Father Ted - Series 2 (Part 1)

Father Ted was granted a full 10 episodes for its second series after the enormous success of the original six. Series 2, episodes 1 to 5, offers the first half of the season plus the bonus of the 1996 Christmas Special. The Craggy Island parochial house regulars go straight to "Hell" for the most unbearable caravan holiday. Here Graham Norton makes his first appearance as the excruciatingly enthusiastic Father Noel. Then in a leftover script from series one, "Think Fast, Father Ted" has them attempt to rig a raffle at which some Kraftwerk-inspired priests and the record "Ghost Town" are the only entertainment. Their payback is to be the patsies in a rigged "Song For Europe", offering their version of "My Lovely Horse". Ted, Dougal and Jack manage to ensnare the lives of one bishop each into their "Tentacles of Doom" when the Holy Stone of Clonrichert is blessed with an upgrade to holy status. There's not much holy going on when Father "Damo" appears to teach Dougal all manner of bad habits in "The Old Grey Whistle Theft". Finally "A Christmassy Ted" sees seven priests lost in Ireland's largest lingerie store and Father Tod Unctious trying to steal Ted's Golden Cleric Award with reference to Mission: Impossible. The second series' wonderful parallel universe more than equals that of the first.