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A nostalgic, warm-hearted memoir from one of the producers of the cult-hit TV show Father Ted.
'What a treat - it brought the whole experience flooding back. A feast for fans of the show or indeed anyone interested in the creative chaos of making television' Graham Norton
Three decades after it first appeared on screen, Father Ted is still cherished, quoted and endlessly re-watched. Its beloved main characters, unforgettable lines and extraordinary visual jokes have given birth to a thousand gifs and t-shirts and a million catchphrases.
Unforgettable to watch, it was also unforgettable to work on. Lissa Evans, as producer of the second and third series, spent three years hovering anxiously over every moment, from the first glimpse of script to the last revolution of a runaway milk-float round a specially-built plywood roundabout. There was no ‘average Father Ted episode’ – each of them was stuffed with challenges; endless rain, lustful rabbits, clerics crashing through windows, sheep doubles, collapsing crosses and a never-ending stream of eccentric priests – and the work that went into its creation was often nearly as bizarre as what was happening on screen.
Picnic on Craggy Island is a hugely affectionate and anecdotal account of what lay behind some of those moments of comic genius – so pull on your kagoule, spread out your blanket, unwrap the sandwiches (they’re all egg) and enjoy the picnic…
2021 note
A cute story where Dougal gets the Christmas surprise he wants.
I like music and I like Father Ted so here is a compilation of tunes that were featured in Father Ted, starting with a few favourites and then covering some less remembered, perhaps more enjoyable ones.
I hear confessions of Father Ted co-creator Arthur Mathews, Fr Jack, Fr Dougal, Fr Damo, Fr Stone, Fr Ziggy, Eoin McLove and Terry McNamee, plus more secret lives, why some people hated Ted and miscellaneous Tedfoolery