The Passion of St Tibulus
Encyclopedia
"The Passion of St Tibulus" is the 3rd episode of Channel 4
sitcom Father Ted
.
, is staying on Craggy Island. During a game of Cluedo
, Father Hernandez, seeing Mrs Doyle, confesses he sometimes finds the life of celibacy
difficult, at which point Ted mentions Bishop Brennan, who is rumoured to have a son who lives in America.
The next day, Brennan himself arrives unexpectedly at the parochial house. Ted hopes that it's because they're being sent back to their original parishes, but Brennan swiftly dashes this hope: they're not going anywhere after the incidents that put them there in the first place (Ted stole money that was supposed to send a child to 'Lourdes
' and lost it all on a gambling spree in Las Vegas
, a disastrous wedding in Athlone for Jack and the 'Blackrock
incident' for Dougal that "irreparably damaged" the lives of several nuns). Instead, Len has another reason for visiting: The Passion of St Tibulus, a film condemned by the Pope as "blasphemous" and banned everywhere else, is being shown on Craggy Island because of an unknown loophole. He declares the Catholic Church must be seen to make a stand on this matter, and orders Ted and the others to sort things out as quickly as possible, especially given that he has been recalled from his holiday in California
to deal with it.
Ted and Dougal go to the local cinema and find only two other people watching the film, one of whom leaves because the film is in French, subtitled
and not dubbed
. Originally, they plan to protest before the film begins, but after a polite request from Michael the cinema manager, they agree to watch it peacefully and be thrown out afterwards (to be seen "making a fuss").
That night, Ted and Dougal discuss the film, and rather than debate its ethical or theological aspects, simply agree the film was difficult to understand and inaccurate, as well as sexually explicit. The next morning, the pair decide they'll take their time going down to the cinema and protesting: however, Bishop Brennan returns and orders them to start protesting immediately. Bemoaning the fact that there are still seven hours before the cinema even opens, Ted and Dougal stand outside with placards reading "Down with this sort of thing" and "Careful now". Dougal then goes to the O'Learys' shop to buy a pair of handcuffs, so they can fasten themselves to the railing to gain more attention.
Meanwhile, back at the parochial house, Bishop Brennan is looking for his travelling bag, which contains his passport "and everything". Father Jack, sitting in his chair as always, plays dumb when questioned. However, once the Bishop leaves, he produces the bag and examines it. Inside, he finds Brennan's passport, a VHS camcorder containing a video cassette labelled "Holiday '95 California" and- to his delight -a bottle of Jack Daniel's
. Ted and Dougal continue protesting earnestly, but their actions have the opposite effect - people now want to see the film, attracted mainly by their protest. As islanders wander in (including Jack), Michael happily declares The Passion of St Tibulus is already the cinema's most successful film since Jurassic Park
. Ted angrily realizes that no one cares what the Church says anymore, and decides to leave. Unfortunately, Dougal doesn't have the keys for the handcuffs.
Back home - with the pair of them still handcuffed to the railing- they are scolded by Bishop Brennan for making The Passion of St Tibulus the most successful film in the island's history. People have been arriving from all over Ireland
and Europe to watch it ("They're even coming from Gdańsk
to see the film!"). As punishment, the three will be relocated to locations even worse than Craggy Island: Ted is being sent to an island off Surinam where two tribes have been "knocking the shit out each other" since 1907 and is supposed to unite them "in the spirit of Christian harmony" (and make arrows), Dougal is off to an area of the Philippines
(which he can't spell, but he "know[s] it starts with an 'f'") bereft of sewerage systems and Jack, to somewhere Bishop Brennan swears is much worse, although Jack punches him in the face before he can reveal exactly where. On that note, Bishop Brennan leaves; Ted and Dougal are devastated, until Jack plays the Bishop's holiday video. It shows the Bishop with a woman and a young boy on a beach - his secret mistress and his son. Ted realises they can use this to blackmail the Bishop into changing his mind, and they revel in their good fortune by watching the video a few more times.
, Co.Wicklow
. It continued to operate until July 2007, when it closed due to commercial difficulties. According to episode commentary from one of the writers, the episode was partially inspired by Derek Jarman
's 1976 film, Sebastiane
.
The signs were referred to by Green Party
leader John Gormley
- on 28 June 2010 - to describe his view that The Labour Party
have little or no polices. He accused the Labour Party of saying "Down with this sort of thing" without providing their alternative.
During a number of high profile UK protests including the Pope's state visit to the September 2010 and Student protests against tuition fee rises in November 2010, as well as protests against the Irish EU bailout and austerity measures in November 2010 several protesters displayed banners saying "Down with this sort of thing" and "Careful now". During the Pope protests in September, Graham Linehan said via Twitter that he "[c]ouldn't be more proud."
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...
.
Synopsis
Father Hernandez, from CubaCuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, is staying on Craggy Island. During a game of Cluedo
Cluedo
Cluedo is a popular murder/mystery-themed deduction board game originally published by Waddingtons in Leeds, England in 1949. It was devised by Anthony E. Pratt, a solicitor's clerk from Birmingham, England. It is now published by the United States game and toy company Hasbro, which acquired its U.S...
, Father Hernandez, seeing Mrs Doyle, confesses he sometimes finds the life of celibacy
Celibacy
Celibacy is a personal commitment to avoiding sexual relations, in particular a vow from marriage. Typically celibacy involves avoiding all romantic relationships of any kind. An individual may choose celibacy for religious reasons, such as is the case for priests in some religions, for reasons of...
difficult, at which point Ted mentions Bishop Brennan, who is rumoured to have a son who lives in America.
The next day, Brennan himself arrives unexpectedly at the parochial house. Ted hopes that it's because they're being sent back to their original parishes, but Brennan swiftly dashes this hope: they're not going anywhere after the incidents that put them there in the first place (Ted stole money that was supposed to send a child to 'Lourdes
Lourdes
Lourdes is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the Midi-Pyrénées region in south-western France.Lourdes is a small market town lying in the foothills of the Pyrenees, famous for the Marian apparitions of Our Lady of Lourdes occurred in 1858 to Bernadette Soubirous...
' and lost it all on a gambling spree in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, a disastrous wedding in Athlone for Jack and the 'Blackrock
Blackrock
Blackrock is a suburb of Dublin in County Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown, Ireland. It is northwest of Dún Laoghaire.-Location and access:Blackrock covers a large but not precisely defined area, rising from sea level on the coast to at White's Cross on the N11 national primary road. Blackrock is bordered...
incident' for Dougal that "irreparably damaged" the lives of several nuns). Instead, Len has another reason for visiting: The Passion of St Tibulus, a film condemned by the Pope as "blasphemous" and banned everywhere else, is being shown on Craggy Island because of an unknown loophole. He declares the Catholic Church must be seen to make a stand on this matter, and orders Ted and the others to sort things out as quickly as possible, especially given that he has been recalled from his holiday in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
to deal with it.
Ted and Dougal go to the local cinema and find only two other people watching the film, one of whom leaves because the film is in French, subtitled
Subtitle (captioning)
Subtitles are textual versions of the dialog in films and television programs, usually displayed at the bottom of the screen. They can either be a form of written translation of a dialog in a foreign language, or a written rendering of the dialog in the same language, with or without added...
and not dubbed
Dubbing (filmmaking)
Dubbing is the post-production process of recording and replacing voices on a motion picture or television soundtrack subsequent to the original shooting. The term most commonly refers to the substitution of the voices of the actors shown on the screen by those of different performers, who may be...
. Originally, they plan to protest before the film begins, but after a polite request from Michael the cinema manager, they agree to watch it peacefully and be thrown out afterwards (to be seen "making a fuss").
That night, Ted and Dougal discuss the film, and rather than debate its ethical or theological aspects, simply agree the film was difficult to understand and inaccurate, as well as sexually explicit. The next morning, the pair decide they'll take their time going down to the cinema and protesting: however, Bishop Brennan returns and orders them to start protesting immediately. Bemoaning the fact that there are still seven hours before the cinema even opens, Ted and Dougal stand outside with placards reading "Down with this sort of thing" and "Careful now". Dougal then goes to the O'Learys' shop to buy a pair of handcuffs, so they can fasten themselves to the railing to gain more attention.
Meanwhile, back at the parochial house, Bishop Brennan is looking for his travelling bag, which contains his passport "and everything". Father Jack, sitting in his chair as always, plays dumb when questioned. However, once the Bishop leaves, he produces the bag and examines it. Inside, he finds Brennan's passport, a VHS camcorder containing a video cassette labelled "Holiday '95 California" and- to his delight -a bottle of Jack Daniel's
Jack Daniel's
Jack Daniel's is a brand of sour mash Tennessee whiskey that is among the world's best-selling liquors. It is known for its square bottles and black label. As of November, 2007, one blogger was claiming that it was the best-selling whiskey in the world. It is produced in Lynchburg, Tennessee by...
. Ted and Dougal continue protesting earnestly, but their actions have the opposite effect - people now want to see the film, attracted mainly by their protest. As islanders wander in (including Jack), Michael happily declares The Passion of St Tibulus is already the cinema's most successful film since Jurassic Park
Jurassic Park (film)
Jurassic Park is a 1993 American science fiction adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Michael Crichton. It stars Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, Martin Ferrero, and Bob Peck...
. Ted angrily realizes that no one cares what the Church says anymore, and decides to leave. Unfortunately, Dougal doesn't have the keys for the handcuffs.
Back home - with the pair of them still handcuffed to the railing- they are scolded by Bishop Brennan for making The Passion of St Tibulus the most successful film in the island's history. People have been arriving from all over Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and Europe to watch it ("They're even coming from Gdańsk
Gdansk
Gdańsk is a Polish city on the Baltic coast, at the centre of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area.The city lies on the southern edge of Gdańsk Bay , in a conurbation with the city of Gdynia, spa town of Sopot, and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the...
to see the film!"). As punishment, the three will be relocated to locations even worse than Craggy Island: Ted is being sent to an island off Surinam where two tribes have been "knocking the shit out each other" since 1907 and is supposed to unite them "in the spirit of Christian harmony" (and make arrows), Dougal is off to an area of the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
(which he can't spell, but he "know[s] it starts with an 'f'") bereft of sewerage systems and Jack, to somewhere Bishop Brennan swears is much worse, although Jack punches him in the face before he can reveal exactly where. On that note, Bishop Brennan leaves; Ted and Dougal are devastated, until Jack plays the Bishop's holiday video. It shows the Bishop with a woman and a young boy on a beach - his secret mistress and his son. Ted realises they can use this to blackmail the Bishop into changing his mind, and they revel in their good fortune by watching the video a few more times.
Production
The cinema used was the Cinema by the Sea in GreystonesGreystones
Greystones is a coastal town and small seaside resort in County Wicklow, Ireland. It is located on Ireland’s east coast, south of Bray and south of Dublin , with a population in the region of 15,000....
, Co.Wicklow
County Wicklow
County Wicklow is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wicklow, which derives from the Old Norse name Víkingalág or Wykynlo. Wicklow County Council is the local authority for the county...
. It continued to operate until July 2007, when it closed due to commercial difficulties. According to episode commentary from one of the writers, the episode was partially inspired by Derek Jarman
Derek Jarman
Michael Derek Elworthy Jarman was an English film director, stage designer, diarist, artist, gardener and author.-Life:...
's 1976 film, Sebastiane
Sebastiane
Sebastiane is a controversial 1976 film written and directed by Derek Jarman and Paul Humfress. It portrays the events of the life of Saint Sebastian, including his iconic martyrdom by arrows. Most of the controversy surrounding the film derives from the homoeroticism portrayed between the soldiers...
.
"Down with this sort of thing"
The vague protest signs carried by Ted and Dougal have long outlived the original series.The signs were referred to by Green Party
Green Party (Ireland)
The Green Party is a green political party in Ireland. It was founded as the Ecology Party of Ireland in 1981 by Dublin teacher Christopher Fettes. The party became the Green Alliance in 1983 and in 1987 was renamed to its current title in English...
leader John Gormley
John Gormley
John Gormley is an Irish politician. He was the leader of the Irish Green Party from 2007 to 2011, and was a Teachta Dála for the Dublin South East constituency from 1997 to 2011. He served as Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government from 2007–11...
- on 28 June 2010 - to describe his view that The Labour Party
Labour Party (Ireland)
The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. The Labour Party was founded in 1912 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, by James Connolly, James Larkin and William X. O'Brien as the political wing of the Irish Trade Union Congress. Unlike the other main Irish...
have little or no polices. He accused the Labour Party of saying "Down with this sort of thing" without providing their alternative.
During a number of high profile UK protests including the Pope's state visit to the September 2010 and Student protests against tuition fee rises in November 2010, as well as protests against the Irish EU bailout and austerity measures in November 2010 several protesters displayed banners saying "Down with this sort of thing" and "Careful now". During the Pope protests in September, Graham Linehan said via Twitter that he "[c]ouldn't be more proud."