A Christmassy Ted (24 Dec. 1996)

Father Ted wins the "Golden Cleric", for saving a fellow group of priests from an embarrassing situation.

Director:

Declan Lowney

Writers:

Graham Linehan, Arthur Mathews

Stars:

Dermot Morgan, Ardal O'Hanlon, Frank Kelly

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Dermot Morgan	...	Father Ted Crilly
Ardal O'Hanlon	...	Father Dougal Mcguire
Frank Kelly	...	Father Jack Hackett
Pauline McLynn	...	Mrs. Doyle
Gerard McSorley	...	Father Todd Unctious
Dervla Kirwan	...	Assumpta
Stephen Tompkinson	...	Father Clifford
Tony Guilfoyle	...	Father Larry Duff
Anne Gildea	...	Woman with Baby
Caoilinn McCormack	...	Baby
Barry Murphy	...	Salesman
Sean Barrett	...	Father Fitzgerald
Donncha Crowley	...	Father Billy
Colum Gallivan	...	Father Reilly
Neil McCaul	...	Father Terry

Storyline

In this Christmas special from 1996, Ted manages to avert a major catastrophe when he, Dougal and a group of other priests become lost in the lingerie section of a clothes store. Managing to get them out of the store and averting another scandal in the catholic church. Ted is awarded a Golden Cleric. Ted is undoubtedly pleased but things take an unexpected turn when a priest called Father Todd Unctious turns up who claims to be an old friend of Teds. Although Ted can't for the life of him remember who he is.

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Plot Keywords:

christmas special | christmas

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Genres:

Comedy

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 December 1996 (UK)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hat Trick Productions, Channel Four

Technical Specs

Runtime:

55 min 55 min (DVD)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This episode is an hour special.

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Goofs

There is a visit to a department store which boasts (we're told) the largest lingerie department in Ireland. However, the establishing shot of the store is of Oxford Street in London. It even features a bus stop with the easily recognisable London Transport logo.

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Quotes

Father Dougal: [about the Christmas tree lights] Gone, back, gone, back.

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Connections

Referenced in The 100 Greatest Christmas Moments (2004)

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Soundtracks

"La Marseillaise"
Written by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle
Performed by a Group of Priests

User Reviews

Outstanding!

Christmas specials of comedy series, usually being longer, can be a curate's egg - good in parts etc... This episode, however, despite being double the length of a typical Ted, maintains the series' stratospherically high standards throughout! Right from the introductory absurdity of the Ted household's visit to The Mainland for Christmas shopping, to the (un)dynamic duo's incarceration in Ireland's Largest Lingerie Department, through Ted's elevation to Priest of the Year and Mrs Doyle's adventures with the Teamatic, this is a total gem of a show.

The Vietnamesque escape from said Lingerie Department, Father Jack's being parked in a creche (spelling 'Arse, Feck, Girls' with the ABC wooden spelling blocks and corrupting the other infants into crying those very words later), the sleazy flashback of the old priest talking about Ted to Father Unctious, every scene is perfect.

Watch out for a young Kevin McKidd, of 'Rome' fame, as a callow priest losing it in the Lingerie Department, and the lovely Ed Byrne as a scoffing youth on a gay-chatline spoof...

Sheer perfection.

P.S. Dermot Morgan is so painfully missed...