs and pork pies, and the rain just spattering onto white linen table cloths. It's summer holidays on the beach huddled beneath a blanket sheltering from the wind." Beautiful. Almost brings a lump to the throat.

Whenever I'm down, I can watch a bit of The Fast Show, and life feels better.

I love the way 'Ralph' half - walks - half-trots when he approaches Ted 😏

6:46 "It's not a problem, sir. Not a problem." Touching.

"What are you fishing for, Ted?" "Fish!" :D

Yesss! The Tina Turner clip was the one I was looking for. For some reason, that was the one I remmebered the most vividly. "Do you like Tina Turner...Ted?"

Ralph: "Do you like Kipling, Ted?" Ted: " I quite like the fruit slice! He makes exceedingly good cakes!"

“I got a little bit of oil on them, tinkering with the tractor.” “Yes… yes I remember that” Poetry. Geniuses these two.

Having been brought up in the country the characters here are uncannily spot on, I can still see the characters back then the Gentry farmers and farm workers especially in the local pubs of which are long gone now absolutely love the fly fishing scene though its hard to pick a favourite ..brilliant comedy from Higson and Whitehouse..

This, this is nothing short of genius. The timing and awkwardness are so on point. As I gay man I can totally relate to this. Desperate to make contact but are somehow restricted. As funny as these characters are it also breaks my heart. Why do we do this to ourselves

ted really understands ralphs problem and feels sorry for him.

These sketches are so simple yet so hilarious!

Funniest sketch on the fast show Hysterically funny , beautifully acted , awkwardly excellent. Ironically amazing Poetry in motion

OMG! I just met him today at my High school during english class for his book promotion "The Enemy" Brilliant Book series! I got his autograph and picture!!!

Goodness the tension & unrequited feelings was real lol!! Amazing that i remember this fondly from when as a uni student i used to watch this on ABC in Aus in the mid 90s! Thank god for YT!

Wonderful so English, it was written by the guys who wrote Father Ted, Graham Lineghan and Arthur Matthew.Best thing on the show by a mile

It s so well done. Works on every level. Genius

3:34 Aww. Lovely singing by Ted.

i am so ashamed of how bad american tv is when i watch this show....so awesome.

the stable scene is just fantastic! I love these two

The Ted & Ralph sketches are a little bit of perfection as they gently stand astride two ancient pillars of British comedy - the class system (see Cleese and the Two Ronnies) and the love whose name can can only be hinted at (every Carry on Film)! A little bit of added Irish self-subjegation to perceived Anglo-Saxon "masters" is the icing on the cake. Not sure the sketch would have worked so well if Ted was a Yokel. Move forward a decade or two and we have Dafydd Thomas who is the exact opposite to Ralph - but also to similar comic effect (for British viewers anyway)

Bless you for putting all of these in one place. I really wish they had put them all on the dvd of the hour long special, or just put them all together somewhere. Anyway, massive appreciation from me for doing this. Now if you`ll excuse me, I have to attend to the drainage in the lower field......

"Do i love you! My, oh my!" AAAAWWWW! >_

Brilliant

These two guys were plasterers doing up Fry and Lauries' house.

Ralph reminds me of David Cameron.

Go on..admit it...you felt sorry for Ralph

The presence of a Mrs Ted suggests that Ralph's affections are doomed to go unreciprocated...

Hilarious,by far one of the classic comedy shows which is no longer...shame....but grateful for the upload on here....can't remember the last time I watched this.....I was rather drunk at the time!!!

I read it as, Ted doesn't reciprocate it to the extent Ralph does. The hidden looks of horror, awkwardness, the way he freezes around him and closes up. But he sees him, over time, to be a good friend, and in the end, someone who was there for him at his lowest point (with the wife's death).

What’s lovely about this is Ted fully knows about Ralph’s issues and he knows Ralph isn’t ready to acknowledge it himself, but he’s very kind and gentle with him, and probably thinks of him more like a son.

funny as fook....arrh ted looks like rain later. what you doing this evening ted....that look on teds face says it all....ralphs soft voice cracks me up....love this sketch

Great comedy duo. Ted n ralph my fav

Drainage in the lower field...

That's exactly how I see it too, well sometimes. It's so clever it's hard to know for sure.

I wouldn't know about that Sir

Poor old Ralph. Unrequitted love....it's a killer

Johnny Depp worshipped this acting

....... that's a Constable sky isn't it Ted?!

Unbearably poignant. These sketches are masterpieces. The catch in Ralph's throat, the love that dare not speak its name, that snatch of 'Nimrod' towards the end....and that obvious fact that Ted is so unprepossessing (and clearly straight) makes it all the more heartbreaking. This is the real thing.

Could never figure out if Ralph was just terribly lonely or if he actually had feelings for Ted lol

The absolute best of comedy also incorporates sadness; I find these two characters and Roly Birkin are incredibly sad at the same time as being funny!

I can identify with this invisible barrier. Actually quite heart breaking as it's so on point. Dont ask dont tell

This is so heartbreaking. Why oh why do we do this to ourselves. Been in this situation a few times and it hurts

Last sketch is the best - VIVA BRITANNIA 2012 !!!

It’s the awkwardness of British men, class distinction, the public school all male repression and sexual tension !

Manon des Sources - Ted would like this !

I hope Ted did wear the green overalls.

Genius

Class is without doubt the greatest barrier between people in England. Its a shame. And its one of the main reasons I prefer living on the continent.

Hard to know if Ted accepting his place in the scheme of things is more contained and dignified than a man, who having wealth, position, authority, still lacks something that a lower class individual has.

Ted?! No sir! ....TED? NO SIR!

@comedybuff4000 any idea where to find it?

Are you interested in french cinema? lol what a pick up line!

I LIKED IT AND TED

These are brill, but also check out the 90 minute spin-off film about Ted and Ralph (simply called Ted and Ralph).

MARVELLOUS 👏👏🤣🤣😥

@libertycaps666 definitely seems to be written with the english in mind though!

I hope so, poor Ralph...

They both love each other but dare not say it. But it's not sexual nor homosexual. it's simply love on a human level. You can love someone for who and what they are. *_“Love is a spirit all compact of fire, Not gross to sink, but light, and will aspire.”_* _william shakespeare_

French cineMA TED..... ....fox chickens drainage.....stay over SIR.....drainage

Ralph looks like a young Ray Mear

@adamgrimsley its not really so english, graham and arthur are both irish

Johnny Depp said Paul Whitehouse is the greatest actor in the world. It’s hard to disagree.

@zzebowa It is a great barrier in many ways, true, but it makes for the greatest comedy. The Office is all about social class, Fawlty Towers, Extras, great British comedy usually has elements of class divisions in the same way as most American comedy is more gag-based. Compare The Office UK vs US versions for an example...

Elgar - Nimrod (From the Enigma Variations~)

I honestly consider these as more of an aside. People find them funny, but I honestly consider it kind of nice, in its own way. It feels a little out of place in a sketch show, and I suppose it's no wonder it got a feature length show of its own.

Ah the lower field

I think Ralph might be my ideal man..

lower field drainage mmmmmm

7.22 anyone who knows what this music is, composer and/or title?

'tis "nimrod" from elgar's enigma variations

Is it weird that I want to see Colin Firth and Ralph Fienes recreate these two it a hyper dramatic artsy scene?

We could go shopping together and buy us a couple of fur coats

soooooooooooooooo painful

"They're showing a rather good Gérard Depardieu film in town .... It's Manon des Sources" Gérard Depardieu isn't in Manon des Sources because it is the sequel to Jean de Florette, the film he was in and died at the end of.

Anyone else think maybe Ted and Ralph were in the wrong series? Because they weren’t really in keeping with the rest of The Fast Show. The series was full of fourth-wall breakers and over the top humour, but Ted and Ralph were played straight and were sometimes more emotional than funny, they were more like a comedy-drama.

Seriously... what does he say at 1:10? I've wondered for years!

Saved his life when his posh wer;ent interested. Irish story

I'm on the posh guys side.

It be funnier if Ralph would have said Swedish or Russian avant-garde cinema

Ted isn't gay, Ralph is, lol

teds married

Technically speaking he should be calling Ted by his surname, not his Christian name.

What are the chances of PBS showing this in America?

Were they just awkward or closet gays?

Ralph is gay, his love for Ted is unrequited...

Brilliant