Bless Me Father

Bless Me Father

Bless Me Father is a British sitcom starring Arthur Lowe, Daniel Abineri, Gabrielle Daye, Patrick McAlinney, David Ryall, Derek Francis and Sheila Keith. It was aired on ITV from 1978 until 1981 and described the adventures of an Irish Catholic priest, Father Charles Duddleswell and his young curate in the fictional parish of St. Jude's in suburban London. 21 episodes, written by Peter De Rosa, were aired. De Rosa wrote the books on which the series was based using the pseudonym of Neil Boyd which was also the name of the young curate character; Boyd also served as the narrator in the series of novels upon which the series was based. It was made for the ITV network by London Weekend Television. The series was set in 1950 and 1951 and marked a departure from the middle class 'bank manager' roles associated with Lowe such as that in Dad's Army. The other regular characters included Mrs Pring, the housekeeper, the hard-drinking Dr Daley, the non-religious neighbour Billy Buzzle, and abbess Reverend Mother Stephen.

Comedy

Seasons

1. Baptism of Fire

Air Date: 1978-09-24

Father Duddleswell welcomes his new curate, the recently ordained Father Neil, with a teasing baptism of fire, which opens the young priest's eyes to the complex nature of his parish duties and responsibilities.

2. The Bells of St. Jude's

Air Date: 1978-10-01

Father Duddleswell plans to install a new church bell.

3. The Parish Bazaar

Air Date: 1978-10-08

Father Duddleswell refuses to make bad-weather plans for the annual bazaar.

4. The Doomsday Chair

Air Date: 1978-10-15

Father Duddleswell decides to disprove the curse of a doomsday chair.

5. Father & Mother

Air Date: 1978-10-22

Father Duddleswell accidentally damages the hideous portrait of the founder of the local convent, uncovering a concealed French masterpiece.

6. The Tennis Match

Air Date: 1978-10-29

Father Duddleswell enters a tennis match against the Anglican clergy.

7. The Seal of Confession

Air Date: 1978-11-05

Father Neil tries to modernize with a P.A. system and soundproof confessionals.

1. Blessings from Heaven

Air Date: 1979-11-11

Synopsis needed

2. Father Neil's First Miracle

Air Date: 1979-11-18

Synopsis needed.

3. Fatal Lady

Air Date: 1979-11-25

Father Neil receives embarrassing attentions from Miss Davenport, which he must tolerate because she is a generous benefactor of the Parish.

4. The Heart of a Curate

Air Date: 1979-12-09

A beautiful nurse helps Neil recover from an appendectomy.

5. All at Sea

Air Date: 1979-12-16

Father Duddleswell tries to arrange a burial at sea.

6. The Season of Goodwill

Air Date: 1979-12-23

Even at Christmas, Father Duddleswell can't keep out of trouble.

7. A Back to Front Wedding

Air Date: 1980-01-06

Exhausted from performing several marriages, Father Duddleswell takes Father Boyd to the pictures as a treat -- where they are paged to return to the parish to perform one more forgotten wedding. After placating the angry families and seeing the young couple off on their honeymoon, Father Duddleswell realizes that he performed the ceremony after 6 pm, and therefore the bridge and groom are not legally married.

1. Things Are Not What They Seem

Air Date: 1981-07-05

Father Neil offers advice to a woman with marital problems and thereby provides a field day for gossips.

2. Women

Air Date: 1981-07-12

Synopsis needed.

3. Beddings and Weddings

Air Date: 1981-07-19

Synopsis needed.

4. Fire & Brimstone

Air Date: 1981-07-26

A family deals with an irreverent grandfather.

5. A Legend Comes to Stay

Air Date: 1981-08-02

When he was young, Father Duddleswell was curate to a legendary eccentric. Now, 40 years late, the old man has come to stay just when Father Duddleswell is incapacitated with lumbago, and manages to turn the parish upside down -- including locking Fr. Neil in the church with Mother Stephen.

6. Porgy & Bess

Air Date: 1981-08-09

When Billy Buzzle sets up a pig-sty in his back yard to accommodate Porgy and Bess, two pigs he has received from a defaulting better, the resultant stench proves too much for Father Duddleswell, who desperately resorts to pig-napping, stealing Porgy by dead of night and taking him to a nearby farm. When Porgy subsequently dies, Billy takes Fr. Duddleswell to court, but the judge, while berating Fr. Duddleswell for his transparently dishonest testimony, rules in his favour. Then Bess appears to be succumbing to the same sickness, but Dr. Daley reassures everyone that she is only in labour...

7. A Mixed-Up Marriage

Air Date: 1981-08-16

Mother Stephen demands an audience with Fr. Duddleswell over a serious problem: Christine Hammond, a war orphan brought up in the convent, has fallen in love with Isaac Rosen, the elder son of the local rabbi. When the priest and the rabbi meet, they immediately agree that the marriage is impossible; so the young couple decides to ask the Anglican vicar to marry them. When Mr. Pinkerton insists that they wait two weeks before making a decision, the couple come to see Fr. Boyd, who suggests a ""naughty"" plan: Christine and Isaac announce that they have already been married in the registry office. Both Fr. Duddleswell and Rabbi Rosen are overcome with joy and wish them happiness -- whereupon they confess they were only testing them to see who would treat them with greater kindness. Fr. Duddleswell invites Rabbi Rosen to dinner (which Mrs. Pring supplies from a local kosher caterer), and we learn that the wedding did indeed take place in the registry office, as Fr. Boyd leads a toast to th

Select an episode to start watching

Rating

6.2/10

Release Date

1978-09-24

Episodes

21 (3 seasons)

Status

Ended

Cast

Arthur Lowe

Arthur Lowe

Father Charles Clement Duddleswell

Daniel Abineri

Daniel Abineri

Father Neil Boyd

Patrick McAlinney

Patrick McAlinney

Dr. Daley

Gabrielle Daye

Gabrielle Daye

Mrs. Pring

David Ryall

David Ryall

Billy Buzzle

Sheila Keith

Sheila Keith

Mother Stephen