The Vicar of Dibley
A new vicar shakes up the village
The Vicar of Dibley is a British sitcom created by Richard Curtis and written with Paul Mayhew-Archer, broadcast on BBC One. Created as the Church of England began ordaining women priests in 1994, it sends the warm, chocolate-loving and thoroughly modern Geraldine Granger, played by Dawn French, to the sleepy fictional Oxfordshire village of Dibley. There she does battle with a bemused and eccentric parish council, chaired by the pompous David Horton and populated by the likes of his gormless son Hugo, the hesitant Jim Trott and the star-struck verger Alice Tinker. Each episode traditionally closes with Geraldine telling Alice a joke she fails to understand. The series won an International Emmy and remains a much-loved staple of British comedy.
Start a quizAt a glance
- First aired
- 10 November 1994
- Last aired
- 1 January 2007
- Created by
- Richard Curtis and Paul Mayhew-Archer
- Channel
- BBC One
- Series
- 3
- Episodes
- 20
- Set in
- Dibley, a fictional village in Oxfordshire
- Quizzes
- 3
The Vicar of Dibley quizzes
Meet Geraldine Granger and the eccentric parish council. Test your knowledge of Dibley.
The parish council in all its glory, from boring Frank to smelly Owen. How well do you know the villagers?
The puddle, the wedding and a certain choral theme tune. A tougher test on Dibley's best-loved moments.
The Vicar of Dibley cast and characters
Geraldine Granger
Played by Dawn French
Dibley's new vicar: warm, witty and devoted to chocolate. She wins round a doubtful parish and, in the final episodes, marries Harry Kennedy.
David Horton
Played by Gary Waldhorn
The pompous chairman of the parish council and Geraldine's chief opponent, who gradually comes to respect her.
Hugo Horton
Played by James Fleet
David's sweet-natured but dim son, who falls for Alice and marries her in series 2.
Alice Tinker
Played by Emma Chambers
The scatter-brained church verger and Geraldine's closest friend, who can never quite understand the vicar's jokes at the end of each episode.
Jim Trott
Played by Trevor Peacock
A parish council member who starts almost every sentence with "No, no, no, no, no", even when he means yes.
Owen Newitt
Played by Roger Lloyd-Pack
A farmer on the parish council, known for his poor hygiene and crude remarks. He was the first council member to back a female vicar.
Frank Pickle
Played by John Bluthal
The pedantic, painfully boring clerk of the parish council, whose anecdotes send everyone to sleep.
Letitia Cropley
Played by Liz Smith
The church organist and flower arranger, whose revolting recipes, such as Marmite cake, are feared across the village.
Harry Kennedy
Played by Richard Armitage
A handsome newcomer from London who buys a cottage in Dibley, falls for Geraldine and marries her in the 2006-07 finale.
The Vicar of Dibley facts and FAQs
- When did The Vicar of Dibley first air?
- The Vicar of Dibley first aired on BBC One (then BBC1) on 10 November 1994. The last full episode, The Vicar in White, was shown on 1 January 2007.
- How many series (seasons) and episodes of The Vicar of Dibley are there?
- There are three series (seasons) and 20 episodes, counting six specials. The series have six, four and four episodes, and the specials were shown at Easter and Christmas 1996 and as two-part stories in 2004-05 and 2006-07; short charity sketches and the 2020 lockdown episodes are not included.
- Who wrote The Vicar of Dibley?
- Richard Curtis created The Vicar of Dibley for Dawn French and co-wrote most episodes with Paul Mayhew-Archer. They consulted Joy Carroll, one of the first women ordained as Church of England priests, while developing Geraldine.
- What is The Vicar of Dibley about?
- The Vicar of Dibley is about Geraldine Granger, a woman vicar sent to a sleepy village after the Church of England began ordaining women. She wins over a parish council of eccentrics led by David Horton, who wanted a man for the job.
- Where is The Vicar of Dibley set and filmed?
- The Vicar of Dibley is set in the fictional Oxfordshire village of Dibley but was filmed in Turville, Buckinghamshire, near High Wycombe. Turville's St Mary the Virgin Church doubles as Dibley's church, and the exterior of David Horton's manor was filmed in Little Missenden.
- Who are the main characters in The Vicar of Dibley?
- The main characters are Geraldine Granger (Dawn French), David Horton (Gary Waldhorn), Hugo Horton (James Fleet), Alice Tinker (Emma Chambers), Jim Trott (Trevor Peacock), Owen Newitt (Roger Lloyd-Pack) and Frank Pickle (John Bluthal). Letitia Cropley (Liz Smith) appears in seven episodes.
- Did The Vicar of Dibley come back in 2020?
- Yes, Dawn French returned as Geraldine for The Vicar of Dibley in Lockdown, three short episodes and a compilation shown on BBC One in December 2020. They took the form of video sermons to the village during the Covid-19 lockdown, and the compilation was dedicated to four cast members who had died.
- What is Comedy Classic: The Vicar of Dibley?
- Comedy Classic: The Vicar of Dibley is a Channel 5 documentary, first shown in December 2022, looking back at the series with clips and interviews, including co-writer Paul Mayhew-Archer. This page is our own guide to the show, with its cast, key facts and a free quiz.
Awards and recognition
International Emmy Award for Popular Arts (1998)
Multiple British Comedy Awards
Placed third in the 2004 BBC poll of Britain's Best Sitcoms