Line #20 Series/Ballykissangel


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ballykissangel.png]]
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3	''Ballykissangel'' is a Creator/{{BBC}} SundayEveningDramaSeries that aired from 1996 to 2001. Peter Clifford, an English Catholic priest, is sent from England to work in [[QuirkyTown a small Irish village]] named [[CutesyNameTown Ballykissangel]]. For three years, he tries to overcome the disadvantages of his nationality through community outreach, [[WorldOfSnark assimilation]], and drinking a great deal of lager.
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5	!!Tropes featured include:
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7	%%* AlmostKiss: Twice in a row in "Ryan's Mother."
8	%%* BathtubScene: Ambrose gets one.
9	%%* BetaCouple: In the first three seasons, Niamh and Ambrose.
10	* BigGame: A very slight variant in episode two, where the OpposingSportsTeam are the underdogs.
11	%%* CannotTellAJoke: Padraig, after [[spoiler: Peter's mum dies]].
12	* CerebusSyndrome: The show starts out as a dramedy and gets gradually more serious.
13	%%* ChristianityIsCatholic: Possibly the most justified case in 90s television.
14	%%* ChristmasEpisode: "Happy as a Turkey on Boxing Day"
15	* {{Confessional}}: Penitents bring a plot-relevant story almost OnceAnEpisode.
16	%%* CoolCar: Peter's [[spoiler: ill-fated]] Javelin.
17	%%* CoolTeacher: Brendan Kearney.
18	* {{Crossover}}: UsefulNotes/ComicRelief did one between ''Ballykissangel'' and ''Series/TheVicarOfDibley'' called "Ballykissdibley".
19	** There is also a homage at the start of an episode of ''Series/FatherTed'', where as Assumpta falls for the newcomer Father Ted Crilly, Father Clifford is seen in the background, bags packed, trying to attract their attention to the fact he is leaving. All he gets is a cursory "bye" from Assumpta as she falls for Ted... (And then he wakes up in bed in the priests' house on Craggy island).
20	* DownerEnding: [[spoiler: Father Clifford decides to renounce his faith to marry Assumpta. Assumpta randomly dies shortly afterwards when she gets electrocuted while mending a fuse box. Father Clifford's remaining faith is shattered, and he leaves forever, brokenhearted.]]
21	* HerosClassicCar: An elderly parishioner bequeaths Father Clifford a Jowett Javelin, a luxury car only produced from 1947 to 1953. It's unfortunately destroyed in series three when it rolls off a cliff after a visiting seminarian uses it and forgets to set the parking brake.
22	* HeterosexualLifePartners: Liam and Donal are more or less inseparable, to the point where seeing one without the other is enough to draw comment.
23	%%* HotForPreacher: Assumpta is, and she hates herself for it.
24	* IfIHadANickel: In "River Dance":
25	-->'''Assumpta''': Thanks for last night. You were good.\
26	'''Enda''': If I had a pound for every time a woman said that to me...
27	* IOwnThisTown: Quigley thinks he does.
28	* KindlyVet: Siobhan will be your sympathetic ear, and also deliver your calves.
29	* LukeYouAreMyFather: Zig-zagged with Nainsi in season three. She thinks [[spoiler: Padraig]] might be her father. [[spoiler: It's Father Mac.]]
30	* MeetCute: Virtually the whole cast meets Father Clifford in some unlikely fashion.
31	* MyLocal: Fitzgerald's.
32	* Main/NeverBareheaded: Liam's increasingly battered black and yellow baseball cap only leaves his head if he's in a church.
33	* NoodleIncident: Apparently the first time Padraig tried his hand at homebrewing beer, it blew up in Brendan's face. Or something.
34	* NosyNeighbor: Kathleen Hendley.
35	* {{Oireland}}
36	* OneSteveLimit: An unusual example, where shady politician Sean Dooley returns in the fifth season as [[RetCon Paul Dooley]], presumably so the viewers won't confuse him with [[spoiler: Niamh's new love interest]], Sean ''Dillon''.
37	* OopNorth: Father Clifford was a Manchester native.
38	* RedOniBlueOni: Assumpta and Niamh.
39	* SentimentalMusicCue: In particular, precious woodwind underscores seem to follow Father Clifford around.
40	%%* ShowWithinAShow: "Ryan's Mother."
41	%%** Of the StylisticSuck variety.
42	* StrawmanNewsMedia: This show took a generally dim view of journalists.
43	%%* SurprisePregnancy: [[spoiler: Siobhan and Brendan]]
44	* SuspiciouslyAproposMusic: An aged one-hit wonder appears in three episodes, during which he sings about being an aged musician and having the sort of romantic troubles any RomanticFalseLead might expect.
45	* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: Both leads leave after season 4. Father Clifford gets replaced by Father Aiden O'Connell, an ex-monk, and later Father Vincent Sheahan, an Australian. Assumpta gets replaced by Niamh in season 4 and then Oonagh in season 5 as the Fitzgerald's landlady. The WillTheyOrWontThey plots get farmed out to other pairings.
46	* SuspiciouslySpecificSermon: Played with in the episode where the village has gone nuts over the radio report that the jackpot-winning lottery ticket was bought in the town store. Everyone's trying like mad to figure out which of their number has suddenly become rich, with Quigley in particular trying to get them to invest with him. Father [=MacAnally=], filling in for Clifford, gets fed up and delivers a hellfire-and-brimstone sermon on the SevenDeadlySins, particularly {{lust}} and {{greed}}. [[spoiler:But the sermon is short-circuited by one of the village kids coming into the church to reveal that the winner was announced to be a tourist from Dublin.]]
47	%%* ThoseTwoGuys: Quigley's employees Liam and Donal.
48	* VowOfCelibacy: Naturally Father Clifford's vow is the main stumbling block in his relationship with Assumpta. He's ''trying'' to be a good priest and keep their relationship purely platonic, but by season 3 it becomes increasingly clear it isn't working. [[spoiler:He eventually renounces the priesthood, only for Assumpta to have a [[DroppedABridgeOnHim Bridge Dropped on Her]].]]
49	%%* WillTheyOrWontThey Between Peter and Assumpta. Other couples in later seasons.

Context Series / Ballykissangel