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The Vicar of Dibley

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The Vicar of Dibley
GenreSitcom
Written by
Directed by
  • Dewi Humphreys (series 1–2)
  • Gareth Carrivick (series 3)
  • Barbara Wiltshire
    (lockdown episodes)
Starring
Opening theme"The Lord Is My Shepherd"
ComposerHoward Goodall
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series3
No. of episodes20 (not including charity and lockdown specials) (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
Producers
Editors
  • Mark Sangster (Series 1)
  • Graham Carr (Series 1)
  • Chris Wadsworth (Series 2)
  • Mark Lawrence (Series 3)
Running time
  • 30–40 minutes (regular episodes)
  • 40–55 minutes (specials)
  • 4–14 minutes (charity and lockdown specials)
Production companyTiger Aspect Productions
Original release
NetworkBBC One
Release10 November 1994 (1994-11-10) –
1 January 2000 (2000-01-01)
Release24 December 2004 (2004-12-24) –
1 January 2007 (2007-01-01)

The Vicar of Dibley is a British sitcom. It consists of three series, which aired on BBC One from 10 November 1994 to 1 January 2000, and several specials, the most recent of which aired on 23 December 2020. It is set in the fictional Oxfordshire village of Dibley, which is assigned a female vicar following the 1993 changes in the Church of England that permitted the ordination of women. Dawn French plays the lead role of vicar Geraldine Granger.

In ratings terms, it is among the most successful British programmes in the digital era, with the Christmas and New Year specials entering the UK top 10 programmes of the year.[1][failed verification] The Vicar of Dibley received multiple British Comedy Awards, two International Emmys and was a multiple British Academy Television Awards nominee. In 2004, it placed third in a BBC poll of Britain's Best Sitcoms.

Premise

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Background

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The series was created by Richard Curtis and written for actress Dawn French by Curtis and Paul Mayhew-Archer, with contributions from Kit Hesketh-Harvey. The main character was an invention of Richard Curtis, but he and French extensively consulted Joy Carroll, one of the first female Anglican priests, and garnered many character traits and much information.[2]

Openings and epilogues

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In earlier episodes, the opening credits were followed by a humorous village scene, such as a woman knitting directly from a sheep.[3]

After the closing credits, Geraldine usually tells Alice a joke, which Alice either overreacts to, tries to interpret literally, or understands only after Geraldine explains it. There are a few exceptions to this in various episodes.

Cast and characters

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Main cast

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Main article: List of characters in The Vicar of Dibley
Actor Character Episodes
Dawn French Geraldine Granger 20 (+ 6 Comic Relief & 4 Lockdown specials)
Gary Waldhorn Cllr David Horton MBE FRCS 20 (+ 5 Comic Relief specials)
James Fleet Hugo Horton 20 (+ 6 Comic Relief & 3 Lockdown specials)
Emma Chambers Alice Horton (née Tinker), the Verger 20 (+ 4 Comic Relief specials)
Roger Lloyd-Pack Owen Newitt 20 (+ 5 Comic Relief specials)
Trevor Peacock Jim Trott 20 (+ 6 Comic Relief specials)
John Bluthal Frank Pickle 20 (+ 3 Comic Relief specials)
Liz Smith Letitia Cropley 7

Recurring cast

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Actor Character Episodes
Richard Armitage Harry Kennedy 2 (+ 1 Comic Relief special)
Simon McBurney Cecil, the Choirmaster 4
Clive Mantle Simon Horton 2
Peter Capaldi Tristan Campbell 2
Patricia Kane Doris Trott 3
Keeley Hawes Rosie Kennedy 2
Edward Kelsey Mr Harris 2
Gareth Vaughan Gonads, the tenor 5 (4 of which uncredited)

Guest appearances

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Hugh Bonneville, Mel Giedroyc, Richard Griffiths, Miranda Hart, Alistair McGowan, Geraldine McNulty, Philip Whitchurch, Nathalie Cox, Nicholas Le Prevost, Brian Perkins, and Roger Sloman have all made one guest appearance each.

Pam Rhodes, Kylie Minogue, Rachel Hunter, Terry Wogan, Jeremy Paxman, Martyn Lewis, Darcey Bussell and Sean Bean each appeared as themselves in one episode.

Sarah, Duchess of York, Richard Ayoade, Orla Brady, Fiona Bruce, Annette Crosbie, Johnny Depp, Ruth Jones, Hilary Kay, Damian Lewis, Maureen Lipman, Jennifer Saunders, Sting and his wife Trudie Styler, Stephen Tompkinson, Dervla Kirwan, and Emma Watson have made guest appearances in short charity specials.

Episodes

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Main article: List of The Vicar of Dibley episodes
Series
SeriesEpisodesOriginally airedAve. UK viewers
(millions)
First airedLast aired
1610 November 1994 (1994-11-10)15 December 1994 (1994-12-15)TBA
Specials8 April 1996 (1996-04-08)25 December 1996 (1996-12-25)TBA
2426 December 1997 (1997-12-26)22 January 1998 (1998-01-22)TBA
3424 December 1999 (1999-12-24)1 January 2000 (2000-01-01)13.53
Specials25 December 2004 (2004-12-25)1 January 2005 (2005-01-01)12.05
Specials25 December 2006 (2006-12-25)1 January 2007 (2007-01-01)12.74

The Vicar of Dibley has had 20 episodes as of 2007, with additional short reprises consisting of Comic Relief and the In Lockdown minis.

The first series was broadcast on BBC1 from 10 November to 15 December 1994, comprising six episodes. Following the first series, an Easter special and a Christmas special were broadcast in 1996. A four-episode second series was ordered and screened between 26 December 1997 and 22 January 1998. Subsequent episodes consisted of Christmas and New Year specials, followed by a third series of four episodes, also referred to as seasonal specials as they have the titles Autumn, Winter, Spring and Summer airing from 24 December 1999 to 1 January 2000. After that came the two-episode "A Very Dibley Christmas", broadcast between 25 December 2004 and 1 January 2005, and the two-part finale, "A Wholly Holy Happy Ending", broadcast on Christmas Day 2006 and New Year's Day 2007.

The final two episodes, in which Geraldine finds love and marries, are officially the "last-ever" episodes,[4] although there have been several reappearances of certain characters since in the form of charity specials.

Comic Relief and Lockdown specials

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On 15 March 2013, French reprised her role as Geraldine Granger as part of her French and Saunders marathon on BBC Radio 2. She was interviewed by Chris Evans on his Pause for Thought section. The following year, on 29 March 2014, French appeared in character as Granger on Thought for the Day on BBC Radio 4.

There have been eight short charity TV specials: six for Comic Relief between 1997 and 2015 and a seventh in April 2020, in which French appeared on The Big Night In as part of a joint Comic Relief and Children in Need special to support those affected by COVID-19. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the segment was filmed at French's home.[5] For Comic Relief 2021, Geraldine appeared in the Dibley vicarage, later lip-synching to "Juice" by Lizzo and appearing with the reverend Kate Bottley.

In December 2020, a series of short "lockdown" episodes of The Vicar of Dibley were broadcast.[6] The series consisted of three short episodes followed by a compilation episode of the previous three episodes' material shown back-to-back, but including previously unseen material and scenes. The style was completely different to the main series, with Geraldine and Hugo breaking the fourth wall via video messaging, talking directly to the viewers as if they were the Dibley congregation. The same method was used for the 2020 and 2021 Comic Relief shorts, also made and set during the Covid pandemic.

Production

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Location and setting

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The village of Turville in Buckinghamshire stands in for the village of Dibley
St Mary's Church, Turville, stands in for the fictional 'Parish Church of St Barnabus'[7]

The programme is set in the fictional Oxfordshire village of Dibley. Some villagers, including Alice, Jim, and Owen, speak with slight West Country accents, as were once common in Oxfordshire but are now less common. The series was filmed in the Buckinghamshire village of Turville, near High Wycombe, with the village's St Mary the Virgin Church doubling as Dibley's St Barnabus.[7] The exterior location for David Horton's manor is in the village of Little Missenden, Buckinghamshire.

The opening titles show aerial shots of the M40 motorway's Stokenchurch Gap, the Chiltern Hills of Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, and the village of Turville.

Theme music

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The theme music was a setting of Psalm 23 composed by Howard Goodall, and was performed by the choir of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford, with George Humphreys[8] singing the solo. The conductor was Stephen Darlington. Two versions are used over the opening credits: one with a full choir and one with a solo. Goodall originally wrote it as a serious piece of church choral music. It has been released as a charity single, with proceeds going to Comic Relief.[9] It also appears on Goodall's CD Choral Works, which additionally includes his theme for Mr. Bean, another popular comedy co-created by Richard Curtis. A snippet of The Vicar of Dibley's theme music was used in the Mr. Bean episode "Tee Off, Mr. Bean" and the music from Mr Bean plays during Sean Bean's cameo in The Vicar of Dibley episode "Spring".

Awards and accolades

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Year Award Category Nominee Result
1997 British Comedy Awards Best TV Comedy Actress Dawn French Won
1998 Nominated
Emma Chambers Won
BAFTA Awards Best Comedy (Programme or Series) The Vicar of Dibley Nominated
Best Comedy Performance Dawn French Nominated
National Television Awards Most Popular Comedy Performer Nominated
Most Popular Comedy Programme The Vicar of Dibley Won
RTS Television Award Best Situation Comedy or Comedy Drama Won
International Emmy Popular Arts[10][11] Won
1999 BAFTA Awards Best Comedy (Programme or Series) Nominated
National Television Awards Most Popular Comedy Performer Dawn French Nominated
2000 Nominated
Most Popular Comedy Programme The Vicar of Dibley Nominated
BAFTA Awards Best Comedy Performance Dawn French Nominated
Suitation Comedy Awards The Vicar of Dibley Nominated
Lew Grade Award Nominated
2001 Nominated
Best Comedy Performance Dawn French Nominated
2005 Situation Comedy Award The Vicar of Dibley Nominated
TV Quick Awards Best Comedy Show Won
2007 BAFTA Awards Best Comedy Performer Dawn French Nominated
Banff Rockie Award Best Comedy Program The Vicar of Dibley Nominated
Rose d'Or Light Entertainment Festival Golden Rose Award for Comedy Won
2021 National Television Awards Comedy The Vicar of Dibley (Lockdown Specials) Nominated

The series also won the TV Choice Award for Best Comedy in 2005 and again in 2021 for the Lockdown Specials.[12]

In May 2007, Richard Curtis received a BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award for his humanitarian pursuits, as well as his creative work, including The Vicar of Dibley.[13]

Home media

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The Vicar of Dibley was released on DVD in Region 2 (UK) in 2001. In 2002, a DVD entitled The Best of The Vicar of Dibley was released featuring a 90-minute film of Dawn French talking to the producer, Jon Plowman, with clips from the series. A 2002 documentary narrated by Jo Brand, entitled The Real Vicars of Dibley, was also on the DVD. In 2005, a "complete collection" box set was released. This included all the then-aired episodes. The final two episodes and a 6-disc "ultimate" box set were released on 26 November 2007.

In Australasia (Region 4), all episodes have been released on DVD.

All episodes have been released on DVD in the United States and Canada (Region 1).

DVD Title Discs Year Ep # DVD release Special episodes
Region 1 Region 2 Region 4
Complete Series 1 1 1994 6 21 October 2003 26 November 2001 1 October 2003 The 1996 Christmas special (R2)
The Specials 1 1996 2 — 2001[14] —
Complete Series 2 1 1997–1998 6 21 October 2003 2003 8 April 2004 The 1996 Easter special & Christmas special (R1 & R4)
Complete Series 3 1 1999–2000 4 21 October 2003 2003[15] 2 March 2005 The 1997 & 1999 Comic Relief shorts (R1 & R4)
A Very Dibley Christmas 1 2004–2005 2 27 September 2005 14 November 2005 3 November 2005 The 1999 & 2005 Comic Relief short (All)
A Holy Wholly Happy Ending 1 2006–2007 2 9 October 2007 26 November 2007 16 January 2008 The Story Of The Vicar Of Dibley (1 hour BBC documentary, 31 December 2007)
Complete Series 1 & 2 2 1994–1998 10 — 7 May 2007 — The 1996 Christmas special (R2)
Complete Series 1–3 3 1994–2000 16 21 October 2003 14 October 2019 — —
Complete Series 1 – 2005 Sp. 4 1994–2005 18 — 14 November 2005 7 July 2005 —
Complete Series 1 – 2007 Sp. 6 1994–2007 20 9 October 2007 26 November 2007 3 April 2008 The Story Of The Vicar Of Dibley as well as several shorts
The Best of... 1 N/A — — 25 November 2002 — Dawn French in conversation with producer John Plowman

Legacy

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Adaptations

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On 6 February 2007, Fox announced plans to adapt The Vicar of Dibley into an American sitcom titled The Minister of Divine. The series starred Kirstie Alley as a former "wild child" who returned to her hometown as its first female minister.[16] The pilot was broadcast on Fox, but the series was not made.[17]

The series has also been adapted into two stage plays by Ian Gower and Paul Carpenter, both incorporating plots from the TV episodes.[18] The first is titled The Vicar of Dibley, and is concerned mainly with Alice and Hugo's engagement and wedding. The second, A Vicar of Dibley Christmas – The Second Coming, is based on the episodes "Dibley Live" and "Winter", in which the villagers set up a radio station and put on a nativity play at Owen's farm. A third adaptation by Steve Clark and David Lovesy, titled The Vicar of Dibley - The Holy Trinity , covers Baby Geraldine’s Christening, David Horton's brief wooing of Geraldine, and the Save Our Dibley campaign as a new reservoir threatens the village. Performance rights for all three are available through United Agents.

Possible return

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In February 2016, it was reported that Dawn French was interested in returning to the role in a new series, The Bishop of Dibley, to follow on from the 2015 Red Nose Day Special.[19] In December 2020, French opened up about the prospect of The Vicar of Dibley returning for a new series in 2021.[20]

Comedy Classic: Vicar of Dibley

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In December 2022, Channel 5 aired a 67-minute special retrospective for their "Comedy Classics" series. Actors and celebrities, including co-writer Paul Mayhew-Archer, take a look back, discuss and pay tribute to the show.[21]

References

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  1. ^ "Archived copy of 'This years events'". Archived from the original on 10 March 2009. Retrieved 10 December 2008.
  2. ^ Joy Carroll (September 2002). Beneath the Cassock: The Real-life Vicar of Dibley. HarperCollins. ISBN 0-00-712207-1.
  3. ^ Why you should watch The Vicar of Dibley, Radio Times, 4 December 2020
  4. ^ "Dibley's farewell is ratings hit". London: BBC. 2 January 2007.
  5. ^ "The Vicar of Dibley urges viewers to 'praise the lord and the NHS' as Dawn French reprises iconic role". The Independent. 23 April 2020. Archived from the original on 20 June 2022. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  6. ^ Comedy The Vicar of Dibley www.bbc.co.uk, accessed 14 February 2021
  7. ^ a b The saint's name is spelt "Barnabas", but the church is sometimes spelt "Barnabus" on the show.
  8. ^ "ABC Classic FM Music Details: Saturday 10 June 2000". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
  9. ^ "Howard Goodall, George And The Choir – Theme From 'The Vicar Of Dibley' (The Lord Is My Shepherd)". Discogs. 1994. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  10. ^ "Entertainment | Emmy success for Vicar of Dibley". BBC News. 24 November 1998. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
  11. ^ "French, Dawn (1957–) Biography". BFI Screenonline. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
  12. ^ "2021 Winners".
  13. ^ Thomas, Archie (18 May 2007). "British acad to honor Curtis – Scribe wrote 'Vicar of Dibley, ' 'Girl in the Cafe'". Variety. Retrieved 21 May 2007.
  14. ^ "The Vicar of Dibley – The Specials". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  15. ^ Sorensen, Sue (11 June 2014). The Collar: Reading Christian Ministry in Fiction, Television, and Film. Wipf and Stock Publishers. ISBN 978-1-63087-191-8. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
  16. ^ US version of 'Vicar of Dibley' to star Kirstie Alley, The Independent, 7 February 2007
  17. ^ How not to adapt a British sitcom in America, Lea Donovan, New Statesman, 16 March 2015
  18. ^ The Vicar of Dibley Christmas Special, NODA, 28 November 2016
  19. ^ Simon Cable (14 February 2016). "Vicar of Dibley set for TV comeback – but with one very big change – Mirror Online". Mirror.co.uk. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  20. ^ Dawn French hints at The Vicar of Dibley returning for new series www.hellomagazine.com, accessed 14 February 2021
  21. ^ "My5".
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