There's a Lot to Love in Season Two of Ballykissangel

Last week, I discovered the delightful BBC program Ballykissangel, which ran for six seasons, starting in the mid-90s. I also discovered that the first three seasons were available on Netflix Instant Viewing, but only for the rest of March, perhaps in honor of St. Patrick's Day, since the show is set in Ireland. So while I think I'll have to rent the separate DVDs for season three, I managed to cram the first two seasons into two weeks. Season two is slightly longer than season one, with eight 50-minute-long episodes instead of six, and pretty similar in terms of tone and characters.

Season one ends on what feels like a cliff-hanger, as Father Peter Clifford (Stephen Thompkinson), who's been the curate at St. Joseph's, the Catholic parish in Ballykissangel, for a few months, receives word that he's being transferred back to his hometown of Manchester. Feisty agnostic pub owner Assumpta Fitzgerald (Dervla Kirwan) presents him with a petition from dozens of townspeople protesting his removal; Father Clifford is touched but pointedly asks, in a manner evoking Captain Von Trapp in The Sound of Music, "You said they all wanted me to stay. What about you?"

Well, apparently the petition worked, because Father Clifford is still around in the season two premiere, and his transfer is never mentioned again. But the romantic tension between Assumpta and Peter continues as he discovers a script written by pub regulars Brendan (Gary Whelan) and Padraig (Peter Caffrey) and launches a production, with her as the star. When circumstances require him to step in for another actor as her love interest, stern Father Macanally (Niall Toibin) suspects that the stage chemistry he witnesses in rehearsals is a little too authentic, forcing Father Clifford to carefully evaluate his true feelings.

It's as though all of season one was building up to this moment, while season two gradually moves away from it as the young priest tries to remain a friend to Assumpta while creating a bit more distance between them. Meanwhile, she must deal with the mostly unwanted attentions of washed-up folk singer Enda Sullivan (Stephen Brennan), who has recently settled in town, and the lack of employees to help run her ever-popular pub.

Newlyweds Niamh (Tina Kellegher) and Ambrose Egan (Peter Hanly) face some rocky times as they try to start a family and settle into new routines. Ambrose continues to prove his mettle as Ballykissangel's lone cop, while Niamh finds a new calling laying down the law for a gang of young hooligans from another town who recently started attending the local school, where Brendan, normally an incredibly capable teacher, finds himself overrun.

Brendan is one of the characters we get to know quite a bit better this season. Others are Eamonn (Birdy Sweeney), an elderly farmer who is especially devoted to his livestock, and Dr. Ryan (Bosco Hogan), who comes to the forefront as the Egans await news of a baby. Brian Quigley (Tony Doyle), much like Buddy Garrity on Friday Night Lights, becomes more sympathetic as we see that being the richest man in town comes with a host of unique problems. Stuffy shop owner Kathleen (Aine Ni Mhuiri) gets a taste of riches herself when everyone in town bands together to help her bounce back from a house fire, with veterinarian Siobhan (Deirdre Donnelly) leading the fundraising charge.

This season is slightly less centered on Father Clifford than the first, but he's still very involved in the activities of his community and battling moral crises at every turn. Should he act on a dog-racing tip given to him in the confessional, knowing the winnings will help a needy parishioner? How can he draw more people to Mass on Sunday without compromising the integrity of the service? Is there any way of pounding a little sense into the twitterpated teens in town without offending Father Macanally by discussing indelicate subjects? And what's to be done when dunderheads Liam (Joe Savino) and Donal (Frankie McCafferty) appropriate a statue of Mary to attract people to their gold-panning tourist trap on the shores of the river?

A host of colorful characters with entrancing accents, beautiful scenery, a lively score and engaging plots that tackle heavy issues but provide plenty of comical twists. That's what you get with Ballykissangel. Interestingly, I see that the third season is twice as long as the first, so a change of pace awaits, for better or worse - but I find it hard to imagine anything bad could come of having that much more time to spend with the residents of this enchanting town.