Father Ted or Alan Partridge?

[stavros]

I voted for Ted, although I was a little unsure of what the poll was asking. Were we picking our favourite show or our favourite of the two characters? I just about prefer Ted as a programme but I maintain Partridge is the greatest comedy creation ever. Very few characters can operate and be funny almost totally independent of everyone else involved. Ted worked in tandem with Dougal, Jack, Mrs Doyle, Bishop Brennan, etc, but Alan needed nobody else. The only other sit-com character I can think of who can do that is Larry David.

And I'm a little ashamed to say that I drop the odd Partridge reference into everyday conversation to see if people get it, most commonly with the extra big plate and "That was just a noise" to any Geordies I know.

 

[zoooo]

Partridge.
Although I love both, it's really quite an easy decision.

 

[kittyP]

I always got the feeling with Partridge that although it was well written, people got caught up with thinking that it was funnier than it was.

Father Ted had me peeing my knickers every time!

 

[N_igma]

Both great shows. However, every Father Ted episode has had me in stitches at least 3 or 4 times so I pick it. Some Partridge episodes are a bit slow and lacking in a substantative and engaging plot.

 

[purves grundy]

I maintain Partridge is the greatest comedy creation ever.

I totally agree, and would advise anyone who came late to AP and has only seen the last two Travel Tavern / caravan series - dunno what the proper titles are - to go back right to the embryonic Partridge. Listen to the Radio 4 programmes, and 'Knowing Me, Knowing You', which have superior scripts to the plot-based series (and yeah, the plots are pretty poor sometimes, although that's a deliberate reflection of the paucity of action in AP's life.) Then rewatch the last two series.

Surpised nobody's contended that the third series of Father Ted, and the final episode in particular, was very disappointing.

 

[kittyP]

Surpised nobody's contended that the third series of Father Ted, and the final episode in particular, was very disappointing.

Not sure if I am correct (and not that it is an excuse) but it wasn't suppose to be the last series/episode was it? Was it just that he died?

 

[sleaterkinney]

Kraftwerk priests, kicking Bishop Brennan up the arse.

Now concentrate this time, Dougal. These cows are very small; those are far away..

 

[kyser_soze]

I totally agree, and would advise anyone who came late to AP and has only seen the last two Travel Tavern / caravan series - dunno what the proper titles are - to go back right to the embryonic Partridge. Listen to the Radio 4 programmes, and 'Knowing Me, Knowing You', which have superior scripts to the plot-based series (and yeah, the plots are pretty poor sometimes, although that's a deliberate reflection of the paucity of action in AP's life.) Then rewatch the last two series.

Surpised nobody's contended that the third series of Father Ted, and the final episode in particular, was very disappointing.

You can also catch Alan in his role as sports presenter and Chris Morris' co-host on *deep voice* The Day Today

'So Alan, do you support the law?'

'I certainly do Chris'

'How do you support it?'

And of course, live horse racing...

 

[dodgepot]

 

[Paris Garters]

Father ted, by a long stretch. Crying-with-laughter hilarious, every time I see it, and incredibly inventive.

Alan Partridge has it's moments admittedly, but at the end of the day it's just cringing at a tragically un-self aware dickhead. I can do that anytime, should I want to.

On a bad day, I can do that at myself.

 

[spanglechick]

I love the surrealist touches of Father Ted - together with the interplay of the ensemble.

It was great, great stuff.

I'm afraid I'm not great with "Comedy of Excruciating Embarrassment" - so Partridge has never been good for me - tho i'm sure it's excellent of its type.

 

[tommers]

you're all mental.

father ted is a nice, cosy little sit com. Yeah, occasionally it's funny, got some good lines but Partridge is simply the funniest thing that's been on telly in the past twenty years.

As somebody said above - get the radio 4 shows. Brilliant stuff.

 

[chymaera]

I don't find either of them funny.

 

[tommers]

I don't find either of them funny.

you don't find anything funny.

 

[Chairman Meow]

you're all mental.

father ted is a nice, cosy little sit com. Yeah, occasionally it's funny, got some good lines but Partridge is simply the funniest thing that's been on telly in the past twenty years.

As somebody said above - get the radio 4 shows. Brilliant stuff.

Father Ted is nothing like a nice cosy little sitcom!

 

[kyser_soze]

Fuck both of them, someone on the bandwidth thread has just reposted some History Today...

 

[chymaera]

you don't find anything funny.

I find lots of things funny. But frankly I cannot think of any TV "comedy" produced in recent years that is funny.

 

[tarannau]

you're all mental.

father ted is a nice, cosy little sit com. Yeah, occasionally it's funny, got some good lines but Partridge is simply the funniest thing that's been on telly in the past twenty years.

As somebody said above - get the radio 4 shows. Brilliant stuff.

Bollocks. Partridge is the more traditional show if anything. Like em both, but I can't let Father Ted be portrayed as a 'nice, cosy little sitcom'

There's a surreal unusual vein to Father Ted which adds so much more. I've still fond memories of the episode where Ted kicks Archbishop Bren up the jaxy and flatly denies it, a puzzled, dreamlike glaze coming over him at the sheer implausibility of it all. And then, days later, the scream of an Archbishop literally flying towards Craggy Island, hands outstretched in angry red robes, shouting the realisation 'He did kick me up the arse...'

Fantastic shows, both of them, but Father Ted's occasional weird brilliance tips the balance slightly for me.

 

[spanglechick]

all the rabbits!

 

[kyser_soze]

hAIRY jAPANESE BASTARDS

 

[Idaho]

I don't find either of them funny.

Why doesn't that suprise me in the least

"It's no good Lynn, I'm going nowhere. Literally - I'm on the ring road"

Both great. Partridge pips it for me.

 

[YouSir]

Father Ted for me, Partridge is good I admit, but Father Ted has always fitted me perfectly. It's probably the only TV show which I love as much as I'd love music or certain books.

R.I.P Dermot Morgan

 

[boing!]

I'm going to go for Father Ted, but its a very close call.

 

[tommers]

Bollocks. Partridge is the more traditional show if anything. Like em both, but I can't let Father Ted be portrayed as a 'nice, cosy little sitcom'

oh come on. Partridge was a bona fide character, spanning his own radio show, his own TV chat show (which people thought was real), appearing as a sports presenter on "The Day Today" and then 2 series about his decline into madness at Radio Norwich. He had a life of his own, a certifiable history throughout his career.

Father Ted was the essence of a sit com. Three priests and a housekeeper, never leaving their island. One's stupid, one's an old drunk and one is normal but is placed in unusual situations. I mean, it's a good sit-com don't get me wrong, but it's hardly ground breaking. Dougal is Trigger from Only Fools and Horses, Father Jack is pa Steptoe and Ted is Meldrew from One Foot in The Grave.

 

[goldenecitrone]

Father Ted for its range of surreal characters. Partridge is a good character with some good lines, but on the whole Father Ted is just so inventive and consistently fucking funny.

 

[Chairman Meow]

oh come on. Partridge was a bona fide character, spanning his own radio show, his own TV chat show (which people thought was real), appearing as a sports presenter on "The Day Today" and then 2 series about his decline into madness at Radio Norwich. He had a life of his own, a certifiable history throughout his career.

Father Ted was the essence of a sit com. Three priests and a housekeeper, never leaving their island. One's stupid, one's an old drunk and one is normal but is placed in unusual situations. I mean, it's a good sit-com don't get me wrong, but it's hardly ground breaking. Dougal is Trigger from Only Fools and Horses, Father Jack is pa Steptoe and Ted is Meldrew from One Foot in The Grave.

Never read such bollocks in my life.

 

[stdPikachu]

Despite Coogan's brilliant characterisation, Partridge always kinda struck me as a bit of a one-joke show, whereas Father Ted was always unrelentingly varied, to the point of sheer madness

 

[purves grundy]

Never read such bollocks in my life.

twas pretty accurate imho

 

[poster342002]

The thing with Alan Partridge is that you always come away from watching an episode with the vague feeling that you've met or know a charecter just like him in real life, but you can't put your finger on who it is.

 

[Hi-ASL]

I see the Ted-y Boys are running away with it. As one who's not so much a neutral as a double agent, I think it's time for some Alanisms.

• C*ck P*ss Partridge
• "Is that a distributor cap off a Ford Mondeo"?
• "Knowing me Alan Partridge, sacking you Glen Ponder.....A-Ha!!!"
• "Jurassic Park."
• "Zombies by their very nature are inconsistent."
• "A bottle of Blue Nun please."
• "Wings, the band the Beatles could have been."
• "Lyn, you were laughing at rain."
• "This country..."
• "Don't sing Susan, it sounds bad. You know, to look at you you'd think you'd sing like an angel, but in fact, you sound like a trapped boy."
• "So what were these orgies like"?
  "I can't remember Alan it was a long time ago"
  "Try and remember"
  "It really was a long time...."
  "Try and remember"
  "I can't"
  "TRY AND REMEMBER!"

There. That should do it.