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“I hear your a racist now father” is one of the funniest comedy scenes I’ve ever seen lol

Father Ted is an institution here in the UK. It's up there with Fawlty Towers, Monty Python and Only Fools and Horses, as one of the greatest comedy shows of all time.

Many years ago I was on a chicago boat tour absolutely freezing. While waiting in line to get a warm drink at the boat, I was standing next to an Irish family who quickly struck up a conversation with me about how cold it felt. Because we were in chicago they mentioned how many sitcoms were set in Chicago, and thats when I mentioned Father Ted to them, since I was a big fan. They were blown away a peruvian guy who lived in the US would know Father Ted, much less quote it. We ended up spending the rest of the boat tour sitting in the back, drinking whiskey and talking about Father Ted, Fawlty Towers, and Monty Python.

So happy you're covering this, as a Canadian this show has been a staple in my home forever. I was devastated when Dermot Morgan died.

Graham Norton (Who got his start playing Father Noel on the show) once said "British people see Father Ted as this whacky comedy, but to Irish people, it's a documentary", which I think sums up why Father Ted still endures as a classic in Ireland. A bit of background for any of ye outside the country: Ireland was a very conversative place, with the catholic church ruling with an iron fist. They had a say in everything in our lives; education, government, social attitudes etc. So the likes of Dave Allen (One of the great unappreciated Irish stand-ups) never got big in their own countries because of the church's censorship over the media. RTE (Radio Telefis Eireann), our state broadcaster, would always portray the church in a positive light, so satire was big no no for them. By the 90's though, things were gradually changing in the country, with Father Ted coming out at the perfect time on a TV station in the UK. People watching Channel 4 over here got a real kick out of the show's takedown, satirising life in Ireland to a tee: how we disguise gossip in a polite manner, John & Mary being a showcase for the need for the Divorce Referendum, how the Church was losing influence over people at the time, and the general cheap charm of events like community discos or Sheep competitions. But there was never a mean-spirited approach to the portrayal of Ireland, just poking fun at our lives on this small island. And of course, the amount of Irish talent in this show is just insane: Pat Shortt, Jon Kenny, Patrick McDonnell, Brendan Grace, Tommy Tiernan, Niall Buggy, Pat Laffan, Maria Doyle Kennedy, and Graham Norton. The only part that depresses me was Dermot Morgan's death. See, he wasn't the best treated back in his home country, with his shows like Scrap Saturday getting the axe because they "ruffled the wrong feathers". So Ted being his stepping stone to the UK was important to him. Funny enough, when you mentioned that the cast was surprised the next day, there was one person who was concerned during filming: Tommy Tiernan. He played Father Kevin in the final episode, with his dance number requiring so many takes because Tommy kept getting his lines wrong. He heard Dermot saying: "I can't go on, can we please stop", who was out of breath and exhausted (Signs of his heart attack). When he got home to Dublin the next day, a taxi man told him: "Did ya hear, Father Ted died". At the funeral, when the coffin was being brought up, Ardal jokingly said to Tommy "You killed Father Ted", to which Tommy burst out laughing in bad taste. Still, Tiernan does feel a twinge of guilt over this scene, thinking that if he didn't flub his lines, Dermot could have been alive. Even today, the show is still rerun and rewatched by future generations over here. People make trips to the filming locations, some of the surviving cast members will bring back their characters for online videos or charity gigs, and you'll see the odd Mrs Doyle display outside Corrib Oil (A petrol station service where people do a bit of shopping and purchase lunches from the deli) asking people for a cuppa tae. Nowadays people can't quote scripture, but they can certainly quote this show by heart ("Down with this sort of thing" being a slogan that pops up during protests).

I discovered it by accident on Netflix years ago, I was dying of laughter. I showed it to my grandmother was was raised in a devout Irish Catholic household, she found it even funnier because that was her childhood.

As a Catholic, I absolutely adore Father Ted. It's neither pro or anti Catholic particularly but as you said it certainly humanizes and lampoons it in both a funny but respectful way. There will never be a show like Father Ted in my opinion that has such a good balance.

As an Irish, growing up on this show in the 00s was a blessing. I'm really glad hats off is sharing the show. I'm sure comparisons to John candy and Steve Martin's chemistry are high on the mind.

Best sitcom ever. Discovered it on BBC America in either 1999 or 2000. Then bought the DVDs. It still holds up to this day and anytime I put on one of those 25 episodes it never fails to make me laugh. It's a real shame Dermot passed away so young, he had a lot more to give us.

I grew up Catholic. I started watching father Ted after I watched your video, so I owe you a huge thank you, I’m surprised I’m enjoying it as much as I am.

I've never seen all the episodes of Father Ted but the one that still makes me laugh is the one where he does, an Asian face, looks outside the window and there's an Asian family looking at him with disgust and then all the townspeople immediately start calling him a racist, And his attempts to prove otherwise does not help. I highly recommend that episode.

Hands down this my favorite KZfaq video right now. I grew up with Father Ted in Ireland. Watched it on TV as it came out with my oldest brother. When I moved to America I eventually showed my wife and she loved it. I make it a "habit" to watch it once a year. It's always nice to see Non-Irish folk getting into it. And Speed 3 is my absolute favorite Episode. "THOSE WOMEN WERE IN THE NIP"

Love the show so much. Went to Visit the actual house in the country side about a 4hr drive from my house and proposed to my now wife there. We are massive fans of the show

Ardal O'Hanlon's run on Taskmaster was absolutely brilliant as well, if no one has seen it.

You know what would would go very well with this video? A Nice cup of tea. Does anybody want one? Go on, go on

I was one of those that checked out Spencer and HIll after your recommendation and am glad to find another Euro-classic. Old BBC America was a golden era for me for finding new shows.

Dermot Morgan, Frank Kelly and Gerard McSorley all had roles in the 1986 Pierce Brosnan action film Taffin It's a gem of a movie which aims to be a serious thriller but wouldn't be entirely out of place in the Father Ted universe, especially the scene where Taffin questions his girlfriend's living arrangements. Morgan's cameo as a strip club comedian is fairly surreal if you're a lifelong Ted fan like myself. Bit of trivia: The soundtrack to Taffin was composed by Hans Zimmer.

An excellent sitcom. When I was on DVD buying binges 20 years ago, I would purchase a lot of Britcoms and this is one of my faves. Dougal and Ted are basically Laurel and Hardy, whom I adore. Great moments include "these cows are small, but the ones out there are far away" and "you were wearing your blue jumper." Everybody in America should give this a look.

Your anecdote about being able to relate to an Irish couple because you both loved Father Ted reminds me of a story Kevin Smith told about doing publicity for Clerks in Japan. As he told it, his chauffeur barely spoke English and Smith didn't speak any Japanese, but when the chauffeur told him that Jay & Silent Bob reminded him of R2D2 and C-3P0, they realized that they both loved Star Wars and managed to carry on a conversation just making Star Wars references.

I started watching it in college and wound up getting my parents hooked on it too. I now have a shirt inspired by the “THAT WOULD BE AN ECUMENICAL MATTER/YES” board Ted uses to teach Jack how to talk. I find myself quoting it pretty much every day. More people here should learn about it!

This is one of those shows that lives on forever thanks to college kids. I know that’s where I first watched it. Now it’s one of my all time favorite shows. I rewatch it every few years.

The President of Ireland attended Dermot Morgan's funeral if that is any indication how influential this show was.

I love Father Ted, great to see you cover this!

I remember when I was getting into foreign comedy it was five shows that hooked me immediately. Are you being served , Father Ted, Allo Allo, A bit of Fry and Laurie and my favorite Blackadder.

Here in Ireland it's truly a legendary show thanks for getting out there for new viewers..

Hands are tied with this. It's an Irish show, filmed in Ireland, set in Ireland, with Irish Creators and Irish Actors, with a British production company. So therefore it's British? If that's all that takes to claim it then Harry Potter is American.

Also STRONGLY reccommend you watch Black Books if you like Father Ted

I was a teen when this came out and loved every minute. Favourite episode is still when they are all stuck in the department store. Toast of London is damn awesome too.

An all time classic. I love that every priest has their own personality, quirks, or gimmicks.

I've had the complete series on DVD for ages. Great show!

A great sitcom with great characters, especially Father Dougal McGuire. I love that he has Masters of the Universe bed sheets.

I'm an American who lived in Ireland for a short period during my early high school years. I felt pretty isolated and unhappy being an awkward teen in an unfamiliar school system. Father Ted and other comedies like it on tv over there at the time really got me through that stretch. I could laugh watching them even if I couldn't smile at other times. I still quote it all the time with anyone I've shared the show with or who happens to know of it!

I was given the complete scripts one year for Christmas. As fantastic the direction and performances are on the show, the script is incredibly tight, and I would howl laughing just reading it.

I was about 6 or 7 years old when Father Ted first came on TV and I find it just as funny and enjoyable as I did back then, but now with the added feeling of familiarity and nostalgia like coming back to old friends when I put it on. It'll be remembered forever as an important part of Irish pop culture.

I grew up watching FT in the UK. I still remember hearing when Dermot Morgan died. Tragically too soon, just as UK audiences started to know him. Frank Kelly (Jack) also did a hit Christmas single years before that still gets aired on radio today, a comic retelling of the 12 days of Christmas which I highly recommend checking out. Linehan also did quite a few other great shows like Black Books, Big Train (1st series only) and IT Crowd, which I only just watched and I wished I saw on its original run.

I stumbled upon the show roughly when you were recording this video. A friend and her young family were taking part in a living Nativity scene, so I was looking for a funny "Holy Mary, Mother of God" gif to send her and, as you probably guess, found one of Father Ted shouting it from the first episode. Shortly after that, I had to binge the whole show and fortunately they're all on KZfaq for free (in the US at least). I enjoyed it because the, as you say, humanization of the Catholic Church and its clergy is such a departure from the monolith as which I was raised to view it.

I'm a megafan of this show. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE it. I always watch the Christmas special every Christmas. It has so much charm and it is absolute perfection. I ADORE this video. Nice work Joe!

Your video is such a beautiful tribute. I'm an American who was lucky to see the BBC airings in the late 90's and instantly fell in love. (I still have my old VHS copies I taped off the tv.) I still constantly use quotes from the show - especially "Ah, GO ON"

I was introduced to Father Ted, Keeping Up Appearances, and My Hero 20 years ago. I love them!

As an irish person i can confirm that watching this show is a mandatory subject in school.

I discovered this show a few years back on KZfaq. It's got a special type of charm, and I always go back and watch every episode here and there.

Thank you so much for the recommendation. I have been hooked watching all three seasons since your video. It just scratches a very specific itch

Channel 4 sitcoms went through a golden age during the 80’s and 90’s. With the likes of Peep show, Black books and numerous others. Father Ted was by far the best.

I’m glad there’s a shout out for Ted. He plays the straight character but he’s really the funniest in the show.

This show warms my heart. I'm glad you're covering it as it brings back some great memories 😄

For those interested in how all British shows end up on BBC America even though they were not originally aired on the BBC; Father Ted was made by the independent production company Hat Trick. They were commissioned along with several other companies to make content for the BBC and for the independent TV networks in the UK. The more offbeat programming found a home on Channel 4 and BBC Two, while more mainstream was aired on BBC One. Along with the legendary Father Ted, Hat Trick were responsible for classics such as Room 101, Fonejacker and Who's Line Is It Anyway of which the format has been sold internationally.

Will you not watch a little Father Ted? Ah, go on! Go on, go on, go on, go on, go on, go on, go on, go on, go on, go on, go on, GO ON!

To this day, any time there's a moral panic in the UK news, someone will reply, "Down with this sort of thing!" A strong contender for the greatest sitcom ever made.

i'm so glad i'm not the only American that absolutely loves father ted it is my favorite show ever and i reference the show (mostly father jack) all the time. thank you for making this video i hope more people get into this show because there really isn't anything like it and probably never will be.

Fantastic spotlight on one of the very best sitcoms ever. Thank you.

Hats off never misses with his recommendations. I grew up on Father Ted and every American I've ever shown it to loves it.

After watching this, I started watching this with my Grandma. Thank you for introducing this show to me and her

I have to thank you allot. After your video essay I watched the show everyday with my mom and finished it yesterday. I have been recommending Father Ted left and right and sending your video for them to see what I'm talking about. I re-watched your episode today, so I can get a better feel of your video essay. You did a great episode and gave me an amazing recommendation. Thank you.

Hi Joe.. I’m from Ireland and have loved your content since discovering your channel three years ago. It’s such a delight to see you cover a show so close to home! Great video and production as always man 👍

I really enjoyed this. I grew up initially in Ireland, then moved to the states as a preteen. I had to rely on PBS marathons to get my Red Dwarf, Only Fools and Horses, or Father Ted fix. Having gone to Catholic school I really identified with the ideas put forth (whether subtle, or otherwise...lol) in Father Ted, especially. Wonderful show. Wonderful tribute. Well done, sir.

I was an adolescent when father ted was on. One of the greatest comedy shows of all time.

It's crazy how many great KZfaqrs came out from Philly and suburbs.

I find it amusing to know that at the same time as Father Ted, there was also another religious themed sitcom airing called The Vicar of Dibley which itself is a classed a UK comedy institution. I actually learnt recently that there was an attempt to make a US version of it and a pilot was made combining the first 2 episodes but it obviously never was picked up.

Why is there no donate button this video. I am shaking with Joy. Father Ted is everything to me

One of my favorite shows of all time and probably the only series I've watched all the way through several times.

I can tell you as an Irish man that Father Ted is the most loved and funniest show we have ever made.

I started watching Father Ted in University. As a Lutheran of German descent, it was a fun look into the distant world of Irish catholocism (notice how I spelled it in lower case?), and I soon had to recommend episodes to people I knew.

YES! YES! YES! Hats Off, doing a retrospective* on Father Ted! One of the greatest YT moments in....ever.

One of the best comedies of all time. A great video as always. Keep up the good work.

I was one of those few people who caught Father Ted on PBS back in the day and it’s always been a favorite

This show is absolutely brilliant. I watch it at least once a year.

I haven't watched an episode of Father Ted in about 5 years but it is still one of the most quoted shows among me and my friends to this day. I think it's time for another re-watch soon!

So I hear you're an espouser of universally appealing Irish humour now, father.

Father Jack MAKES this show for me!

Oh this show made me laugh so hard. I haven't watched it in ages. Thanks for the reminder! Going to watch it again soon 😀

One of my favourite shows and I'm fairly confident in saying one of the best comedies ever! I have rewatched it more times than anything else.

Thank you for making this!

This has been on British TV non stop for 30 years. I know each episode word for word, beat for beat

one of your best videos. Keep up the great work.

This looks great. I wasn't able to get into Fawlty Towers, but this show's absurdity and insanity look perfect.

Great vid Joe, and a lovely tribute to Dermot Morgan. He was one of my comedy heroes. Even before Father Ted, in Ireland, he was a national treasure.

Thanks for making me want to watch Father Ted again for the hundredth time. Probably my favourite live action TV show ever.

Father Ted really brings me back! Really happy to see a video recognizing it's brilliance!

One of my favourites comedy shows along with Married with Children, Gimme Gimme Gimme, Red Dwarf and Only fools and horse's.

Ardle was such a joy on Task Master. I love learning about the shows those comedians were on.

What a beautiful tribute to what will always be the greatest Irish sitcom of all time. You out did yourself lad 👍

3:08 Your review certainly did. I've not seen the show in years and the Christmas Special is one of the most weirdest and funniest seasonal shows I have ever seen. Absolutely wonderful analysis and clips. Thank you so much for putting this all together. 👏

Another great video. And I will be watching. Would love to see you tackle "Red Dwarf" sometime!

I love Father Ted. Mt family and I first discovered it when we were living in New Zealand in the late 90s. I remember hearing about Dermot Morgan passing away, and reading about it in the weekly TV magazine the week the final season was premiering. There's a great full length documentary called Small, Far Away that can be found here on YT. It was made in 2011 before Frank Kelly passed away. Father Ted always makes me feel nostalgic for my time living in NZ.

Helluva show. Your retrospectives are the best.

I wish you'd do a doc on Alan Partridge!

I friend let me watch his dvds back around 2000 and I've loved it ever since.

I discovered this show by accident in youtube, and literally binged it the next few days, it a great gem of a show and always gives me brownie points when I meet people form Ireland or the UK

Hats Off and Father Ted, I've never clicked on anything faster in my life.

My favorite father, Ted character is Dougal, just because O’Hanlon portrayed him with so much likability

Don't forget Black Books, and IT Crowd. The three shows all have such life to them.

This show was so funny! My brother and I used to order pizza and wings and binge it. We got to the last episode then we found out about Dermot's passing after the wrap party. We never could bring ourselves to finish last episode after that. Just let Father Ted live on in our minds. Great video! Hopefully more people watch this show!

As a UK guy (a Scot to be exact), Father Ted is definitely one of the greats over here. I'll give a shout out to Black Books which I might like even better personally.

Glad you did this one I LOVE Father Ted - got into it years ago when I went through a British sitcom kick

Vaguely remember seeing some episodes growing up. The humor still holds up too

Its so funny that you talked about how the Irish tourists lit up when you mentioned the show because so did mine when I got the notification for this video. I was totally going to come here and talk about just how ingrained in Irish culture this show is but you've got it totally covered. Great video as usual and Careful Now! Edit: the character of Tom is played by comedian Pat Short who is a comedy legend here in his own right. Do yourself a favour and check out the comedy duo he was in called "D'unbelievables" with John Kenny. In my humble opinion its peak niche Irish comedy and is still frequently quoted across our country. Both comedians recently reunited in The Banshees of Inisherin much to the delight of everyone.

Congratulations, Hats Off. You have a convert. I found it on Roku and have enjoyed it so far.

Such a great series, it was a must watch on public TV in Canada in the mid 90s. Rediscovered it during the lockdowns and appreciate even more, truly the best British Comedy of all time, which makes sense because it's Irish.

LOVE this show, i think i initially heard about it from my cousin and found it on streaming at some point. always a good watch.