Old Grey Whistle Theft

"**Old Grey Whistle Theft**"
"Old Grey Whistle Theft"
Father Ted episode
Episode no.	Series 2; Episode 4
Directed by	Declan Lowney
Written by	Graham Linehan; Arthur Mathews;
Produced by	Lissa Evans
Featured music	The Divine Comedy
Cinematography by	Chris Owen
Editing by	Mykola Pawluk; Tim Waddell;
Original air date	29 March 1996
Guest appearances
	Joe Rooney as Father Damien Lennon; John Olohan as Sergeant Hodgins; Tony Guilfoyle as Father Larry Duff; Rio Fanning as Father Frost; Arthur Mathews and Charlotte Bradley as Picnic Couple; Mal Whyte as Benson; Don Foley as Jim; Patrick Drury as John; Rynagh O'Grady as Mary; Ann Rowan as Mrs Glynn;
Episode chronology
← Previous; "Tentacles of Doom"	Next →; "A Song for Europe"
	List of episodes

"Old Grey Whistle Theft" is the fourth episode of the second series of the

BBC TV music show The Old Grey Whistle Test

.

Synopsis

fizzy water

), and demanded a drink; Jack very quickly drinks the whole bottle when Ted's back is turned. Despite no one else being there, a couple of aggressive regulars accost Ted, demanding they move, and the overzealous groundskeeper Benson intercedes, blowing his whistle frequently. Ted, disgusted, leaves with Jack.

That night, an unknown person steals Benson's whistle, and the next day the whole of Craggy Island is in arms about the theft; Benson is so traumatised about the theft that he has lost the use of his leg and is forced to use a wheelchair. Ted discovers the whistle in a pack of cigarettes in Dougal's coat, and starts to get Dougal to confess. Just then, Benson and Sergeant Hodgkins arrive at the parochial house, with news that a witness to the crime said it was done by a priest. Dougal, having misinterpreted what Ted was telling him, states Ted stole the whistle. Shocked, Ted leaves to come up with an explanation. While he is out of the room, Father Frost arrives, dragging Damien with him, having discovered he was the actual thief and that he tried to frame Dougal. Ted returns, and starts a long fabrication of the reasons for stealing the whistle until he realises the case has been solved. After the others leave, Ted gives Dougal a lecture about trusting those who are "cool". He explains that there is no place in the Roman Catholic Church for bad apples such as Father Damien, the Bishop of Galway (a priest who lived with his housekeeper), and a priest who was running guns into Iraq – "the list goes on and on". He then asks Dougal if he has learned anything from this, to which Dougal replies, "No".

Production

Arthur Mathews plays the irate man who – strictly observing the picnic area's no-swearing rule – tells Ted to, "Fup off, you grasshole!"

Legacy

In 2015, Joe Rooney said that he would be interested in making a Father Damo spin-off, and suggested that Damo would probably be working in

Mass.^[1] In 2016, Rooney reprised the role of Damo for an Over The Top wrestling match alongside Patrick McDonnell and Michael Redmond as Eoin McLove and Father Stone.^[2]

References

^ Rooney, Joe (16 July 2015). Pod-a-Rooney Episode 15 – Katherine Lynch (Podcast). Ireland: Castaway Media.
^ Kelly, Daniel (1 March 2016). "Eoin McLove, Father Damo and Father Stone all turned up at a Dublin wrestling event". Newstalk. Retrieved 1 March 2016.^{[permanent dead link]}

External links

"Old Grey Whistle Theft" at
IMDb

[1] Rooney, Joe (16 July 2015). Pod-a-Rooney Episode 15 – Katherine Lynch (Podcast). Ireland: Castaway Media.

[2] Kelly, Daniel (1 March 2016). "Eoin McLove, Father Damo and Father Stone all turned up at a Dublin wrestling event". Newstalk. Retrieved 1 March 2016.^{[permanent dead link]}

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