Life in the provinces

Here at Monkey Central, we love the British sitcoms that take place in small country towns. We're huge fans of The Vicar of Dibley and we've seen all the various episodes of it many many times. We also love The Thin Blue Line with Rowan Atkinson, one episode of which my original adopted actor Archie Panjabi guest stars in. Our latest small town Brit-com that we've take a shine to is Clatterford, and yes, I know it goes by a different name in the UK but since I don't live over there I call it by the name they gave it when it hit our shores.

We loved it when they aired the first series on BBC America and we bought the DVD when it came out. The second series never aired on BBC America, so I thought they weren't going to release it over here. But Sparky noticed it was out and she said something about it to me so I was planning on buying it and giving it to her for Christmas. But knowing how much she loves Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, and the first series of this show, I decided to buy it and give it to her immediately. And after watching the first two episodes tonight, I'm glad I did. It's as sly and funny as the first one was. It's full of inside jokes, funny performances, and best of all, it's chocked full of great British comediennes. In addition to the ones I mentioned earlier, it features some of my favorites, including Sally Phillips, Suzy Aitchison, and Pauline McLynn.

This great comedy is just the type of show that would never ever be put on the air here in the USA because most all of the leads in it are women over the age of forty. Yay BBC! Yay small town Brit-coms!

You know who has a blog?

Graham Linehan. He's one of the creators of this incredibly funny sitcom:

If you've never seen Father Ted then you're missing out. It's a feckin' scream.

Who wants cake?

A clip from the genius show Father Ted, if you kids have never seen Father Ted, then run out and buy the DVDs. You'll laugh yerself feckin' silly.

I'm posting these pictures...

...because I think Pauline McLynn is as cute as a button.

Who's Pauline McLynn you ask? She played the housekeeper Mrs. Doyle in Father Ted and she was in Angela's Ashes as well and most recently she was in the BBC comedy Jam and Jerusalem or as it is known over here, Clatterford. She written at least one novel and has done a solid metric ton of comedy stuff on various stages in the UK. If I hadn't adopted Cloris Leachman recently, I might have adopted Pauline. Seriously, is she not the cutest thing most bestest thing to come out of Ireland since Gorilla 88?

Hey Mrs. Doyle

Yes?

Which one of these priests is nuts?

The late great Father "I swear that money was only resting in my bank account" Ted?

Father "We're not meant to take all the Bible stuff so seriously Ted" Dougal?

Father "Feck! Drink! Girls!" Jack?

or

Pope "All other Christian sects are not true Christian Churches!" Benedict

Surely that's a trick question. Why the last one of course. Nutty as fruitcake he is. My stars, why does he want the rest of the world to hate all Roman Catholics? His nuttiness is enough to turn a girl atheist! Or go runnin' inta the arms of Ian Paisley.

Now, who wants tea? You? Ahh go on, have some. Go on, go on, go on, go on. And maybe a sandwich too. But definitely tea, go on have some tea, go on. go on. go on, go on.

(If you haven't picked up Father Ted on DVD yet kids, then go out right this second and buy it or order it online, it's a favorite here at Monkey Muck HQ.)