Grant Unto Him Eternal Rest his body works differently from other people". The executives were bemused by an incomplete story where one of the main characters was dead, but commissioned the series soon after receiving the full script. In retrospect, Linehan and Mathews noticed that the plot was very similar to that of the "Fawlty Towers" episode "The Kipper and the Corpse". Despite being fans of the show, they only noticed the parallels afterwards, and would likely have abandoned the episode if they had seen them earlier. Kevin Sharkey, who plays the black Donegal priest, was a friend of the writers', and was brought in
The Kipper and the Corpse are out of date. Despite his protestations, he is reassured by Terry and overruled by Sybil, who orders him to take the breakfast upstairs. So distracted by fury at industrial action reported in that morning's papers, he fails to notice that Leeman has died, assuming that his silence is due simply to rudeness, and instead rants about the strike while tidying the room and opening the curtains. Moments later, Polly takes up the milk which had been mistakenly omitted from Leeman's breakfast tray, realises immediately that Leeman is dead and hurries downstairs to tell everyone. Recalling the "Sell-By" date he