Original artwork, not a still
Father Ted is demonstrating some plastic toy cows to Dougal. Father Ted: …OK, one last time. These are small… but the ones out there are far away. Small… far away…
— Father Ted · 1995
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
It is the series' best portrait of the pair: Ted's patience running out against Dougal's cheerful inability to take in a simple idea. The scene is so beloved that it named a documentary, Small, Far Away: The World of Father Ted, made by Linehan and Mathews for the show's anniversary. Fans quote it for any argument that goes round and round, and in a 2017 Telegraph survey it was rated the third-best sitcom one-liner.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Father TedShow the scene
The scene is in "Hell", the first episode of Father Ted's second series (Channel 4, 8 March 1996, written by Graham Linehan and Arthur Mathews). Ted, Dougal and Father Jack are stuck on a rained-in caravan holiday, with nothing to do but play hide-and-seek, boil the kettle with no tea bags and watch the weather. To fill the time Ted tries to teach Dougal the difference between small and far away, using toy cows on the table and real cows in a distant field. Dougal still does not get it, and Ted gives up. The line is very often quoted as ending "ah forget it".
Sources (2)
- Wikipedia: Hell (Father Ted)Infobox, Plot and Legacy sectionsReference checked
- Father Ted Wiki: HellPlotReference checked
Context reviewed
