The Vicar of Dibley is a
British sitcomA British sitcom tends, as it does in most other countries, to be based on a family, workplace or other institution, where the same group of contrasting characters is brought together in each episode. Unlike American sitcoms, where twenty or more episodes in a season is the norm, British sitcoms...
created by
Richard CurtisRichard Whalley Anthony Curtis, CBE is a New Zealand-born British screenwriter, music producer, actor and film director, known primarily for romantic comedy films such as Four Weddings and a Funeral, Bridget Jones's Diary, Notting Hill, Love Actually and The Girl in the Café, as well as the hit...
and written for its lead actress,
Dawn French, by Curtis and
Paul Mayhew-ArcherPaul Mayhew-Archer is a writer, producer and script editor for the BBC.He studied English at Cambridge University after attending Eastbourne College, being a member of Reeves House. He spent his time at school writing plays...
, with contributions from
Kit Hesketh-HarveyChristopher John "Kit" Hesketh Harvey is a British musical comic performer, translator, composer and scriptwriter.Born in Nyasaland , he was educated as senior chorister at Canterbury Cathedral and then Tonbridge School in Kent before moving on as a choral scholar under John Rutter to Clare...
. It aired from 1994 to 2007.
The Vicar of Dibley is set in a fictional small
OxfordshireOxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
villageA village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
called Dibley, which is assigned a female
vicarIn the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...
following the 1992 changes in the
Church of EnglandThe Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
that permitted the
ordination of womenOrdination in general religious usage is the process by which a person is consecrated . The ordination of women is a regular practice among some major religious groups, as it was of several religions of antiquity...
. The main character was an invention of Richard Curtis, but he and Dawn French extensively consulted the Rev. Joy Carroll, one of the first female priests, and garnered many character traits and much information.
In ratings terms, the programme is among the most successful in the digital era, with the various
ChristmasChristmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
and
New YearThe New Year is the day that marks the time of the beginning of a new calendar year, and is the day on which the year count of the specific calendar used is incremented. For many cultures, the event is celebrated in some manner....
specials in 1999, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007 all entering the top 10 programmes of the year.
The Vicar of Dibley received multiple
British Comedy AwardsThe British Comedy Awards is an annual awards ceremony in the United Kingdom celebrating notable comedians and entertainment performances of the previous year.-History:...
, two
International Emmys, and was a multiple
British Academy Television AwardsThe British Academy Television Awards are presented in an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts . They have been awarded annually since 1954, and are analogous to the Emmy Awards in the United States.-Background:...
nominee. In 2004, it came third in
Britain's Best SitcomBritain's Best Sitcom was a poll conducted in 2004 by the BBC, to identify the United Kingdom's best situation comedy. Viewers were asked to vote for their favourite by phone, text message and on the web. The top ten went forward to a final round of voting...
.
Cast
| Actor | Character | Duration |
| Dawn French |
The Reverend The Reverend is a style most often used as a prefix to the names of Christian clergy and ministers. There are sometimes differences in the way the style is used in different countries and church traditions. The Reverend is correctly called a style but is often and in some dictionaries called a...
Geraldine Granger |
1994–2007 |
| Gary Waldhorn Gary Waldhorn is a veteran English actor, known for his role as David Horton in the sitcom The Vicar of Dibley, but who has also had a notable television and theatre career.-Theatre:...
|
Cllr A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...
David Horton MBEThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
MA (Cantab), Chairman of the PCCThe parochial church council , is the executive body of a Church of England parish.-Powers and duties:Two Acts of Parliament define the powers and duties of PCCs...
|
1994–2007 |
| Emma Chambers Emma G. Chambers is an English actress. Her work includes the role Alice Tinker in the BBC comedy The Vicar of Dibley and Honey Thacker in the film Notting Hill .-Early life:...
|
Alice Springs Horton (née Tinker), The VergerA verger is a person, usually a layman, who assists in the ordering of religious services, particularly in Anglican churches.-History:...
|
1994–2007 |
| James Fleet James Edward Fleet is an English actor. He is most famous for his roles as the bumbling and well-meaning Tom in the 1994 British romantic comedy film Four Weddings and a Funeral, and the dim-witted Hugo Horton in the BBC situation comedy television series The Vicar of Dibley.-Personal life:Fleet...
|
Hugo Horton |
1994–2007 |
| Roger Lloyd Pack Roger Lloyd-Pack is an English actor known for his roles in the TV shows The Vicar of Dibley, Only Fools and Horses and The Old Guys.-Career:...
|
Owen Newitt |
1994–2007 |
Trevor PeacockTrevor Peacock is an English stage and television character actor. He was born in Tottenham, London, the son of Alexandria and Victor Edward Peacock.-Television and Film Career:...
|
Jim Trott |
1994–2007 |
| John Bluthal John Bluthal is a Polish-born British film and television actor, mostly in comedy. He is best known for his work with Spike Milligan and for his roles in the television series Never Mind the Quality Feel the Width and The Vicar of Dibley.-Early life:Bluthal was born in Galicia, Poland, of Jewish...
|
Frank Pickle |
1994–2007 |
| Liz Smith Liz Smith, MBE is a British actress, best-known for her roles in the sitcoms The Vicar of Dibley and The Royle Family. She also appeared in the 2005 film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.-Early life:...
|
Letitia Cropley |
1994–1996 |
Richard ArmitageRichard Crispin Armitage is an English actor famous for his roles as John Thornton in North and South, Guy of Gisborne in Robin Hood, and Lucas North in Spooks...
|
Harry Kennedy |
2006–2007 |
Simon McBurneySimon Montagu McBurney, OBE is an English actor, writer and director. He is the founder and artistic director of Théâtre de Complicité in England, now called Complicite.-Early life:...
|
Cecil, the Choirmaster |
1994–2004 |
| Patricia Kane Patricia Kane is a British actress who has appeared in a range of television roles from the 1950s through to the 2000s.- Filmography :A selected filmography in chronological order*Open All Hours...
|
Doris Trott |
1994 |
| Clive Mantle -Early life and education:Mantle was born in Barnet, Hertfordshire. He was a pupil at Kimbolton School, Cambridgeshire and a chorister in St John's College Choir for four years...
|
Simon Horton |
1998–1999 |
Keeley HawesKeeley Hawes is an English actress and model, known for many television roles. She is best known for her roles as Zoe Reynolds in Spooks and Alex Drake in Ashes to Ashes and Lady Agnes in the remake of Upstairs, Downstairs...
|
Rosie Kennedy |
2006–2007 |
Peter CapaldiPeter Dougan Capaldi is an Academy Award and BAFTA award winning Scottish actor and film director. In 1995, his short film Franz Kafka's It's a Wonderful Life won the Academy Award for Live Action Short Film...
|
Tristram Campbell |
1994–1996 |
| Edward Kelsey Edward Kelsey is a British actor of stage and screen as well as a voiceover artist. He is perhaps best recognised as the voice of Joe Grundy on the long-running BBC radio soap opera The Archers - a role he took over in 1985.On television, he is known for voicing the characters of Colonel K and...
|
Mr Harris |
1994 |
Geraldine Granger
Geraldine Granger (born 14 November 1964) is the female
vicarIn the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...
, self-described as a "babe with a
bob cutA "bob cut" is a short haircut for women in which the hair is typically cut straight around the head at about jaw-level, often with a fringe at the front.-The beginning:...
and a magnificent bosom". She is a bonne vivante and a liberal woman who enjoys nothing more than a good laugh, much to the consternation of David Horton. Despite her fun-loving and sometimes outrageous behaviour, she is deeply caring and does her best to help those in her parish in any way she can. She is well aware of her obesity but seems to take a relatively laid-back attitude toward it. A self-confessed chocoholic, her favourite being Smarties and Curly Wurlys, she often will go on a diet only to break it within minutes by eating one of the innumerable chocolate bars that she has hidden throughout her house (even in hollowed-out
BibleThe Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
s). On one occasion, she gives up chocolate for
LentIn the Christian tradition, Lent is the period of the liturgical year from Ash Wednesday to Easter. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer – through prayer, repentance, almsgiving and self-denial – for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and...
and nearly goes mad but does succeed. Her unusual first name
BoadiceaBoudica , also known as Boadicea and known in Welsh as "Buddug" was queen of the British Iceni tribe who led an uprising against the occupying forces of the Roman Empire....
is revealed later in the series, much to David Horton's ongoing amusement, although in the final episode her full name is given as
(Boadicea) Geraldine Julie AndrewsDame Julia Elizabeth Andrews, DBE is an English film and stage actress, singer, and author. She is the recipient of Golden Globe, Emmy, Grammy, BAFTA, People's Choice Award, Theatre World Award, Screen Actors Guild and Academy Award honors...
Dick Van DykeRichard Wayne "Dick" Van Dyke is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer with a career spanning six decades. He is the older brother of Jerry Van Dyke, and father of Barry Van Dyke...
SupercalifragilisticexpialidociousSupercalifragilisticexpialidocious is an English word, with 34 letters, that was in the song with the same title in the 1964 Disney musical film Mary Poppins. The song was written by the Sherman Brothers, and sung by Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke...
Chim Chiminey Chim Chiminey Chim Chim Cher-ee"Chim Chim Cher-ee" is a song from Mary Poppins, the 1964 musical motion picture. It was originally sung by Dick Van Dyke and Julie Andrews. "Chim Chim Cher-ee" is also featured prominently in the award winning Cameron Mackintosh/Disney stage musical of the same name which premiered in London at...
Granger, the latter due to her mother's favourite book being
Mary PoppinsMary Poppins is a series of children's books written by P. L. Travers and originally illustrated by Mary Shepard. The books centre on a magical English nanny, Mary Poppins. She is blown by the East wind to Number Seventeen Cherry Tree Lane, London and into the Banks' household to care for their...
and the fact that the
filmMary Poppins is a 1964 musical film starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, produced by Walt Disney, and based on the Mary Poppins books series by P. L. Travers with illustrations by Mary Shepard. The film was directed by Robert Stevenson and written by Bill Walsh and Don DaGradi, with songs by...
was released the year of Geraldine's birth. Her best friend is Alice Tinker; at the end of each episode she tells a joke to Alice, but Alice never understands the humour. Geraldine was once going to marry David Horton but decided not to after all. In 2006, she receives a proposal from
accountantAn accountant is a practitioner of accountancy or accounting , which is the measurement, disclosure or provision of assurance about financial information that helps managers, investors, tax authorities and others make decisions about allocating resources.The Big Four auditors are the largest...
Harry Jasper Kennedy and accepts by running around the village, screaming. In the final episode she marries him in a rather bizarre wedding with touches of
Doctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
, including two full-size motorized Daleks, and with parts of the church decorated with vegetables; she ends up getting married in her pyjamas because her wedding dress has been accidentally covered with mud by Owen Newitt.
David Horton
Councillor
David Francis Matthew Horton MBEThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, MA (
CantabThe University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
), chairman of the Parish Council, gentleman farmer, pillar of the community and District Councillor for Dibley and Whitworth, and main opponent of the female vicar. He is rigid, old-fashioned, efficient, callous and punctual, yet as the show progresses, becomes lovable and endearing. He has never missed a council meeting. In fact, in one episode Jim and Owen reminisce about when David's wife went into labour with Hugo, and David held the meeting in the maternity ward with his brother Mark. In later episodes of the series, Horton comes to fall for the Vicar and even proposes to her (she accepts his proposal but later decides to back out of it). He is initially a
ConservativeThe Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
, but defects to the
Labour PartyThe Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
in 2000 as part of his attempt to persuade Geraldine to marry him. Whether he switches his party allegiance back after she refuses him is unknown. His love for the Vicar, however, is steadfast and true. He later supported the
Make Poverty HistoryMake Poverty History is the name of a campaign that exists in a number of countries, including Australia, Canada, Denmark , Finland, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Romania, the United Arab Emirates, Great Britain and Ireland...
campaign. He is a multi-millionaire.
Alice Springs Horton
Alice Springs Horton (née
Tinker) is
vergerA verger is a person, usually a layman, who assists in the ordering of religious services, particularly in Anglican churches.-History:...
at the church. Blonde and dippy, Alice is the only main character who does not sit on the Parish Council. She is the product of a one-night stand between her
madInsanity, craziness or madness is a spectrum of behaviors characterized by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Insanity may manifest as violations of societal norms, including becoming a danger to themselves and others, though not all such acts are considered insanity...
mother (who in the last two episodes is said to be in a mental home), and the cousin of David Horton's father (present-day David Horton's first cousin once removed and predecessor on the parish council), also called David Horton. She and Hugo, her second cousin once removed, are fond of each other and the vicar plays
CupidIn Roman mythology, Cupid is the god of desire, affection and erotic love. He is the son of the goddess Venus and the god Mars. His Greek counterpart is Eros...
successfully in one episode. They eventually marry and have ten children - the eldest, Geraldine, was born on 24 December 1999, in the middle of the village Nativity play in which her parents were playing Mary and Joseph. Featuring in the closing credits for most episodes, Geraldine and Alice have a cup of tea while Geraldine tries to tell Alice a joke (frequently the joke is slightly off-colour). Alice never understands the jokes that Geraldine tells her and usually proceeds to over-analyse the humour thereby completely killing the joke. In the final episode Geraldine's new husband Harry Kennedy explains the grammar involved and Alice finally understands it. Alice believes in the
Easter BunnyThe Easter Bunny or Easter Rabbit is a character depicted as a rabbit bringing Easter eggs, who sometimes is depicted with clothes...
,
Father ChristmasFather Christmas is the name used in many English-speaking countries for a figure associated with Christmas. A similar figure with the same name exists in several other countries, including France , Spain , Brazil , Portugal , Italy , Armenia , India...
and the
tooth fairyThe tooth fairy is a fantasy figure of early childhood. The folklore states that when a child loses a baby tooth, if he or she places it beneath the bed pillow, the tooth fairy will visit while the child sleeps, replacing the lost tooth with a small payment....
. After reading
The Da Vinci CodeThe Da Vinci Code is a 2003 mystery-detective novel written by Dan Brown. It follows symbologist Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu as they investigate a murder in Paris's Louvre Museum and discover a battle between the Priory of Sion and Opus Dei over the possibility of Jesus having been married to...
she believes herself to be descended from
JesusJesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
. She is dim-witted and naive but also sweet-natured and very endearing. She has many misconceptions, such as mistaking
Black SabbathBlack Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
for gospel singers, telling David that Jesus was one of
The CarpentersCarpenters were an American vocal and instrumental duo, consisting of sister Karen and brother Richard Carpenter. The Carpenters were the #1 selling American music act of the 1970s. Though often referred to by the public as "The Carpenters", the duo's official name on authorized recordings and...
and referring to
Albert EinsteinAlbert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of general relativity, effecting a revolution in physics. For this achievement, Einstein is often regarded as the father of modern physics and one of the most prolific intellects in human history...
as Andrew Einstein.
Hugo Horton
Hugo Horton is David's sweet-natured, friendly yet dim-witted son. Sometimes seen sporting a
Royal Agricultural CollegeThe Royal Agricultural College is a higher education institution located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, UK. Established in 1845, it was the first agricultural college in the English speaking world...
tie, he served as his father's campaign manager at the October 1994 district council election, but inadvertently wound up going door to door with David's Labour opponent, delivering adverts and making introductions for him. Hugo and Alice Tinker are always shown to have tender feelings for each other, but they do not get together as a couple until Geraldine plays Cupid in "Engagement". David was never a loving nor affectionate father to Hugo, dominating him and undermining all his dreams and ambitions. In one episode, Geraldine mentions that God is a father much like his own father, and Hugo recalls what his father did to him as a child: shouting, insulting and caning him. When Geraldine corrects him and says she was referring to a loving, caring father, Hugo believes he had another father. Despite this, Hugo still loves and respects his father but finally stands up to him with respect to Alice, whom David predictably despises. He nicknames Geraldine "Mrs. God".
Frank Pickle
Frank Pickle (born 12 August 1929) is the likable, but boring and pedantic secretary to the Parish Council. He is so boring that nobody listens to him, even when he tries to relate such momentous events such as "the time he went down to the pub and they'd completely run out of crisps" or "the time when the milkman was 47 minutes late" or "when he heard a cuckoo in March, which turned out to be a pigeon". Due to his tendency to go on and on when given the opportunity, it is said that five people, including his parents, have died while he was talking. He decided to declare his
homosexualityHomosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
in a radio broadcast to the village (after over 40 years of keeping it secret), but apart from Geraldine, who was with Frank at the time, none of the villagers listened to his broadcast. The next day, he decides to assert his sexuality more openly by wearing a bright cerise blazer to attend the Parish Council meeting rather than his usual brown one. Other references in the show suggest that Frank is bisexual, as he also once admitted to fancying
Margaret BeckettMargaret Mary Beckett is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Derby South since 1983, rising to become the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party under John Smith, from 18 July 1992 to 12 May 1994, and briefly serving as Leader of the Party following Smith's death...
as well as fellow councillors Owen Newitt and David Horton; is as affected by the naked model in the Dibley Parish Life Art Class as the others and painted the same model in the Landscape class. He also admitted to sleeping with Owen's cousin Sally and it is implied that he fathered one of her three children (the other two being fathered by Jim and Owen). He defines his ideal man as a 25-year-old South American with an interest in Oxfordshire council procedures. He also gives Alice away at her wedding but wears a sign which states that he is not Alice's father and also tries to put a note in the programme that states that he is not Alice's father but is a close family friend and has "not had sexual relations with Mrs Tinker in any way whatsoever".
Jim Trott
Jim Trott is a Parish Council member, who has an idiosyncratic way of prefacing "no-no-no-no-no..." to almost everything he says, in particular "yes!". His stuttering once led him to lose on
Deal or No DealDeal or No Deal is the United Kingdom version of the Endemol game show format Deal or No Deal, hosted by Noel Edmonds. 1,758 shows have been aired...
. His wife Doris does the opposite, saying "yes-yes-yes-yes-yes...". Jim used to be a good dancer, though an unconvincing singer. Despite being married to Doris, he has no qualms about joining Owen in openly flirting with the Vicar, frequently commenting on her "lovely arse". He is also openly promiscuous with a penchant for young blondes and Eastern beauties. In one episode he learns that Doris is having sex with her cousin Brenda. In the final episode, he proposed to the vicar, suggesting that he is no longer married, perhaps through divorce, or that his wife has died prior to this episode or that he is willing to commit
bigamyIn cultures that practice marital monogamy, bigamy is the act of entering into a marriage with one person while still legally married to another. Bigamy is a crime in most western countries, and when it occurs in this context often neither the first nor second spouse is aware of the other...
. He became the church organist after the death of Letitia Cropley.
Owen Newitt
Owen Newitt is the local farmer and a Parish Council member, with a very earthy manner. He lives alone at the farm with his animals, and is famous for displaying extremely poor personal hygiene, compounded with chronic problems with his stomach and bowels, both resulting in flatulence. He was the first to support the new Vicar's appointment as a lone dissenter, saying that a woman wouldn't be a bad thing since the previous vicar was "a regular old woman anyway", just as David looked set to persuade the other members of the Parish Council to oppose Geraldine's appointment. His signature running gag was that he was chronically late for the Parish Council meetings, and had humorously legitimate, if gruesome, reasons for his delays (often involving graphic tales of amputating animals' appendages or otherwise mangling them). He proposed to the Vicar in "Engagement". She rejected him, but he was not upset, having found out that she was a drinker. Despite this, he frequently makes crude and misguided attempts at flirting with her, which typically backfire, and even proposed to her again the night before her wedding to Harry Kennedy. Owen spent every
ChristmasChristmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
alone since his uncle's death in 1971 until Geraldine joined him for Christmas dinner in 1996 (one of many such invitations she accepted that year). In several episodes, Owen is shown to be engaging in bestiality (such as when he declares rumors that the vicar is a lesbian to be the "best news since they made having sex with animals legal again").
Letitia Cropley
Letitia Cropley is a Parish Council member and the Dibley church
organistAn organist is a musician who plays any type of organ. An organist may play solo organ works, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumental soloists...
. Geraldine once referred to her as "The Queen of Cordon Bleurgh" and David Horton called her "The Dibley Poisoner". She was the creator of such revolting "delicacies" as; "Bread and butter pudding surprise" (a recipe for which she was breeding
snailSnail is a common name applied to most of the members of the molluscan class Gastropoda that have coiled shells in the adult stage. When the word is used in its most general sense, it includes sea snails, land snails and freshwater snails. The word snail without any qualifier is however more often...
s),
MarmiteMarmite is the name given to two similar food spreads: the original British version, first produced in the United Kingdom and later South Africa, and a version produced in New Zealand...
cake (which she served for Frank's birthday), orange cake with
Branston PickleBranston is a British food brand. It is best known for the original Branston Pickle, a jarred pickled relish first made in 1922 in the Branston suburb of Burton upon Trent by Crosse & Blackwell....
icing (which she served at the cake stall at the Dibley autumn fayre), chocolate mixed with cod roe, parsnip brownies, plain pancakes- with just a "hint" of liver, and chocolate spread sandwiches (with some
taramosalataTaramosalata is a Greek and Turkish meze. It is traditionally made from taramas, the salted and cured roe of the cod or the carp, though blends based on other forms of fish roe, particularly cod, have become more common. The roe is mixed with either bread crumbs or mashed potato, and lemon juice,...
). Letitia only appeared in the first series and the special "The Easter Bunny", in which the character died. Her dying request to Geraldine was that she take over from her as the Easter Bunny, taking chocolate eggs around the village each Easter. However, when Geraldine saw every member of the parish council doing the same, it became clear that she had made the same request to all of them, as a final practical joke.
Harry Kennedy
Harry Jasper Kennedy is an accountant (described by the vicar as a "townie tosser" prior to meeting him) who moved into "Sleepy Cottage" and proposed marriage to Geraldine in the two hour-long 2006 Christmas special. Before moving to Dibley, Harry lived in a flat in London and decided to move because, in his own words, "lived on the same street in London for 15 whole years, bell never rang once". Harry has a particular fondness for books, loving "the more traditional stuff". His lovely sister Rosie joined him in Dibley a short while after his arrival, sparking Geraldine's jealousy as she believed her to be Harry's girlfriend. In the untitled special episode produced for
Comic ReliefComic Relief is an operating British charity, founded in 1985 by the comedy scriptwriter Richard Curtis and comedian Lenny Henry in response to famine in Ethiopia. The highlight of Comic Relief's appeal is Red Nose Day, a biennial telethon held in March, alternating with sister project Sport Relief...
benefit
Red Nose Day 2007Red Nose Day 2007, was a fund raising event organized by Comic Relief, broadcast live on BBC One and BBC Two from the evening of 16 March 2007 to early the following morning. It was part of "The Big One" campaign...
, Sting goes to stay at the Vicar's house while Harry goes off to stay with
Trudie StylerTrudie Styler is an English actress and producer. She is the second wife of the musician Sting.-Life and career:Styler was born in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, England. She attended North Bromsgrove High School, where one of her teachers was Clifford T. Ward...
.
Simon Horton
David Horton's very tall and attractive brother Simon Horton (
Clive Mantle-Early life and education:Mantle was born in Barnet, Hertfordshire. He was a pupil at Kimbolton School, Cambridgeshire and a chorister in St John's College Choir for four years...
) becomes one of the Vicar's lovers in a brief romance. They first meet at the drinks party before Alice and Hugo's wedding and later they meet again when Simon comes up for Sunday lunch with David. After many efforts to get rid of several parishioners who come knocking on her door with various requests, including telling Jim Trott and Frank Pickle that 7 down on a crossword is "Plodipop", and arranging the four words "Leave-You-Remorseless-Bastards" on the
ScrabbleScrabble is a word game in which two to four players score points by forming words from individual lettered tiles on a game board marked with a 15-by-15 grid. The words are formed across and down in crossword fashion and must appear in a standard dictionary. Official reference works provide a list...
board, Geraldine finally manages to join Simon who's waiting patiently in her bedroom, followed by a few weeks of romantic bliss. Later Simon dumps her telling her that he has a girlfriend in Liverpool. A struck Geraldine therefore goes into seclusion, binging on chocolate bars and pots of ice cream, and neglecting her church duties. She decides to resign from her ministry as the Vicar of Dibley, but changes her mind when her parishioners and friends show their loyalty and support by hanging up a huge banner that reads "That tall git Simon may have bonked you and then dumped you like an old jock strap but we still love you"
Episodes
The Vicar of Dibley first aired on 10 November 1994. After 18 episodes and three short specials, two 60-minute episodes were filmed in September 2006 and introduced a new character, Harry Kennedy, whom Geraldine marries. The first episode featuring Harry aired on Christmas Day 2006, the second was on New Year's Day 2007. The Christmas Day episode was watched by 11.4 million, more than any other programme on that day while the New Year's Day episode was watched by 12.3 million people. This was publicised as the last episode to be aired However, a few days later it was announced that a short special would be shown for
Comic ReliefComic Relief is an operating British charity, founded in 1985 by the comedy scriptwriter Richard Curtis and comedian Lenny Henry in response to famine in Ethiopia. The highlight of Comic Relief's appeal is Red Nose Day, a biennial telethon held in March, alternating with sister project Sport Relief...
and this, the last ever episode, was
aired on 16 March 2007Red Nose Day 2007, was a fund raising event organized by Comic Relief, broadcast live on BBC One and BBC Two from the evening of 16 March 2007 to early the following morning. It was part of "The Big One" campaign...
.
Following the opening credits of each episode, there is usually a humorous scene, e.g. a woman knitting straight off the sheep, or a man falling off a roof. At the end of each episode, after the closing credits, Geraldine tells a joke to Alice, her verger; most of the time, the joke is rather off-colour. Alice never understands the humour and tries to interpret the joke literally, explaining to Geraldine why the premise is implausible, much to the latter's chagrin, occasionally causing her to react violently. In the very first episode, Alice pretends to get the joke by laughing, but laughs too long which disturbs Geraldine. On only two occasions Alice understands the joke: the first being in the episode "Election", when Geraldine explains it to her. In the final episode, the joke is explained to Alice by Harry, in a comically convoluted manner which involves grammar. Contrary to expectations, given the character's limited intelligence, Alice does finally get the punchline for only the second time in the series. In the episode "Love and Marriage," David is the recipient of the joke and understands it straight away, but Geraldine begins to explain it to him, out of habit. In the 2005 episode
Happy New Year, the joke was told at the beginning, as the end of the episode focused on the
Make Poverty HistoryMake Poverty History is the name of a campaign that exists in a number of countries, including Australia, Canada, Denmark , Finland, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Romania, the United Arab Emirates, Great Britain and Ireland...
campaign.
Awards and accolades
- British Comedy Awards
The British Comedy Awards is an annual awards ceremony in the United Kingdom celebrating notable comedians and entertainment performances of the previous year.-History:...
— 1997, 1998, 2000
- National Television Awards
The National Television Awards is a British television awards ceremony, broadcast by the ITV network and initiated in 1995. The National Television Awards are the most prominent ceremony for which the results are voted on by the general public. Because of the way the awards are decided, winners are...
1998
- International Emmy — 1998, 2001
- British Academy Television Awards
The British Academy Television Awards are presented in an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts . They have been awarded annually since 1954, and are analogous to the Emmy Awards in the United States.-Background:...
— 1998The 1998 British Academy Television Awards were held on May 18 at the Prince of Wales Theatre in London. The ceremony was broadcast on ITV, hosted by Bob Monkhouse, and it was the first occasion since 1968 that the Television Awards had been held separately from the British Academy Film Awards,...
(nominee), 1999The 1999 British Academy Television Awards were held on 9 May at the Grosvenor House Hotel in Park Lane, London.-Winners:*Best Actor**Winner: Tom Courtenay — A Rather English Marriage...
(nominee), 2000The 2000 British Academy Television Awards were held on Sunday May 14, 2000. The ceremony was hosted by Desmond Lynam, aired on ITV, and took place at the Grosvenor House Hotel in Park Lane, London.-Winners:*Best Actor...
(nominee), 2001The 2001 British Academy Television Awards were held on Sunday May 13, 2001. The ceremony took place at the Grosvenor House Hotel in Park Lane, London.-Winners:*Best Actor**Winner: Michael Gambon — Longitude...
(nominee), 2005The 2005 British Academy Television Awards were held on Sunday 17 April at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London. The ceremony was hosted by Irish comedian and television presenter Graham Norton.-Winners:*Best Actor...
(nominee), 2007The 2007 British Academy Television Awards were held on Sunday 20 May at the London Palladium Theatre in London. They were broadcast live on BBC One in the UK...
(nominee)
- 100 Greatest Christmas Moments — #6 for its Christmas specials
- Britain's Best Sitcom
Britain's Best Sitcom was a poll conducted in 2004 by the BBC, to identify the United Kingdom's best situation comedy. Viewers were asked to vote for their favourite by phone, text message and on the web. The top ten went forward to a final round of voting...
(2004) — #3
In May 2007,
Richard CurtisRichard Whalley Anthony Curtis, CBE is a New Zealand-born British screenwriter, music producer, actor and film director, known primarily for romantic comedy films such as Four Weddings and a Funeral, Bridget Jones's Diary, Notting Hill, Love Actually and The Girl in the Café, as well as the hit...
received a
BAFTA Academy Fellowship AwardThe BAFTA Fellowship is lifetime achievement award presented by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts since 1971 "in recognition of outstanding achievement in the art forms of the moving image", and is the highest honour the Academy can bestow...
award for his humanitarian pursuits as well as his creative work including
The Vicar of Dibley.
Location
The Vicar of Dibley is set in the fictional
OxfordshireOxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
village of Dibley, although it is filmed in
TurvilleTurville is a village and civil parish within Wycombe district in Buckinghamshire, England. It is located in the Chiltern Hills, about five miles west of High Wycombe and five miles north of Henley-on-Thames....
in
BuckinghamshireBuckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
. St. Barnabas, the church in the show is filmed at the "St Mary the Virgin" church in the village. Also the local pub used in the final episodes was filmed here. Other TV programmes and films, such as
Midsomer MurdersMidsomer Murders is a British television detective drama that has aired on ITV since 1997. The show is based on the books by Caroline Graham, as originally adapted by Anthony Horowitz. The lead character is DCI Tom Barnaby who works for Causton CID. When Nettles left the show in 2011 he was...
,
Goodnight Mister TomGoodnight Mister Tom novel by Michelle Magorian. It follows a young boy, William Beech, who is evacuated from London during the Blitz of World War II, and put into the care of Tom Oakley, an elderly recluse...
,
Chitty Chitty Bang BangChitty Chitty Bang Bang is a 1968 musical film with a script by Roald Dahl and Ken Hughes, and songs by the Sherman Brothers, loosely based on Ian Fleming's novel Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: The Magical Car. It starred Dick Van Dyke as Caractacus Potts and Sally Ann Howes as Truly Scrumptious. The...
and
MarpleMarple is a British television series based on the Miss Marple and other murder mystery novels by Agatha Christie. It is also known as Agatha Christie's Marple. The title character was played by Geraldine McEwan from the first to third series, until her retirement from the role. She was replaced...
were filmed here. The opening titles show the Oxfordshire/Buckinghamshire countryside (and the Chiltern Hills), surrounding the M40 on the approach to High Wycombe (Buckinghamshire), which lies only a few miles from Turville Village.
Theme music
The theme music was a setting of
Psalm 23In the 23rd Psalm in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, the writer describes God as his Shepherd. The text, beloved by Jews and Christians alike, is often alluded to in popular media and has been set to music....
composed by
Howard Goodall210px|thumb|Howard Goodall at St. John the Baptist Church in Devon, United Kingdom, May 2009Howard Lindsay Goodall CBE is a British composer of musicals, choral music and music for television...
and was performed by the choir of
Christ Church Cathedral, OxfordChrist Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
with George Humphries singing the solo. The conductor was
Stephen DarlingtonStephen Darlington is a British choral director and conductor, and president of the Royal College of Organists from 1999-2001.During the early 1970s Darlington was organ scholar at Christ Church, Oxford, studying under Simon Preston...
. Goodall originally wrote it as a serious piece of church choral music. It has been released as a
charity singleA charity record is a release of a song for a specific charitable cause. Some of the earliest charity records came from the Music for UNICEF Concert, with ABBA's Chiquitita and the Bee Gees' Too Much Heaven among them released as singles, with all the royalties going to UNICEF...
with proceeds to Comic Relief. It also appears on Goodall's CD
Choral Works, which also includes his theme for another popular sitcom,
Mr. BeanMr. Bean is a British comedy television programme series of 14 half-hour episodes written by and starring Rowan Atkinson as the title character. Different episodes were also written by Robin Driscoll, Richard Curtis and one by Ben Elton. The pilot episode was broadcast on ITV on 1 January 1990,...
.
DVD releases
The Vicar of Dibley was released in DVD in Region 2 (UK) from 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 PlowmanJon Plowman has been a producer at the BBC since 1980, when he produced Russell Harty's chat show Harty...
with clips from the series. A 2002 documentary narrated by
Jo BrandJosephine Grace "Jo" Brand is a BAFTA winning British comedian, writer, and actor.- Early life :Jo Brand was born 23 July 1957 in Wandsworth, London. Her mother was a social worker. Brand is the middle of three children, with two brothers...
entitled
The Real Vicars of Dibley was also on the DVD. In 2005, a boxset of the "complete collection" was released. This included all the then aired episodes and shorts except the 1997
BallyKissDibley Comic Relief short. The final two episodes and 6-disc "ultimate" box set were released on 26 November 2007, neither included the 2007 Comic Relief short or the
BallyKissDibley one.
In 2011 it was revealed that the series will be re-released with several changes, as well with brand new material and both comic relief & BallyKissDibley will be added to the set. French announced that she is delighted to be apart of the new boxset and is very excited to see the finish touches. The boxset will be released in February 2012.
In Australia (Region 4), all episodes have been released on DVD, but, the 2007 Comic Relief short episode,
Wife Swap, has only been released on a Comic Relief DVD called
Now That's What I Call Comedy, but is rare to find.
In U.S./Canada (Region 1), all episodes have been released on DVD as of 26 August 2007, except for the 2007 Comic Relief short episode.
DVD release dates
| DVD Title |
Discs |
Year |
Ep # |
DVD release |
Special episodes |
Region 1DVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region...
|
Region 2DVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region...
|
Region 4DVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region...
|
|
Complete Series 1 |
1 |
1994 The year 1994 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1994.For the American TV schedule, see: 1994-95 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-Miniseries:...
|
6 |
21 October 2003 |
26 November 2001 |
1 October 2003 |
The 1996 ChristmasChristmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
special (R2) |
|
Complete Series 2 |
1 |
1997 The year 1997 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1997.- Events :-Debuts:-Miniseries:*Knots Landing: Back to the Cul-de-Sac, a reunion of the 1979–93 series*The Last Don...
- 1998The year 1998 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1998.For the American TV schedule, see: 1998–99 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1950s:...
|
6 |
21 October 2003 |
— |
8 April 2004 |
The 1996 EasterEaster is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
special & ChristmasChristmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
special (R1 & R4) |
|
Complete Series 3 |
1 |
1999 The year 1999 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1999.For the American TV schedule, see: 1999-00 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-Miniseries:...
- 2000The year 2000 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2000.For the American TV schedule, see: 2000-01 United States network television schedule.-Event:-Debuts:-1940s:...
|
4 |
21 October 2003 |
— |
2 March 2005 |
The 1997 & 1999 Comic Relief Comic Relief is an operating British charity, founded in 1985 by the comedy scriptwriter Richard Curtis and comedian Lenny Henry in response to famine in Ethiopia. The highlight of Comic Relief's appeal is Red Nose Day, a biennial telethon held in March, alternating with sister project Sport Relief...
shorts (R1 & R4) |
|
A Very Dibley Christmas |
1 |
2004 The year 2004 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2004.For the American TV schedule, see: 2004–05 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1940s:...
- 2005The year 2005 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2005.For the American TV schedule, see: 2005–06 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-Miniseries:...
|
2 |
27 September 2005 |
14 November 2005 |
3 November 2005 |
The 1999 & 2005 Comic Relief Comic Relief is an operating British charity, founded in 1985 by the comedy scriptwriter Richard Curtis and comedian Lenny Henry in response to famine in Ethiopia. The highlight of Comic Relief's appeal is Red Nose Day, a biennial telethon held in March, alternating with sister project Sport Relief...
short (All) |
|
A Holy Wholly Happy Ending |
1 |
2006 2006 in television may refer to:*2006 in American television*2006 in Australian television*2006 in British television*2006 in Canadian television*2006 in Japanese television...
- 20072007 in television may refer to:*2007 in American television*2007 in Australian television*2007 in British television*2007 in Canadian television*2007 in Japanese television...
|
2 |
9 October 2007 |
26 November 2007 |
16 January 2008 |
— |
|
Complete Series 1 & 2 |
2 |
1994 The year 1994 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1994.For the American TV schedule, see: 1994-95 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-Miniseries:...
- 1998The year 1998 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1998.For the American TV schedule, see: 1998–99 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1950s:...
|
10 |
— |
7 May 2007 |
— |
The 1996 ChristmasChristmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
special (R2) |
|
Complete Series 1 - 3 |
3 |
1994 The year 1994 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1994.For the American TV schedule, see: 1994-95 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-Miniseries:...
- 2000The year 2000 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2000.For the American TV schedule, see: 2000-01 United States network television schedule.-Event:-Debuts:-1940s:...
|
16 |
21 October 2003 |
— |
— |
— |
|
Complete Series 1 - 2005 Sp. |
4 |
1994 The year 1994 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1994.For the American TV schedule, see: 1994-95 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-Miniseries:...
- 2005The year 2005 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2005.For the American TV schedule, see: 2005–06 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-Miniseries:...
|
18 |
— |
14 November 2005 |
7 July 2005 |
— |
|
Complete Series 1 - 2007 Sp. |
6 |
1994 The year 1994 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1994.For the American TV schedule, see: 1994-95 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-Miniseries:...
- 20072007 in television may refer to:*2007 in American television*2007 in Australian television*2007 in British television*2007 in Canadian television*2007 in Japanese television...
|
20 |
9 October 2007 |
26 November 2007 |
3 April 2008 |
All the Red Nose Day specials and more |
|
The Best of... |
1 |
N/A |
— |
— |
25 November 2002 |
— |
Dawn French in conversation with producer John Plowman |
U.S. version
The idea came about when two co-stars of the U.S. sitcom
FrasierFrasier is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for eleven seasons, from September 16, 1993, to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee in association with Grammnet and Paramount Network Television.A spin-off of Cheers, Frasier stars...
,
Jane LeevesJane Leeves is an English film, stage, and television actress, comedienne and dancer.Leeves made her screen debut with a small role in the 1983 popular British comedy television show The Benny Hill Show. Leeves moved to the United States, where she performed in small roles until she secured a...
and
Peri GilpinPeri Gilpin is an American actress known for her role as Roz Doyle in the U.S. television series Frasier from 1993 until 2004. Along with the principal cast, Gilpin won a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series in 2000...
set up their production company Bristol Cities with a U.S. version of
The Vicar of Dibley as their first project. On 6 February 2007,
FoxFox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
announced plans to adapt
The Vicar of Dibley into an American sitcom, titled
The Minister Of Divine. The series starred
Kirstie AlleyKirstie Louise Alley is an American actress known for her role in the TV show Cheers, in which she played Rebecca Howe from 1987–1993, winning an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award as the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 1991...
as a former "Wild Child" who returned to her hometown as its first female minister. The series was not picked up by Fox for its 2007–2008 schedule.
External links