If you’re someone who ponders the theory that Fr Noel Furlong (Graham Norton) from Fr Ted is actually Satan in the sitcom, then this book is for you.
Picnic on Craggy Island is full of Ted trivia and behind-the-scenes tidbits from Lissa Evans, who was producer on series two and three. She lightly sketches loose memories of every episode she worked on 30 years ago, with supplementary chapters on design inspirations and rehearsals for Ted, which, of course, was daringly filmed before a studio audience.
There are funny insights on the practical procedural side of getting this oddball, surreal and satirical masterpiece made; actorly travails, snapshots of cast and crew and anecdotes where life imitated Ted (a lorry driver pulling in beside a golf course in Co Clare upon spotting actors dressed for the giant peanuts scene and shouting: “You’ll be shooting Ted, then!”
Evans’s memories are as brisk and breezy as Craggy Island itself and the lighthearted fun is often underscored with moments of mercurial madness that made Ted what it is.
Do we come to know the main actors and writers any better? Not really, aside from a few incidentals, although it’s nice to see Evans laud Pauline McLynn who, as Mrs Doyle, had significantly fewer scenes than the male actors but was unforgettable nonetheless. She describes McLynn’s work on Ted as, “like attending a masterclass in silent film acting, Pauline made every (second) sublime”.
Evans is gracious to everyone she worked with on Ted, so don’t expect hissy fits or hushed-up telly land scandals. I’d have liked more of their discussions during production weeks, as you get the odd glimpse into why Evans was so good at her job. One example: she thought the priests’ socks gag went too long – I agree – and one of her few regrets was cutting another zinger line to fit the socks. She touches upon Dermot Morgan’s untimely death, of course, and again I would have liked her to have written more.
[ Careful now: Will we ever stop talking about Father Ted?Opens in new window ]
Ted fans will lap it up like Fr Jack finding a minibar all the same, although some may question the Holy Stone of Clonrichert-style pricing by the publisher for 150 small pages with black and white photographs.
Anyway, now we need Father Todd Unctious: the Prison Diaries, read by Gerard McSorley.
