Award-winning Belfast writer, director and Father Ted superfan Sean McConville has reimagined the smash hit Channel 4 sitcom creating a Northern Irish version which focuses on two Protestant pastors rather than three misfit Catholic priests.
The three-part web series, Pastor Ed, follows "misguided, insecure minister" Ed , and his "profoundly dense" sidekick Dennis through Belfast’s equivalent of Craggy Island.
“Pastor Ed follows two Protestant ministers - who are also members of the Orange Order - as they navigate modern-day Northern Ireland and the chaotic world of Irish politics” adds creator Sean McConville.
Being from a mixed Catholic and Protestant background, Sean felt well-placed to "portray both sides of the religious spectrum".
"I'm a huge Father Ted fan. I think it continues to be so popular because of its rewatchability and also how seamlessly it has embedded itself in Irish culture," he explains.
"A Northern Irish take on it seemed like a really funny idea to me and a great vehicle for exploring modern day Northern Irish politics.
"The episodes touch upon many elements of Northern Irish politics such as the Irish language, issues around attitudes towards LGBTQ+ people and Northern Ireland’s problems with racism."
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For the project Sean teamed up with Magherafelt funnyman John Devlin and Belfast drag queen Sabrina Bewitched.
Speaking about the series, John said: “I had previously seen Sean’s work and I knew for being a young film-maker, he had massive potential.
“His content and vision is very close to my own so I knew if we worked together it would create something wonderful.”
John took on a series of small roles throughout the web show, allowing him to add fleeting but funny moments to the production.
“One of my favourite moments on set was during episode 3; I was playing the role of a unionist podcaster and there was room for improvisation. After finishing my lines Sean gave me the green light to throw in anything I thought would be funny; so, I spent the next two hours trying to convince the main character, Ed, that the fella in the balaclava beside me had a degree,” he laughed.
Sean hopes that the comedy will provide a lot of laughter to audiences whilst also shining a light on more serious issues affecting Northern Ireland such as politics, racism and gay marriage.
"I sought advice from members of the LGBTQ+ community when making the episode about Ed and Dennis attending a gay nightclub. We had drag queens such as Sabrina Bewitched and Tracy Weaker in this episode. I wanted to make sure we were being respectful in our portrayal of drag queens and LGBTQ+ issues, while also finding the humour around the subject."
Each episode of Pastor Ed is roughly 10 minutes long and Sean admits he would love to develop Pastor Ed into a TV series.
"I already have many ideas for further episodes of Pastor Ed so, if the interest is there, I'll definitely continue to make them. I believe that the characters and world have a lot of mileage."
Pastor Ed airs on YouTube
