A nostalgic, warm-hearted memoir from one of the producers of the cult-hit TV show Father Ted.
'What a treat - it brought the whole experience flooding back. A feast for fans of the show or indeed anyone interested in the creative chaos of making television' Graham Norton
Three decades after it first appeared on screen, Father Ted is still cherished, quoted and endlessly re-watched. Its beloved main characters, unforgettable lines and extraordinary visual jokes have given birth to a thousand gifs and t-shirts and a million catchphrases.
Unforgettable to watch, it was also unforgettable to work on. Lissa Evans, as producer of the second and third series, spent three years hovering anxiously over every moment, from the first glimpse of script to the last revolution of a runaway milk-float round a specially-built plywood roundabout. There was no ‘average Father Ted episode’ – each of them was stuffed with challenges; endless rain, lustful rabbits, clerics crashing through windows, sheep doubles, collapsing crosses and a never-ending stream of eccentric priests – and the work that went into its creation was often nearly as bizarre as what was happening on screen.
Picnic on Craggy Island is a hugely affectionate and anecdotal account of what lay behind some of those moments of comic genius – so pull on your kagoule, spread out your blanket, unwrap the sandwiches (they’re all egg) and enjoy the picnic…
Father Ted is one of the most popular sitcoms in Britain and Ireland. The hapless, idiot priests and their downtrodden housekeeper struck a chord with people of all religions. It's hard to find an Irish person who can't finish any given punchline, and the catchphrases - "Go on, go on, go on." "Drink! Feck! Arse!" and the 'small, far away' debate - have entered the cultural vernacular. Father Ted is a legend.
Lissa was the producer on Season Two and Three, and a fan before that. Through her loosely organised ramblings, we get an insider's view of how the episodes were strung together. I hadn't realised, for instance, that internal scenes were shot in London, with cast and crew flown over to Ireland weekly to film externals! It's a testament to how well they were put together that I never for a moment doubted Ted and the others really were on a remote island off the west coast.
Lissa herself laments the relative lack of backstage photos, noting that in a pre mobile era they mainly had continuity photos from Hair and Makeup, and a few shots here and there when someone was bored. It would have been nice to have lots of backstage images, but the ones we have are fascinating to examine and show us a new side of our favourite priests.
Any fan of the show will love this. I'll be keeping it close on my next rewatch. Brilliant.
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