36 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A word about the DVDs, July 15, 2004
By A Customer
This review is from: Father Ted - The Holy Trilogy (DVD)
As other reviewers have noted, Father Ted remains one of the most consistently funny TV shows ever. Of course, there were only 25 episodes (counting the Christmas special), so it never had a chance to vary in quality as longer-running series have. Comparisons with The Simpsons are apt, but Father Ted owes more to Fawlty Towers than to any other series. If you like either of those shows, you won't be disappointed with this one.
The quality of the DVDs is surprisingly high considering the relative obscurity of the show in the U.S. The series is spread amply over five discs, and you should definitely invest in The Holy Trilogy, rather than buying the seasons separately. (If you're not sure you want to make the bigger investment, then you should go with Season 2, which was the funniest.) The transfers are as good as can be expected from a TV show, which is lower in quality than film because of differences in source quality.
The extras are quite good, though never as good as the episodes themselves. (After all, how many times is anyone going to see Father Dougal's Fundraising Speech for PBS?) But Father Ted was a writer-centered show, and the best extras are a long interview with Graham Linehan and Arthur Matthews, the show's creators, and the commentary provided by Linehan for Seasons 1 and 2. No commentary for Season 3; I suppose he ran out of stories.
My only major complaint is that, when Ardal O'Hanlon (Father Dougal) joins the commentary for five episodes on Season 2, he did not seem to be miked up properly, so he is very hard to hear. A second, minor complaint is that there is no tribute to the late Dermot Morgan (Father Ted himself), which would seem appropriate considering how keenly his loss is still felt in both Ireland and the UK. Neither of these shortcomings detracts from the collection, though. It is a great investment for anyone interested in unique sitcoms or Irish/British humor. Highly recommended!
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42 of 45 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fecking brilliant!, July 15, 2004
This review is from: Father Ted - The Holy Trilogy (DVD)
The series explores the antics of a trio of priests and their loyal if insane housekeeper stranded on Craggy Island (just of the coast of Ireland, "where they dump the old glow in the dark"). When I first saw the trailers for it I thought it would not be that funny, but a friend convinced me to watch an episode. The blend of the surreal story-lines and tight scripts make it a comic masterwork. The box should include a warning that it may induce loss of bladder control.
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22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Should have a warning label!, October 25, 2005
This review is from: Father Ted - The Holy Trilogy (DVD)
I kid you not when I say this DVD set nearly killed me. I've never had asthma or other breathing problems, but people who do might want to pick up something more formulaic like Full House or Family Matters that's guananteed not to make you laugh.
From the first episode, I found myself not just chuckling, but full-out laughing at this show and before I was done with the first of the five discs, I was convinced the set was worth every cent I'd paid.
Somewhere during the second season, tragedy nearly struck. During Ted and Dougal's caper of hiding a herd of wild bunnies from a bishop who is afraid of rabbits, a series of jokes were grouped too closely together! I hadn't stopped laughing from the first when the second hit me. By the time the scene culminated in an impeccibly delivered punchline, I couldn't breathe and fell to the floor gasping and choking for air. My girlfriend, who watched the entire event in disbelief, declared it a miracle I hadn't wet my pants.
I heard great things about this show and put this set on my Wish List almost a year before finally purchasing it after several failed attempts to have a friend tape a few episodes off BBC America. I wish I hadn't waited so long. Take the plunge and buy it blindly.
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