Dermot Morgan for his contribution to "Scrap Saturday" from the Irish national newspaper radio critics. Already a celebrity in Ireland, Morgan's big break in Britain came in Channel 4's Irish sitcom "Father Ted", which ran for three series from 1995 to 1998. Writers Graham Linehan and Arthur Mathews auditioned many actors for the title role, but Morgan's enthusiasm won him the part. "Father Ted" focused on the misadventures of three Irish Roman Catholic priests who live in a parish on the fictional Craggy Island, located off the west coast of Ireland. Father Ted Crilly (Morgan), Father Dougal McGuire (Ardal O'Hanlon) and Father
Father Ted Crilly flash his collar and ask for free entry at the cinema. The writers also agree that Ted is the character most like them. Mathews grew up surrounded by priests (including his own uncle), and it was from these priests that Mathews drew Ted's "voice". Linehan is often asked about potential "Father Ted" spin-offs, but believes that Ted himself is the only character complex enough to survive outside the "Father Ted" environment. Mathews has suggested that Ted could even have worked well in a spin-off drama series. The writers agree that Ted should be married to Polly Clarke (played by Gemma