Father Ted: 12 Funniest Episodes

12. Tentacles Of Doom

There was nothing that worried the priests on Craggy Island more than visitors, particularly when those visitors happened to be three bishops, on the island to perform a ceremony to upgrade the Holy Stone of Clonrichert to a Class Two relic. What gave this episode its complete and utter hilarity was the elocution lessons Ted felt necessary to give the perpetually intoxicated Fr Jack Hackett. The addition of "Yes!" and "That would be an ecumenical matter" to Jack's vocabulary as an all-purpose response to questions from the bishops was not without its difficulties. The scene where Ted and Jack exchange "That!" and "Drink!" as if playing a tennis match is side-splitting in its simplicity. The lessons work almost too well, with a surprisingly clean cut Jack bowling over one of the bishop's with his apparent enthusiasm for improving the media's perception from the church €“ until Jack snaps and rams the holy stone where a holy stone should not fit. The episode showcases the classic formula of important people visit + things nearly go to plan + something bad happens at the last minute = hilarity. Also worthy 0f note is Dougal's sheer disregard for the Bishop Jordan's weak heart. His scream of delight at the realisation that "Aliens is on after the news!" almost sends Jordan to his grave, before Ted accidentally finishes the job by flushing a toilet while the bishop is standing over an open drain where the waste gets fired into the air. It's certainly a worthy addition to this list.