TODAY'S TWD: FUNLAND

Because of the closing of Astroland yesterday, the world famous amusement park in Coney Island, I thought I'd tip my hat to another amusement park in Toobworld.....

Thanks to my friend Mark, I'm finally catching up to the Cleary brothers by working my way through episodes of 'Father Ted'. The Channel 4 sitcom added Craggy Island to the locations only to be found in Toobworld. (The real world does have a Craggy Island, but it's in Tasmania, not off the west coast of Ireland.)

Here's how Wikipedia describes the place:

Wholly bleak, desolate and otherwise unpleasant, Craggy Island is not found on any map and contains no places anyone would want to visit. Due to these qualities, it was the perfect place to send Father Ted, Crilly, Father Dougal McGuire, and Father Jack Hackett, - the series' principal characters - as punishment by Bishop Brennan for their individual wrongdoings.

But my favorite bit o' trivia contributed by the show so far has been the traveling amusement park/arcade known as Funland. With Coney Island's Astroland having closed down on Sunday, I thought I'd take a look at this sad little travesty which included the following rides or amusements:

The Whirly-go-round (pictured)

Freak Pointing

Duck Startling

The Chair of Death

[This was my favorite - it was just a park bench suspended by a crane!]

Goading Fierce Man

The Pond Of Terror

The Spinning Cat

[A close second - just a tabby on a record player turntable!]

Tarot Reading

The Ladder

The Tunnel Of Goats

I'd like for the Funland folks to pay a visit to my Toobworld sites of Hiatusport and Twigganum someday.....

By the way, the last time I know of in which Astroland figured in a Toobworld setting was last season in an episode of 'New Amsterdam'. It may have been the only time it figured in a TV show. (Maybe 'Seinfeld'?) And now it's just as much history as that show is.....

BCnU!
Toby O'B