The Vicar of Dibley in Lockdown will air as three weekly 10-minute sermons, with a 30-minute compilation episode airing over Christmas.
Dawn French will reprise her much-loved role as the nation’s favourite Vicar, Geraldine Grainger of the Parish of Dibley, for The Vicar Of Dibley in Lockdown to mark the end of this extraordinary year.
During lockdown, post lockdown and pre-another-lockdown, Geraldine has been writing and delivering monthly sermons to her parishioners via Zoom… when she can make it work.
These new thoughts on life (and chocolate) will air after repeat showings of classic episodes of the multi-award winning The Vicar of Dibley, this Christmas on BBC One.
Geraldine will be helped by Hugo Horton (James Fleet) as well some of the local primary school children as the Vicar discusses all the important topics, including how it’s never a good idea to let Owen Newitt cut your hair, or make home-made wine.
The very dearly departed Alice Tinker is also still an important presence in the village, with some residents still looking for lost buttons and the arrival of decimalisation.
Speaking about the show returning, Dawn French said "Back in the dog collar, back in Dibley and back on your telly at Xmas. I couldn’t be happier. Bless you."
To which the show's writer Richard Curtis added "Like every village in the country, there’s been a lot happening in Dibley this year - and Dawn has got a lot to say about it."
In the first episode of her viral sermons to the good people of the Parish, the vicar has to explain the difference between metres and miles when it comes to social distancing.
Later in Lockdown, Geraldine finds, as many of us did, that getting a much-needed haircut from a friend may not always result in complete gorgeousness especially if the scissors are held by someone rather more used to working with animals. The Vicar is also given an opportunity to share some time with some of the children of the local Primary school and their teacher.
The Vicars’ last sermon is shared with the much loved and admired Hugo Horton, son of David Horton, the least admired chairman of the Dibley Parish Council. Hugo is finding it difficult to listen to his father through lockdown tell the same anecdotes over and over again but then Hugo may perhaps be guilty of the same crime...
The Vicar of Dibley in Lockdown starts Monday 7th December at 8.50pm on BBC One with a compilation episode airing over Christmas