viewers were delighted to spot a few nods to a particularly epic episode of classic Irish sitcom in Wednesday’s second instalment of the .
With Erin (Saoirse-Monica Jackson), Clare (), Michelle (Jamie-Lee O’Donnell), Orla (Louisa Harland) and James (Dylan Llewellyn) attempting to win a song competition, which would see them allowed to perform on national television for Children in Need, the squad gets to work on their chosen record.
This then set the scene for a few odes to the well-beloved Father Ted episode A Song for Europe, in which Dougal (Ardal O’Hanlon) is beset by ‘Euro-song fever’, and convinced that he and Ted (Dermot Morgan) should bid to represent Ireland at the Eurovision Song Contest.
Michelle is spurred on by a fierce need to beat rivals Jenny Joyce and Aisling in Derry Girls’ contest, and the group is shown rehearsing in Erin’s bedroom, where the twin beds and loudly patterned wallpaper and carpet were strongly reminiscent of the utter chaos in which Ted and Dougal try to write and practice their song for Eurovision, My Lovely Horse.
So too was Michelle’s sheer rage at the others failing to nail the dance moves.
‘Did anyone spot the Father Ted, My Lovely Horse rehearsal nod?’ tweeted one viewer, while another commented: ‘Loved the Father Ted Derry Girls scene!’
However, that was not the only Father Ted reference.
Carrying on the parallels with A Song for Europe, where Ted and Dougal don those iconic blue glittery jackets to perform their song (the melody of which they end up nicking, wrongly assuming no one will ever figure it out), Father Peter (Peter Campion) went for a sparkly pink number in Derry Girls.
Acting as a self-appointed Matthew Kelly for the school’s ‘Starz in Their Eyes’ contest, Peter is loving life in his outlandish gear, with viewers dubbing the moment equally as ‘iconic’ as that in Father Ted.
Or as another put it: ‘Where would Irish priest fashion be without @Channel4 #DerryGirls #FrTed.’
Creator Lisa McGee seemingly confirmed the Father Ted crossover by retweeting a few of the tweets pointing to the similarities and adding ‘Save Channel 4’ in reference to the government’s recently announced plans .
The gang delighted fans in the episode with their rendition of the Spice Girls’ Wannabe, as the series continued to deliver class moments, hot on the heels of in the first episode.
Let’s not forget too, that Father Ted’s Ardal O’Hanlon made an appearance in Derry Girls last season as Eamon, son of Aunt Birdie.
Derry Girls continues on Tuesday at 9pm on Channel 4.
