Customer Reviews

Father Ted - The Holy Trilogy

5 star:		(85)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

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!

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.

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.

Well, sort of. It WILL make you laugh. Like the other reviewers, I was hooked almost obsessively from the first episode I stumbled upon, on BBC America, a sad many years after the series was filmed (why does it take America so LONG to get these shows, anyway?) Suffice to say, this is what a sitcom should be! Don't let the thought of Irish priests fool you, if you love shows like the Simpsons and Seinfeld, this is kind of like them combined in it's own unique way and then cranked up several notches (with perhaps some Green Acres thrown in there for the hell of it). I can't recommend it enough.

As an additional note, the HOLY TRILOGY has extensive commentary by 1/2 the writing team, Graham Linehan, and it is one of the best commentaries I've ever had the pleasure to listen to. It's chock-a-block filled with anecdotes, self-deprecating humour and truly useful information for anyone interested in the world of comedy writing. That alone is worth the price of admission.

I want to shower you with Sugar Lumps and ride you over FENCES
Polish your hooves every single day and take you to the horse DENTIST
My Lovely Horse your a pony no MORE
Running around with the man on your back, like a train in the night, like a train in the (hold on I can play this bit) NIGHT

That is the funniest episode of Father Ted, A Song For Europe with the "obligatory video", but there are so many great episodes of Father Ted you really have to own them all. Possibly my favourite comedy of all time, although I already owned series 1&3 on video as soon as I saw this box set I knew it was a must buy. Father Ted first aired back in 1995 and to be honest I didn't find the first series that funny, it was alright and I watched every episode but I wouldn't have called it essential viewing.

However as soon as I saw the first episode of the second series I knew the series had hit the big time. It was called "Hell" and feature the first guest appearance from Graham Norton as Father Noel Furlong, it was hilarious. Every episode from then on until Dermot Morgan's tragic death was superb. I don't know what makes it so funny, there's just something about three completely incompetent priests sharing a house in a backwater parish. You have Father Jack Hackett who is an Alcoholic and generally only utters the words "FECK", "AR*E" or "GIRLS", the incredibly stupid Father Dougal Maguire and then of course Father Ted. I don't know how popular the show is in America but over here they are still showing repeats on Channel 4's various other channels.

I love every episode from the last two series but ones you should particularly check out are "Speed 3" the brilliant parody of Speed (If the milkfloat goes under 4 miles an hour the bomb will go off). "The Mainland" which also features Graham Norton, who is the funniest guest character and "Escape To Victory" all back to back in Series 3. The funniest ever though is of course "A Song For Europe", especially their final performance live at the Eurovision Song Contest after they find out the music they "borrowed" was more famous than they first thought.

I could go on all day but you get the general idea, this is a must have for any fans of good comedy. The only people who you find criticising this are devout religious types with a lack of a sense of humour, must buy!

I first saw Father Ted two years ago on BBC America, and was an immediate, wholehearted, and commited fan. For any lapsed catholic (such as myself), the satire is right on target and actually a bit cathartic. However, the characters and overall lunacy are so funny that anybody will love to view these series. Absolutely hysterical! NUNS! NUNS! REVERSE! REVERSE!
Father Ted is a must have series.

Every single episode of Father Ted has me writhing on the floor in laughter. So when it came time to adding it to my DVD collection, the question arose: Which series will I start with? The answer came quicker than you can say "Drink!" Why not have all three at the same time?

I lost three days of my life watching every one of these classic episodes, and I don't regret it for a second. Buy now!!!

Tied for the greatest situation comedy of all-time with BBC's "the Office" in my opinion.
Some PC wussies may get offended by the concept of three inept Catholic priests banished to the small and strange Craggy Island, especially they find out that one is a raving drunken lunatic, one has the personality of an idiotic child and the other has the nasty habit of having church charity money "rest" in his personal bank account. But who cares what they think? This is a show for people who want a good pure laugh. And besides, this show could have been about three fireman or even three chefs; the fact that they are priests is inconsequential.
Buy this set and be happy in knowing that you will be the owner of one of the greatest comedic works to ever grace television.

DRINK! ARSE! FECK!. . .GIRLS!

NUNS! NUNS! REVERSE! REVERSE!

I ONLY LIVED IN ENGLAND FOR 3 YEARS, YET THIS WAS MY STAPLE FOR COMEDY.. YES I AM AN AMERICAN BUT I BELIEVE I AM FATHER TED AT HEART... THIS IS BETTER THAN ANY AMERICAN SITCOM EVER MADE... I WISH MORE PEOPLE KNEW ABOUT IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you need any DVD boxset, this is it. This is one of the funniest tv shows ever, and is even better now that it is on dvd.It makes a great change from the standard frasier or friends or whatever, and will have you crying with joy!

The low budgetness gives the program great character, and the immature jokes being great for all audiences. If you have never seen father ted before, I still strongly advice you to get this, you will find it hilarious!

This is some of BBC's finest work, and was a real shame Dermot Morgan died so young(ish) :(. Is memory lives on in this though, and this will fill you full of warm goodness. BUY NOW!