Chirpy Burpy Cheap Sheep
Chirpy Burpy Cheap Sheep is the second episode of the third series of the Channel 4 sitcom Father Ted.
Synopsis
[Father Father Ted Crilly|Ted Crilly|Ted] wagers the entire year's heating allowance for the parochial house on the King of the Sheep competition, placing his bet on Chris, a sheep that has won the competition several times and is considered a certainty to triumph again. Unfortunately, Chris has heard rumours about a sheep-eating beast and is not feeling at all himself. With a very cold winter forecast for the year, Ted becomes worried about the possibility of losing the bet. He goes to John and Mary, who accepted the bet, to ask for his stake money back, but they refuse.Chris's owner, Fargo Boyle, comes to the parochial house and begs Ted to help return Chris to his old self. After a week, Ted has successfully returned Chris's spirit. However, after he and Dougal hear sounds in the night and, upon investigation, discover them coming from a stereo in a tree, Ted finds out that Boyle arranged for Chris to be frightened by the beast to increase the meagre odds being offered for his victory.
On the day of the competition, just as Chris is about to be declared the winner, Ted makes a dramatic entry and exposes the plot, telling the judge his observations, including expensive items being worn by the other contestants and Fargo leaving a shop with a BBC Sound Effects record that Dougal had wanted to buy. The judge is appalled to hear about this plot, and Chris is instantly disqualified. Fargo begs Chris's forgiveness, but the sheep is apparently unforgiving.
Although Ted makes a dramatic exit, he is left kicking himself when Dougal points out that because Chris was disqualified, he has lost the bet, and thus all of the heating allowance money. The residents of the parochial house subsequently prepare to hibernate for the forthcoming extremely cold winter.