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Media appearances and pub sightings of the FT cast
I saw this unseemly sight - not for the faint hearted. He did what he normally does on Irish chat shows which is trundle out his amazingly acurate impersonations of famous people which is what his career has been based on for the last 15 years. Unfortunately these didn't translate too well as they are figures from Irish political life (does anyone remember our dodgy taoiseach from a few years ago called Charlie Haughy?) Anyway, probably for the first time in a long while Dermot actually fell pretty flat. It was painful to watch.
In 1996/early 97 Dermot also appeared on Oddballs, the appalling sports- bloopers show fronted by Eamonn Holmes
I saw Ardal on the late late show on September 6th. From memory he hinted that working with Dermot could be a strain when you can't get a word in edgeways, but my main memory was of him talking about holidays in his childhood. "We put everything stripey in the car," he told Gaybo, "and then just sat in it pretending to go somewhere." He said the dog hung out of the window so they used a hairdryer to blow his ears back so it looked like they were moving.
I met Ardal at the recording of the Christmas special and talked about that appearance, though he was not very forthcoming, saying that everyone in Ireland ends up on Gay Byrne anyway.
Frank Kelly appeared on the breakfast show on Talk Radio this morning (28/10) mainly to plug his new book. He mentioned that this week they've been doing the read-throughs on the scripts for the new series. He reckoned they were very funny (but then he would say that :-) From what he said, it seems there will probably be 8 episodes in the third series (he referred to having done 16 so far and said that the new series would take it up to 24 - must have forgotten the Christmas special!)He mentioned "Old Grey Whistle Theft" and "Hell" as two of his favourite episodes.
- Emma writes from Dublin that Frank Kelly (Jack) 's daughter goes to her school, and that often comes to collect her (hopefully not straight off the set). Emma also served him once in a restaurant. WOW!, she adds, justifiably.
- Frank appeared in a short film called 'Thirty-five-a-side', or something like that. Look it up in the IMDB if you're really keen.
- Frank also appears briefly in 'The Italian Job'. When Michael Caine leaves the prison in the first few minutes, Frank (as a prison warder) follows him down some steps. (Thanks Father Andy Riley)
You may or may not be interested to know that Fthr Noel Furlong shops in Bethnal Green Tescos and is, let me tell you, as camp as row of tents. I did have the urge to do the little Riverdance bit or go up to him and say: "Who's buying toilet roll with his boyfriend? Father Noel Furlong knows who I'm talking about" but then I realised that would mean plumbing new depths of sadness.
My Grandfather, Ignatius Commane, appeared in two Father Ted episodes. He can be seen for about 0.4 seconds dancing at the bottom of the screen in the episode about the raffle ticket (TFFT - Ed.), I think it's that episode anyway. He can also be seen queueing for tea outside Ted's house in another episode.
Jim Norton took part as a large corrupt business man and archcriminal in RTE's new crime drama series "Making the Cut" recently.Our local parish priest, married Jon Kenny to his wife, and Pat Shortt was there in flowery shorts and a T-shirt videoing the event. This was probably a year or so ago [actually in 1988 - Ed.].
Both are currently on tour in Ireland with their show "I doubt it, says Pauline"
As with most such efforts to analyse comedy, it cuts the show into very small pieces looking for the 'humour' and finds nothing at all. Rather like slicing up a kitten to find the bit that makes it go. Never mind, I'm sure it's well-intentioned. Read it if you've got a spare week.
My art teacher at school, Tom Shortt, was the brother of Pat Shortt [Tom]. All the girls really fancied Pat. Well, no accounting for taste in the convent schools of Ireland, eh?Indeed.
Interestingly enough, when I was but a schoolboy growing up in Thurles, Pat Shortt, who plays Tom, was a feared but very much respected hard-nut around town. He once saved me from a hiding by the local small-town big-boys when I was oh about 14. He used to play saxophone in a band with his older brother, incidentally called Tom, and later went on to team up with John Kenny (who played the cinema manager and Eurovison host in F Ted) as D'Unbelievables, whose hit comedy show, A Hell Of A Do, won numerous awards in Ireland and Britain and also has the distinction of being loosely set in and around Thurles. Dermot Morgan's family also originated in Thurles.