British Comedy Guide
The Vicar Of Dibley. Geraldine Grainger (Dawn French). Copyright: Tiger Aspect Productions
The Vicar Of Dibley

The Vicar Of Dibley

  • TV sitcom
  • BBC One
  • 1994 - 2020
  • 20 episodes (3 series)

Comedy about a small, backward rural village and its female vicar, Geraldine Grainger. Stars Dawn French, Emma Chambers, Gary Waldhorn, James Fleet, John Bluthal and more.

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1996 Specials - The Christmas Lunch Incident

The Vicar Of Dibley. Image shows from L to R: Geraldine Grainger (Dawn French), Jim Trott (Trevor Peacock). Copyright: Tiger Aspect Productions
It's the Vicar's second Christmas in Dibley, and she has to make her sermon a good one "or you've lost them to Satan till next December". An arguably greater worry, however, is the three Christmas dinners Geraldine's agreed to eat. But she can pull it off - right?

Further details

Geraldine is working on her second Christmas sermon - unfortunately, it seems that Alice has forgotten last year's even took place because it wasn't nearly as exciting as the Only Fools And Horses special.

After experimenting with many different sermon openings, she's inspired by her gift from Alice of the biography of the Spice Girls, and speaks on two key issues: that both Mary, the mother of Jesus, and the Spice Girls (ahem!) were virgins thrust into the public light at a young age; and that Jesus wants us to tell Him "what we want, what we really, really want"!

Later on, Geraldine is inundated with several tempting offers of Christmas lunch, none of which she can happily dodge without grossly offending someone. Reluctantly, she decides she can force down a small serving at each, and so agrees to go to all three: with David and Hugo; Jim and Frank; and Alice, her mum and sister.

Geri politely eats her way through some very big Christmas dinners in order to be nice to her parishioners, before Owen surprises her with a fourth!

Having been carted home in the bucket of Owen's tractor, there's a surprise knock at the door - could our female vicar have at last been lucky in love?

After a slightly stilted discussion, Geraldine finds herself left alone on Christmas night. But soon Alice has appeared, roping in the other villagers to show appreciation for all of her work in the community.

Broadcast details

Date
Wednesday 25th December 1996
Time
10pm
Channel
BBC One
Length
45 minutes

Cast & crew

Cast
Dawn French Geraldine Grainger
Emma Chambers Alice Tinker
Gary Waldhorn David Horton
James Fleet Hugo Horton
John Bluthal Frank Pickle
Trevor Peacock Jim Trott
Roger Lloyd Pack Owen Newitt
Guest cast
Peter Capaldi Tristan Campbell
Orla Brady Aoife
Carol MacReady Mrs. Tinker
Mel Giedroyc Mary Tinker
Writing team
Richard Curtis Writer
Paul Mayhew-Archer Writer
Emma Freud Script Editor
Production team
Gareth Carrivick Director
Jon Plowman Producer
Sue Vertue Producer
Richard Curtis Executive Producer
Peter Bennett-Jones Executive Producer
Mykola Pawluk Editor
Steve Tempia Editor
Andrew Howe-Davies Production Designer
Howard Goodall Composer

Press

British Christmas specials revisited: Vicar of Dibley

A look at "The Christmas Lunch Incident".

Carmen Croghan, Everything I Know About The UK..., 6th December 2015

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