"The Mainland" is an episode of the Channel 4

Channel 4

Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...

 sitcom Father Ted

Father Ted

Father Ted is a comedy series set in Ireland that was produced by Hat Trick Productions for British broadcaster Channel 4. Written jointly by Irish writers Arthur Mathews and Graham Linehan and starring a predominantly Irish cast, it originally aired over three series from 21 April 1995 until 1 May...

. It was first broadcast on 3 April 1998 as the fourth episode of the third series.

Synopsis

On a visit to the mainland to collect £200 he won betting on the Priest's limbo competition, Ted and Dougal get lost in a cave while trying to escape enraged television personality Richard Wilson (who reacts with extreme violence to Ted mentioning his catchphrase I don't believe it!'). Along the way the hapless duo encounter Father Noel Furlong and his St. Luke's Youth Group who have been trapped for two days. His screeching triggers a cave-in and his youth group, under the pretense of going to get help, flee to Paraguay. Meanwhile Mrs. Doyle and her friend Mrs. Dineen spend an afternoon in a teashop only to end up arguing and starting a fight over who should pay the bill whilst Jack accidentally joins an alcoholics anonymous group after an appointment with an optician following the mysterious disappearance of his spectacles (mainly because a crow keeps flying off with them).

Casting

• Richard Wilson makes a special guest appearance as himself, with Ted and Dougal recognising him as "yer man from One Foot in the Grave
  One Foot in the Grave
  One Foot in the Grave is a BBC television sitcom series written by David Renwick. The show ran for six series, including seven Christmas specials, two Comic Relief specials, over an eleven year period, from early 1990 to late 2000...
  
  ". In the episode, every time Ted says, "I don't believe it", Wilson becomes very angry (and in their first encounter, he even roughs Ted up a bit). This is a real-life reference to the fact that Wilson really does hate people going up to him and saying his catchphrase from One Foot in the Grave
  One Foot in the Grave
  One Foot in the Grave is a BBC television sitcom series written by David Renwick. The show ran for six series, including seven Christmas specials, two Comic Relief specials, over an eleven year period, from early 1990 to late 2000...
  
   and only performs the line for charity events. The situation was conceived when Father Ted writers Graham Linehan
  Graham Linehan
  Graham Linehan is an Irish television writer, actor, comedian and director who, often in partnership with Arthur Mathews, has written or co-written a number of popular television comedies...
  
   and Arthur Matthews
  Arthur Mathews (writer)
  Arthur Mathews is an Irish comedy writer and actor who, often with writing partner Graham Linehan, has either written or contributed to a number of popular television comedies, most notably Father Ted. He is a graduate of the Dublin Institute of Technology...
  
   sat behind Wilson at a performance of Le Cirque du Soleil at the Royal Albert Hall
  Royal Albert Hall
  The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
  
  . They considered how "tasteless and wrong" it would be to lean forward to him every time that an acrobat did a stunt and yell the catchphrase, and then they realised that that's exactly what their fictional priests would do.

• Graham Norton
  Graham Norton
  Graham William Walker, known by his stage name Graham Norton , is an Irish actor, comedian, television presenter and columnist...
  
   returns for his third and final appearance as Father Noel Furlong. He sings the Queen
  Queen (band)
  Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
  
   songs "Bohemian Rhapsody
  Bohemian Rhapsody
  "Bohemian Rhapsody" is a song by the British rock band Queen. It was written by Freddie Mercury for the band's 1975 album A Night at the Opera...
  
  " and, at the very end of the episode, "Fat Bottomed Girls
  Fat Bottomed Girls
  "Fat Bottomed Girls" is a song by the English rock band Queen. Written by guitarist Brian May, the track featured on their 1978 album Jazz, and also appears on the band's compilation album, Greatest Hits...
  
  ".

• Art director Bill Crutcher appears in a cameo as the smoking bin man

External links

• "The Mainland" on the IMDB