Americans React To "Small, Far Away - The World Of Father Ted"

[@carolfranklin]

So pleased you ended your Father Ted journey with this brilliant documentary. I have no idea how many times I've watched this & it still brings a tear & lots of laughter. Frank Kelly was a classically trained actor. I remember an early interview where the writers were amazed at the situations they put him in. I don't know if you're aware that poignantly Frank passed away on the same date as Dermot 18 years later. What a fantastic memory they've left for all of us.

[@GrainneScarlett]

My grandad was involved in the abbey theatre here in Dublin. It was there that he came to know Frank kelly (father Jack). It was some experience when i was at his funeral and there was frank in the queue at the top of rhe church speaking his condolences to my granny and mam and her siblings. Lovely man. R.i.p to Mr kelly and Dermot. Father ted is something genius and it can be watched over and over. Ironically my granny felt this show was sacreligous at the time 😅😂

[@LoneRanger100]

Someone on tv today was saying something about a bunch of cows ‘off in the distance’ and as a reflex action I said ‘no, they’re just really small’! And cackled to myself.

[@bbeedee82d]

One of my all time favourite sitcom’s, RIP Dermot Morgan

[@kmckay80]

IT crowd is where you should go next, you'll be into it first minute of the first episode. Red Dwarf for British Sci Fi sitcom, it doesn't get iconic until series 3 but you need series 1 and 2 to get you there. Fawlty Towers is a landmark British sitcom, they only made 12 30 min episodes so not too much time to invest.

[@CTheRobot]

The documentary is so warm, and fun and sad. Really entertaining to see you guys look at this and not just the show. It really is one of the best sitcoms ever.

[@rosscartledge7374]

My favourite TV show of all time, watched It as a kid and still rewatch it often till this day, they don't make them like his anymore

[@JonathanReynolds1]

Ardal O’Hanlon has been in numerous shows since Father Ted such as: “My Hero”, “Death in Paradise”, and “Derry Girls”.

[@Thescottishguyreacts]

I don’t see seasons 2, 3 or 4 of Blackadder on your channel? Blackadder 2,3 and 4 are a must but don’t do season 1 as it’s not the same. Also good suggestions are red dwarf, still game, rab c nesbitt

[@kaledmasterme]

​@thescottishguy1983 bloody hell people always on about this. They're big enough to understand that Blackadder came into its own after series one but it shouldn't be excluded. Series one has its own gold.

[@LyingSecret]

@@Thescottishguyreacts Wait, Ardal wasn't in those?

[@24magiccarrot]

@@Thescottishguyreacts They did Blackadder as a pateron-only series gotta give people a reason to pay for content.

[@Varksterable]

​@@kaledmastermeSeries one, episode one would have definitely put me off if I'd come to it cold, not knowing many of the actors already. But you are right; there are some good bits in the series. The keyword is "some". You need to look and think quite hard to pick them out. The other series are comedy gold almost from start to finish, though.

[@chrisperyagh]

This is the thing with Father Ted - they definitely went out on a high. Ardal O'Hanlon was in an episode of Doctor Who called 'Gridlock' where he plays an orange cat. He was in dictionary corner on Countdown the other day too.

[@jokersace8832]

What you guys might not know is by strange coincidence Dermot Morgan (Fr. Ted) & Frank Kelly (Fr. Jack) died on the same day years apart February 28th 1998 was Dermot & Frank passed away the 28th of February 2016.

[@PHDarren]

Neil Hannon who wrote the theme tune and also the theme tune to The IT Crowd is the creator and front man of the group The Divine Comedy, perhaps their most well know song is National Express.

[@garethallan5631]

As well as 30 years of absolute genius work.

[@AdrianColley]

I saw Ardal O'Hanlon doing standup once. He told us that some people go to his shows expecting to see a guy saying "oh right" for an hour, while others turn up not having seen _Father Ted_ and being baffled by his rendition of "My Lovely Horse" (it's the bad version).

[@AdcrofromTikTok]

I read that Mrs Doyle only really declined to be in the documentary because she was in another show at the time and mainly busy

[@gniwtram]

We have a family photo we took in 2012 at the gate of the Gather Ted House. I remember at that time it was possible to book afternoon tea inside the house. I think it is no longer available. Every year there is a Father Ted festival where fans dressed in character gather and visit many of the locations in County Clare.

[@AdrianColley]

I know it's a typo, but "Gather Ted" is the ideal name for a Father Ted convention. Tedfest organisers take note!

[@Jigsawn2]

I really can't get over the transformation in father jack's actor. They did an amazing job! I just think it's quite funny that his whole job as an actor is to sit in the background for half the shooting and occasionally get to shout obscenities. I just love that this sort of classical actor looked at this role and thought 'that sounds like a good laugh' and embraced it to the max. Arse!

[@aidiess]

spot on !

[@AdrianColley]

This was kind of an Irish bonus when watching. "Is that really Frank Kelly? From Hall's Pictorial Weekly and Ballykineety?" It seemed strange for such a legend to get what looked like a bit part. But the brief contributions of Father Jack required such intensity and charm that it didn't waste a scrap of his talent.

[@nickrobinson8339]

So happy that you have watched this amazing documentary on this superb series. It has been so obvious that you have not just watched Father Ted but have actually lived it and loved it. Those of us who idolise this series have always felt that we were in that house and we knew those characters. The writing and acting was the best ever and, personally, I have felt honoured to have had this comedy in my life. Anyway must go as for some reason I fancy a "CUP OF TEA..."GO ON! GO ON! GO ON!"

[@Varksterable]

Ah, ya will. GO ON!!

[@niallocallanain3579]

Ardal O'Hanlon turned up in 'Derry Girls', another classic Irish comedy.

[@garyhutton2654]

The best of the modern era by a mile

[@philrob1978]

I always recommend this to reactors to Ted, glad you've done it. It's mandatory if you've seen the whole series and loved it. It gives some closure along with some genuinely funny and moving moments.

[@joeb2487]

Michael Redmond, who played Father Stone, is actually a really funny one-liner comedian. His most famous joke was plagiarised by Joe Pascquale during his 1995 Royal Variety performance. Stewart Lee does a great bit about it that i would recommend reacting to.

[@caroleearnshaw32149]

I’ve never watched this documentary so thanks guys. Very entertaining!

[@paulkennedy6386]

I watched it when it was first on I am that old ! It is on everywhere so I have watched them all many times, and its always fresh or has bits that you missed before. I am please ETS enjoy it so much and hopefully pass on to their friends and family.

[@daveworrall1151]

32:39 you missed a cameo by our old friend Bob Mortimer my dudes!

[@LambriniSupernova]

Father Ted was a perfect moment at the right time.

[@PHILD0]

Brilliant. Glad you guys enjoyed and took the time to understand how endemic Ted is with our sense of humor. If you know Ted, you'll get on here alright.

[@jujuoliver6959]

Ardal has done lots of acting since Father Ted and still is, he just means he has also gone back to stand up too. I remember seeing Frank Kelly being interviewed years back and I couldn't get over this softly spoken lovely fresh faced twinkly eyed white haired man after having seen him as Father Jack, he was such an opposite to his character. Sadly he has gone now too. Incredibly sad about Dermot, gone far too soon and so suddenly, I believe he was hosting a dinner party at his home. Awful, just as his career starting really, no age at 45. Brilliant classic one off show with a great cast. Thanks for showing.

[@nigelturner3251]

Another of Graham Linehan’s brilliantly funny comedy’s is The IT Crowd, also filmed before a live audience.

[@wozzab9136]

Love Father Ted. My wife is from Dublin and she went to school with Dermot Morgan’s sons. Near her parents house is Deer Park in Mount Merrion and there is a blue plaque dedicated to Dermot Morgan there - moves me every time i see it

[@Dreyno]

There’s a chair in Merrion Sq. in his honour as well. The Jester’s Chair.

[@madgeordierob7890]

Lads, you have to watch the movie 'Taffin'. 1988, a pre-007 Pierce Brosnan plays Mark Taffin, a brooding, sensitive, tough guy debt-collector in a small Irish town. Frank Kelly (Father Jack) plays the local pub landlord, Gerard McSorley (Father Todd Unctious) is Taffin's best mate, and Father Ted himself, Dermot Morgan, plays the MC at the local nightclub and there's more than a hint of Ted in the character. Well worth a watch.

[@daviddring2365]

The fella who played Len Brennan was in Straw Dogs with Dustin Hoffman

[@sagan666]

Well done lads on 100k subs. I subbed up early on when you were doing the Oasis stuff. Great to see you succeed.

[@chrisperyagh]

6:17 - that's a Mk2 Granada which is the next size up from Father Ted's Mk4 Cortina. To top it all off, Eoin McLove turned up in perhaps the largest of all Ford cars ever built - a (Lincoln) Continental Town Car.

[@kevinty7]

Not seen this before fellas, enjoyed that👍🏽🫶🏽

[@charlielouise2428]

Don't know if you noticed that at 32:45 that's a very young Bob Mortimer and Vic Reeves giving the award 😊

[@daffodil800]

Since Father Ted, Ardal O'Hanlon did a couple of series as the detective in "Death In Paradise" a BBC cop show set in the Caribbean (a light sort of "Castle" vibe)

[@Mr.NiceUK]

28:30 both my parents are Irish so I visited many relatives in Ireland over the years, and it's just true that you just got offered tea automatically once you were in the door, although as a child it was the biscuits or cake which accompanied the tea I cared more about 😁

[@tonycasey3183]

I spent two years in a seminary, training to become a Roman Catholic priest and, I can tell you that Father Ted as almost as much a documentary as it is a comedy.

[@PHILD0]

Is your brother a doctor by any chance?

[@tonycasey3183]

@@PHILD0 No

[@gabrielesolletico6542]

In which Country?

[@tonycasey3183]

@@gabrielesolletico6542 England

[@Varksterable]

I've heard this before. That the devout people you might expect to be a little offended by it just say, "nah, not really. It's pretty accurate observational comedy at worst. I really like it. " But there are too many Daily Mail readers and snowflkes who are so eager to get offended on other peoples' (who they know nothing about) behalf. It's a bit "Life of Brian V2.0" (Which was banned in some counties that never even planned on screening it, lol.

[@macker33]

The IT crowd and Black books are both good, same writers. IT crowd especially gets better as it goes along while it finds its feet, Should check out the first episode of Derry girls, really funny.

[@davidblurton7158]

motherland was linehan and his wife at first,,, another brilliant sit com

[@lmc4964]

the celtic tiger had taken off in the 90's , Ireland was going through a cool phase, River dance etc. , Irish people were able to laugh at Fr Ted.

[@rabbiebhoy]

Father Teds car was a Cortina, the car they drove was a Granada. Very different cars.

[@BobForonda]

Frank Kelly’s early work. Well there’s that 12 days of Christmas song he did that charted decades ago. But even before that there’s The Italian Job (1969 or ‘70) in one of the opening scenes he is the prison officer leading Michael Caine through & out of Wormwood Scrubs Jail.

[@yermanoffthetelly]

He was also in Remington Steele and Taffin with Pierce Brosnan (a wonderfully cheesy 80s Irish action movie)

[@AdrianColley]

I mostly remember his radio skits about the fictional town of Ballykilferret. My parents said he was famous for a satirical show called _Hall's Pictorial Weekly,_ but sadly that seems to have been lost to time. Later he was in an odd short film, _Yu Ming Is Ainm Dom,_ about a young man who learns the Irish language and moves to Ireland from China (so, two _Ted_ links for the price of one).

[@bujin1977]

You can no longer visit the Parochial House. The tea room closed in 2021 and it's now private property. Which is a shame - I've been going to Galway for the last 15 years but never got around to visiting. Would have been good to have visited before it closed.

[@AdrianColley]

Aw, not even during Tedfest? That's a shame.

[@MarkmanOTW]

Great that you watched this documentary. Gives you a feel of the real people involved with Fr Ted, and how things are done over here. Nice to see you appreciated the groundedness. BTW on another YT channel - Those Happy Days (a great road travel channel) - Liam and Janine found the Fr Ted house on their roadtrip around Ireland. 😊

[@charliegeorge9393]

Neil Hannon the song writer was an established brit pop star with his band the Divine Comedy

[@lightningforesthd3446]

Also to make things worse, Frank Kelly who played Father Jack left us in Feb 2016 :(

[@andrewgrant6516]

Ardal managed to shake the type casting by appearing in My Hero, and then Death in Paradise. He's really very versatile.

[@whitecompany18]

Check out Ardal in "my Hero" where he plays a super hero😂 and I'm pretty sure he's currently playing a detective in something serious👍

[@JustCallMeAnything229]

Ah I’m sure I watched this years ago and I was moved. This is one of my favourite ever programmes. I do have to say though, the one thing that everyone in the UK does, and it brings us all together no matter what country, is that if someone shows up at the door, for whatever reason, we will offer them a brew 😂 And I love that about us. It binds us.

[@austinseven4720]

They did Pauline McLynn dirty in this documentary. She didn't 'refuse' to take part. She was in another country (might even have been the US, though I don't remember exactly) when they were filming it. She was very angry that she was misrepresented in that way.

[@paulinegallagher7821]

That's her story and shes sticking to it, but heres the thing: She referred to the documentary as 'terrible', which was very mean spirited of her, and she waited for years after the documentary to come out with this excuse. To be honest, I think she deliberately made herself unavailable, and the only reason i can think of is that she had an issue with one or more people involved with the show, or that anyone who claimed she wanted to distance herself from the show and the character were right.

[@papalaz4444244]

See the thing is, Adam Sandler is basically always a comedy actor and he writes and directs comedies. Seinfeld was a standup and was in a sitcom basically about himself. Pauline McLynn is mostly a serious actor, and does actual theatre. You can see she wouldn't want to be only seen as a funny actor doing an over the top sitcom character.

[@Dreyno]

In recent years she has softened on it and talks about it more freely. But I can see how she was desperate not to be typecast as a professional actor.

[@Varksterable]

"That would be an equimenical matter," is a reply I've used to many people, in so many different circumstances. And I'm still amazed at how many people pause thoughfully and then reply, "yes. I suppose it would, really." Tip; probably best not to use it in a job interview, though. 😳

[@AdrianColley]

Whenever I say that, I make sure that the "tt" in "matter" is pronounced with a righteous dental stop, like Jack does it.

[@stevenprout6058]

You obviously enjoyed Father Ted so I think you may like Black Books which Graham Linehan also helped to write.

[@amadangomor]

"Dermot Morgan Fearless funny man" is an excellent documentary if you want some background to the legend.

[@philrob1978]

I'll second that! Well worth a watch.

[@DanielRobertspiano]

I googled and sadly they don´t do the tea anymore. You´re not allowed to drive into the house land, and have to be careful parking on the road, when taking photos.

[@scodee]

The IT crowd is a must for you guys .. same writer as Ted You should also check out Still Game as well another classic comedy.. but Scotland this time

[@davidblurton7158]

i can vouch for still game,,, it does not have the world wide following which is strange as its wonderful,, and the great thing about it is it is watched by teenagers and pensioners alike,,, there are not many sit coms that are beloved by all generations we watch it at christmas when the whole family is together,, never an argument about what to watch and with 9 series were good for a few years yet

[@jimbobeire]

There's a good short movie (less than 20 mins) with Frank Kelly (Fr. Jack) in it where he plays a kind old man in a bar. It's a short comedy called _Yu Ming is ainm dom_ . I think you might like it.

[@axeman3d]

It's weird seeing behind the curtain, but also very touching. Quite something for a show to do.

[@davidmacey5422]

You really have to review Ardal in "My Hero". It really is Dougal in lycra.

[@Salfordian]

I don't know why they done that but that wasn't the car, that was a Ford Granada but the Father Ted car was a Ford Cortina

[@gar6446]

Well they're famous stars now, so obviously needed an upgrade to a Granada.

[@aidiess]

"Father Ted" is now iconic ! it will never go away I'm glad to say. But have a look at " Bottom - ultra violence " which stars Rick Mayal ( Captain Flashard from Black adder ) and Ade Edmunson also of Black adder fame ! It is the maddest thing your'e libel to see on TV. ??? have a quick peek ??? also Ardal did a sitcom called " My Hero " where he plays a kind of superhero with superpowers - different but entertaining especially with Hugh Dennis in it as the doctor ?? also, do you remember the suicidal priest episode ? well that was Tommy Tiernan and his stand up stuff is phenomenal - especially the one about Africa stealing all their priests as missionaries , and now Africa is sending missionaries to Ireland to convert them back to Catholicism ??

[@shanemolloy4731]

Dermot morgan played father trendy on the late late show back in the day

[@alibennett78]

thanks for this lads i never saw this before and it was great watching Father Ted

[@TheJody1981]

Frank Kelly also had a Christmas song that done well over here

[@rachelbirchall4630]

In Britain we don't go over board on series/seasons. They are usely back in the day 2/3/4/5. Writers of comedy stop before the audience gets bored of the show

[@tonycasey3183]

Who knew Stan Boardman could do an Irish accent?

[@philrob1978]

Ha! Yes, Declan has an uncanny resemblance! Not sure he'd thank you for it though if you brought it up with him ;)

[@marywood8794]

Daniel made me think of William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy...two prime examples of leaning into the type casting.

[@paulmunn9699]

i enjoyed that lads ,great reaction.

[@rachelbirchall4630]

Arnold H is a great actor he's in the crime drama Death in paridice series 7-8. Another great British show for you to watch based in the Caribbean. It's on its 14th series I think

[@scottandrewbrass1931]

Arnold H?! 😀

[@daviddalby8537]

These days it's hard to think of Ardal O'Hanlon as anyone but Detective Inspector Jack Mooney in Death in Paradise.

[@DanielRobertspiano]

The people asked and they delivered!

[@dd7aa]

When Frank put the teeth in and says"feck aff" its brilliant 👏

[@Piggylid]

The director Dermot Lowney went on to direct episodes of Ted Lasso

[@TheMagicdunk90]

And the Alan Partridge Movie, Alpha Papa. And the 1988 Eurovision!

[@davidz3879]

Graham Linehan is now more well-known as a prominent criticism of trans activism. He has made many controversial statements on the matter, including his insistence that "a woman does not have a penis"!

[@dd7aa]

Yes, great to see he has remained grounded after all these years in showbiz around London

[@quntface1518]

Yeah, he became obsessed with trans people to the point where he talks about them 24/7, his wife left time and seemingly can't even write anymore for thinking of them. It's quite a sad decline into madness.

[@gar6446]

A woman with a Penis was just too ridiculous for a Father Ted script. Noone would have believed it.

[@geese5061]

It’s a shame he’s turned into such a sad little bigot. For me the show is about the ensemble of talent who are perfectly nice people who worked hard to make this show happen so it doesn’t ruin the show for me, he’s just an unfortunate cog in an otherwise excellent machine.

[@davidz3879]

@@dd7aa Bizarrely, Eddie Izzard, Lia Thomas, Caitlin Jenner, Dylan Mulvaney etc. have gained a huge number of fans who accept them as women.

[@lubomireire]

I hope you're aware of Derry girls, I think you guys would love it if you're cold turkeying irish sitcoms 😊

[@slydawgg]

Please,please watch the young ones…..its an acquired taste but was the marker for a new breed of uk comedy❤It has Rick Mayal in it who played Flash-hard in black adder

[@lad1981uk]

I came here to say the same!

[@AdrianColley]

I adored the chaos and ingenuity of _The Young Ones_ but it's so steeped in 1980s British culture that it might be utterly inaccessible to modern American viewers.

[@dannycoventry7927]

Len Brennan was pretty good in Straw Dogs with Dustin Hoffman.

[@charliegeorge9393]

Only saw this once - brilliant

[@stickytapenrust6869]

The LWT studios - where Father Ted was shot - are currently going through demolition at the time of typing this.

[@christopherrmcarter1809]

Dougal was great. He was "Thermo Man" in My Hero about the only Irish Super Hero.

[@AdrianColley]

Well, he was an alien. Come to think of it, he was a military aged male!

[@solsburian]

Sadly the London Studios (the home of London Weekend Television [LWT] and later ITV after it consolidated) is abandoned and due to be demolished. A bit of our cultural history to be lost..

[@thisiszaphod]

Ardal O'Hanlon - Comedian, Actor and Author...

[@PHDarren]

06:24 not the same car, Ted had a Ford Cortina, that one is the larger Ford Granada.

[@Irish780]

What a great honor to they swarbrigs to have my lovely horse attribute them 😅

[@matthewmcconnell3011]

Pauline McLynn later said that that's not why she didn't participate in the documentary at all and was confused why they said that about her. I can't remember why she didn't but there's an article about it somewhere. Might have been a scheduling conflict or something

[@bethcushway458]

I remember her getting shitty when she was on This Morning back in the day when they tried to talk to her about Father Ted. She wasn't having any of it and got really snippy. Whatever she's claiming now there was definitely a period where she didn't want to be associated with Mrs Doyle any more

[@tomjohnston1220]

The Head of Comedy at Channel 4 was actually Irish but he rejected the series because he said it was too Irish, what a fool. It took an Englishman, Geoffrey Perkins, to over rule him and agree to making Father Ted.

[@petrolhead0387]

Vicar of Dibley is another timeless classic. Not quite as close to the knuckle as Father Ted, but still a fantastic series nevertheless.

[@robertcreighton4635]

Never seen this before. Very good 👍

[@jcook3986]

Glad you found some more Ted. I wonder what you would make of Will Hay, in Oh Mr Porter. Early British b&w. Similar anarchic characters brilliantly played.

[@davidblurton7158]

norman wisdom,, or st trinnians,,,,

[@paulinegallagher7821]

Spencer does a great Fr Jack

[@brendanashe5882]

Frank Kelly was brilliant

[@Anarchy3457]

The actor playing Bishop Brennan is actually Graham Norton's dad in real life

[@frglee]

Nice idea, but no...according to wiki, Graham Norton was born Graham William Walker on 4 April 1963 at 48, St Brigid's Road, in Clondalkin, County Dublin, Ireland, to William "Billy" Norton (d.2000), a sales representative for Guinness, and Rhoda Walker.

[@Anarchy3457]

@@frglee my mistake, it must have been a modern myth that I fell for 😂 thanks for the correction 👍

[@AdrianColley]

@frglee Clondalkin? I thought Graham Norton was a Corkonian. Where did I get that idea? _checks Wikipedia_ Oh, born in Dublin but raised in Cork. A true cosmopolitan.

[@SirNorm33]

Also, RIP Frank Kelly 1938-2016 😢

[@useall7665]

One foot in thr grave yous should watch or, keeping up with apperinces

[@LoneRanger100]

My god, the real life mrs Doyle’s a noo Yorker!

[@AdrianColley]

I was confused by this until I realized you meant the owner of the house, and not Pauline McLynn.

[@marywood8794]

Spencer and Daniel, did you miss that Bob Mortimer and his comedy partner were the award presenters?

[@davidblurton7158]

vic reeves,,,, another genius combination

[@liaminwales]

That was the only show Ardal O'Hanlon aka Dogual was good in, iv only seen him in real safe middle of the road shows after. Shame. edit the 2011 film The Guard is worth a watch, it's an Irish film about a police officer. It plays with some of the same jokes, dark Irish jokes.

[@DanielRobertspiano]

My Uncle lives near the house actually.

[@lillired857]

Please do black books, you’ll love it ❤

[@Declan-yh6mz]

O'HanLon. Spence.🧐😁

[@irishguy200007]

Within the brotherhood

[@dennispower5362]

Your on a good wicket.. with faulty towers a good rabbit hole