The Vicar Of Dibley to return as The Bishop Of Dibley?
- Dawn French has suggested her Vicar Of Dibley character could return to TV
- However, it would likely be in a spin-off show with Geraldine promoted to Bishop
Dawn French has once again hinted that The Vicar Of Dibley could return to television screens..
Asked about the chance of the hit sitcom returning - in light of many other classic TV formats being revived - the star said she could see the sitcom coming back, but with Geraldine Grainger perhaps now a bishop.
As part of an interview with news.com.au to promote the Australian leg of her stand-up tour, French spoke about The Vicar Of Dibley, saying: "It was incredibly popular in the UK, as it was here, which I'm delighted to know. So you kind of get elevated to a status that you're very lucky and privileged to have. But I don't take any of that for granted."
On the show coming back, she said: "It could change: you know we now have Church law in the UK that women could be bishops so who knows? Watch this space - she might get a promotion!"
French, who has played the character since the show launched on BBC One in 1994, suggested that if her character were to return it would probably be in a spin-off show.
Some the hit sitcom's other actors are now at retirement age and Roger Lloyd-Pack - who played farmer Owen - died in 2014. She said: "Our old guys are really old now. So I don't think we could revisit it, because it's just too different."
Since the sitcom ended, French and writer Richard Curtis have revived the character for a number of specials for Comic Relief. The last, in 2015, saw Geraldine applying to be a bishop, but losing out on the job.
The idea of the show's return with the beloved village vicar promoted to a bishop position been mooted since at least 2010. Last year's special episode gave the strongest hint yet that the idea could come to fruition, and it is likely that BBC bosses would jump at the chance to revive the sitcom hit.