Father Dougal McGuire Linehan and Mathews to discard the mockumentary format and expand the Father Ted episode to a traditional sitcom, Father Dougal became one of the main characters. When writing Dougal, Linehan and Mathews drew on Stan Laurel, incorporating some of Linehan's own behaviour during moments of confusion. Linehan and Mathews saw O'Hanlon in a modernised Shakespeare play broadcast by RTÉ, and were impressed by the "weird, gormless" face he could pull. Linehan later said, "That was Dougal right there. He was just spot-on and he became our secret weapon. The show took off so quickly because Ardal was so instantly funny."
Cigarettes and Alcohol and Rollerblading Cigarettes and Alcohol and Rollerblading "Cigarettes and Alcohol and Rollerblading" is the eighth episode of the second series of Channel 4 sitcom "Father Ted" and the fourteenth episode overall. Its name references the Oasis song "Cigarettes & Alcohol". With Lent approaching, Ted learns that his rival, Father Dick Byrne, and his fellow priests on Rugged Island will be giving up their vices. Ted insists to his Craggy Island priests that they must do the same: Ted will give up smoking, Jack his drinking, and Dougal his rollerblading. When Ted finds that they have all snuck out on the first night