The Vicar of Dibley
- TV-PG
- 1996
- 5 Seasons
-
8.0 (12,181)
The Vicar of Dibley was a British sitcom created and written by Richard Curtis and Paul Mayhew-Archer; Curtis is one of Britain's most successful comedy writers for film and TV, his credits include Love Actually, Four Weddings and a Funeral, and Blackadder. The idea for the show came out of the 1992 decision by the protestant Church of England to allow women to become ministers. The role of Reverend Gealdine Grainger was written specifically for British comedian Dawn French, who starred in every episode of the show from 1994 to 2007. During the first episodes of The Vicar of Dibley the plot revolves around the attitudes of the community of the small village of Dibley towards their first female minister. Geraldine quickly finds a friend in the character of Alice Tinker, played by Emma Chambers in whom she confides her personal thoughts and tries to teach about the world outside Dibley. The main opposition to Geraldine becoming the Vicar of the village comes from the conservative David Horton, the leader of the local council and main landowner in the area. Over the course of the three seasons Geraldine is accepted as a good Vicar who is both caring and fun for the people of Dibley; David's attitude changes so much he eventually declares his love for Geraldine despite the differences in their attitudes and backgrounds. The ensemble cast provides much of the humor in the form of those taking part in the Parish council meetings; a recurring theme throughout the three seasons and numerous Christmas specials is Geraldine's search for love. The Vicar presides over various events in the lives of the villagers, including the wedding of Hugo and Alice, and the christening of their daughter, named Geraldine in honor of the Vicar. The 2006 Christmas specials acted as a finale to the show with the loose ends of the characters largely tied up. The Vicar of Dibley has proved to be one of the most successful sitcoms in the history of British television and is regularly voted onto lists of the top sitcoms of all time.
