Father Ted - The Holy Trilogy
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Ardal O'Hanlon, Dermot Morgan, Frank Kelly, Pauline McLynn, Tony GuilfoyleDVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
Format: Box set, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 640 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2004-03-02
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Channel 4
Movie Reviews of Father Ted - The Holy Trilogy
Movie Review: Unique britcom masterpiece.
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm an Australian, so I can't speak to the specific complete US box set in terms of packaging, except that it's not very cheap (but it's not very cheap here either), so I'll confine this to the episodes themselves, and assume they have the same extras and general menu lay out.
Quite simply, Father Ted was the most brilliant British (Irish in this case) sitcom to emerge since, Blackadder. It is firmly in the surrealist tradition, which you might trace from The Goons to Monty Python, to Young Ones, to Father Ted. What makes FT different is its magical ability to cross generational boundaries. My 73 year old mother loves it. Normally my 73 year old mother loves atrocious britcoms like 'George and Mildred' or 'Are you being served?'. But hardcore surrealist nutcases will love this at least as much. It's this brilliant fusion of character-based situation comedy, and completely insane plots which made this series such a huge winner.
As a comic writer myself, I regard 4 as a magic number, and in this case the four comprise the straight man (Ted), the two crazy/hilarious ones (Dougal/Jack), and the hilarious, straight/funny outrider (Mrs Doyle). The world of 'Craggy Island' is beautifully realised. There are only a few relatively dud epiodes, and they are far outweighed by the ROTFLMAO genius of most of the other eps.
These comments are intended, perhaps more for people considering buying individual seasons, and I should stress that all three seaons are must-haves.
Season 1 gives you a bit of background, which isn't really nescessary. The first ep is a killer, but the season has at least one relative dud. The characters were finding themselves to an extent.
Season 2 (the longest, and usually considered the best) goesn't suffer from any major clangers, but I'm not sure it suffers from quite as many masterpieces as they'd have you believe. Still, it's superb, and quibbling over such things is splitting hairs.
Season 3, which for some reason gets maligned somewhat, is, IMO, the best of the lot, and FWIW the writers apparently thought so, too. It gets off to a roaring start with three absolute classics. A Nazi Catholic Priest with a huge collection of war memorabilia; a milk truck with a bomb on it, set to go off if the *SPEED* drops below 4 mph, and the funniest reference to 2001: a Space Oddesey ever seen (it involves a lip-reading sheep).
The classic lines from this series are almost endles (check out imdb), and the best episodes rate up there wqith Fawlty Towers or Young Ones.
If you loved British Comedies like Monty Python, Ripping Yarns, Fawlty Towers, The Goodies, Blackadder, and The Young Ones, you absolutely have to own this. Don't think twice. Take my word for it. The cast are individually magnificent, and collectively magical.
If your idea of Britcoms is more George nd Mildred, or Are you Being Served, you may still like it, but I wouldn't bet on it.
Bishop Facks: So, Father. Do you ever have any doubts about the religious life? Is your faith ever tested? Anything you would be worried about? Any doubts you've been having about any aspects of belief? Anything like that?
Father Dougal: Well, you know the way God made us all, right? And he's looking down at us from heaven and everything?
Bishop Facks: Uh-huh.
Father Dougal: And then his son came down and saved everyone and all that?
Bishop Facks: Yes.
Father Dougal: And when we die we're all going to go to heaven?
Bishop Facks: Yes. What about it?
Father Dougal: Well, that's the bit I have trouble with.
PS: watch for 'Father Brian Eno' in one episode.
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