Common Sense Note

Parents need to know that that Father Ted is an award-winning Irish comedy series that has takes jabs at Catholicism and the clergy through a cast of excessively flawed priests, bishops, and nuns. The priests' personal vices include alcohol, smoking, sex, and general disregard for other people, all of which go unchecked, despite the fact that they've landed the characters in parish exile. Red-letter language is common in the rectory, including "bulls--t," "hell," and the Irish colloquialism "feck," plus all of its iterations ("fecking," "fecker," etc.). Some characters allude to sexual encounters despite their celibacy vows, and occasionally women are shown with the men, undressed from the waist up and visible from the back. The series does nothing to cast religious life in a positive light, making this show a better choice for mature teens and adults.

Sexual Content

Religious clergy engage in a surprising amount of sexy talk related to nudie movies, clergy member's affairs, and euphemisms like " holding his lad in his hand." A main character (a priest) is said to be on probation for his extensive womanizing and penchant for public nudity; another is a bishop who's shown with women in compromising situations, as in the tub. Women's backsides are shown naked from the waist up, and some men are shirtless.

Violence

What's there is more comical than anything else. Physical exchanges (hitting, slapping, biting, etc.) and some weapon play (as when priests flee a nun's gunfire as part of a punishment exercise for their sins) with very little lasting effect.

Language

"Hell," "bulls--t," "bastards," and the like, as well as persistent use of "feck," an Irish version of "f--k."

Social Behavior

The cast is filled with excessively flawed characters fumbling through lives as semi-celibate religious men. Whatever good intentions they have are overshadowed by their weakness for sins of the body, including alcohol, cigarettes, and sex. The show pokes unabashed fun at the institution of Catholic religious life through the absurd characters who rarely show any sort of humanitarian (let alone spiritual) care for those around them.

Consumerism

Not applicable

Drugs / Tobacco / Alcohol

Several characters smoke and drink regularly, including an alcoholic priest who's typically seen passed out in a chair.