Customer Reviews

The Vicar of Dibley - The Complete Series 3

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Return to the loopy English village of Dibley, with this DVD containing the complete third series of THE VICAR OF DIBLEY, Richard Curtis and Paul Mayhew-Archer's divine comedy hit from the BBC.

"Autumn" - Alice and Hugo return from their honeymoon with some unexpected news, meanwhile Geraldine's romance with David's roguish brother Simon heats up.

"Winter" - A very pregnant Alice wins the role of Mary in the annual Nativity play by default and causes a furore when she actually goes into labour during the performance!

"Spring" - Gerry makes plans to establish a creche at St. Barnabus.

"Summer" - When water shortages threaten the village, Gerry stages a protest against a proposed new reservoir. Meanwhile, the council members discuss the subject for a possible millennium commemoration statue.

Lots of fun with all your favourite characters. Starring Dawn French, Emma Chambers, James Fleet, Gary Waldhorn, John Bluthal, Roger Lloyd Pack and Trevor Peacock.

The DVD includes a couple of great bonuses: "Ballykissdibley", which features Father Clifford from BALLYKISSANGEL vistiting the town of Dibley. The 1999 Red Nose Day Special features Gerry mingling with Johnny Depp, Fergie and more when a film company sets up shop in Dibley. There's also a fascinating doco called "The Real Vicars of Dibley" which charts the lives of similar real-life vicars who lead unconventional lives. Includes interviews with the cast and writers of the series.

Having designed the video packaging for all of the "Vicar of Dibley" tapes in the US, I had to watch all the episodes located on each cassette. Though all are wonderful due to the charming and expressive Dawn French, this particular tape "The Specials" contains the funniest episodes. Of special note is "The Christmas Lunch Incident," which had me screaming with laughter. It is the most hysterical half hour of British comedy I have seen in a long, long time.

If laughter is the best medecine, then this hilarious British comedy ought to be at the top of every doctor's prescription list! Quite frankly, I cannot recall one episode in the entire series thus far that hasn't left me with a belly-ache from laughing so hard.

This, the third volume in the series, consists of three 40-minute episodes. In "The Easter Bunny," everyone on the parish council gives up something for lent, and the parish video fund gets quite an infusion of cash thanks to someone's inability to stick to his resolution. "The Christmas Lunch Incident" has the vicar accepting a few too many invitations for Christmas lunch with some very funny results. Though all three episodes are hilarious as always, the last one, "Engagement," is particularly so. Hugo, with a little help from the vicar, finally figures out what to do about his attraction to Alice. Meanwhile, the vicar inadvertently finds herself being courted (if one can call it that!) by one of her parishoners.

Those who've enjoyed the first two volumes will not want to miss this one. For those who've yet to experience this delightful series, it really is one of the best comedies around; I, for one, know of none better! Extremely highly recommended!

Wonderful set of shows. Christmas is a time one does not go on a diet and the Vicar shows why clergy never think of such an idea. The Easter Bunny episode bids us farewell to a character but not before she gets everyone in the end. At last finally, Hugo and Alice DO something about their infatuation. Which causes some father and son difficulties. Sit back and enjoy a sweet, sweet show I've grown to love!

A total and utter delight is the way to describe this sensational English series which has been a huge favourite of mine since it first graced our television in the early 1990's. I can never get enough of the eccentric residents of that lovable little town of Dibley and of course of their truly unique Vicar, the one of a kind Geraldine Granger(Dawn French). French, one of the masterminds behind the superb French and Saunders Specials was born to play the lively non conformist Vicar and she had probably her greatest success to date with this series which ran for too short a period of time for this viewer. Here we are truly blessed to have the three 40 minute specials on the one tape and each are absolutely hilarious in their own very different ways. The first two specials with their Easter and Christmas themes also make terrific seasonal viewing and always get an airing in my home at those times of the year.

In "The Easter Bunny", we see the residents of Dibley planning what they intend to give up for the upcoming period of lent. It makes for many hilarious sacrifices by the group as Geraldine suffers through "Chocolate" withdrawal,poor Hugo (James Fleet), battles with his efforts to curb his "sensual thoughts", Owen (Roger Lloyd-Pack), has to learn to curb his bad language or pay a fine and Frank (John Bluthal) has to learn to be not so pedantic with the parish council minute taking. One of the great elements to this series was the regular locking of horns that took place between the non traditional outspoken Vicar and the village's big landowner stuffy David Horton (Gary Waldhorn). In the "Easter Bunny", the two have many funny clashes after which in a suddenly dramatic scene Dibley looses one of its most memorable residents in Letitia Cropley (Liz Smith), who was famed for her "original" gourmet creations. The conclusion of this special sees Geraldine having to handle Letitia's "special legacy" to her which is to be the mysterious Dibley Easter Bunny unaware that all the others are also recipients of that same legacy. It makes hilarious Easter viewing.

My favourite of the specials is the truly memorable "The Christmas Lunch Incident", where on Christmas Day Geraldine faces the dilemma of being invited by all the well meaning residents to their homes for seperate Christmas lunches. The scenes of Geraldine attempting to fit in just one more Turkey Leg or Christmas Plum Pudding will have you laughing yourself silly as it does me each Christmas when I screen it. This special also offers us the unique opportunity of seeing the family of Geraldine's wacky assistant Alice Tinker, and after viewing them it becomes easy to understand why Alice turned out the way she did! Dawn French is truly delightful in this episode and I always love the way she describes Jesus Christ as "Birthday Boy" when she is trying to find inspiration for her Christmas morning sermon! This episode is a total delight and is firmly entrenched as part of my essential Christmas Viewing. The last of the specials "Engagement" offers a wonderful final conclusion to Alice and Hugo's eccentric on again off again courtship as Geraldine takes charge of the dippy lovers and finally gets them together. While she is great at shooting Cupid's arrow she finds the attentions of another party for her own affections a little less welcome with very funny results.

If you haven't yet experienced this truly delightful British comedy do yourself a big favour and track it down. There were only a small number of episodes in the series and each was unique in its own way and full of great humour. The specials are excellent in that with a 40 minute running time we get to see more of the characters than usual. The Easter and Christmas specials are particular favourites of mine and make great light hearted seasonal viewing. "The Vicar of Dibley", really shows off the true comic genius of Dawn French in a role tailor made for her. Sit back and enjoy the eccentric residents of Dibley in three great specials soon.

I came upon this series by accident actually. After the first episode, I had to buy all the tapes! The English village of Dibley has the STRANGEST bunch of residents I have ever seen. And watching an unconventional female Vicar, who is really the only normal one there, interact with them will have you rolling on the floor with laughter. Dawn French is absolutly wonderful as Geraldine Granger, the Vicar. Bringing humor to the pulpit! You've got to see it!

This tape consists of 3 Vicar of Dibley "special" episodes (Easter, Christmas, the engagement of Hugo and Alice). All are hilarious and will certainly not disappoint anyone who has seen this great show. (Plus, each of these episodes are 40 minutes long instead of the usual 25-30 min). You'll love it...

If you know Dawn French of French & Saunders, you know you are in for a very good laugh. If you also know how small villages and their residents behave, you're in for a whacking good time. Based on the real life adventures of an Anglican lady vicar in a sleepy english village, we follow the trials and tribulations of the new vicar as she slowly wins over the village's motley crew. Shot before a live audience, The series covers 3 seasons. There is a great joke at the end of each show, which always baffles Alice, the village idiot. Miss French has, so she says, left the stage and retired to her farm in cornwall. Maybe we can talk her out of it.
The quailty of the BBC DVD print is poor, with a constant halo or "burned" effect. It's not your player, it's in the print, unusual for the Beeb.

I just love this warm, cozy, and really very funny sitcom. My only complaint is that there simply are not enough Dibley dvds. (Can I hope for another special, someday?) Dawn French and the cast are marvelous. Outrageous at times, and yet down to earth. And always funny. As far as I'm aware, this show is no longer found on television in the states, so your only recourse is to purchase the dvd(s), settle down on your sofa, and enjoy.

I'm crazy about Britcoms, but never quite understood the whole Fawlty Towers thing; it's good, but not all that and a bag of chips. *This* series, though, is all that, a bag of chips and a chocolate-dipped ice cream cone.

Dawn French is perfect as a woman vicar. At the time the series was first being made, there were only a handful of women vicars in Britain, and her role was meant to get the idea out to everyone in a humorous way. The series was co-written by Richard Curtis specifically for Dawn, and he did a wonderful, wonderful job in bringing out equal rights, religious controversy, village living and jousting among friends and neighbors.

Although I own many TV series on DVD, I go back to this one time and again for fun and relaxation; I never get bored with it. My only regret is that, like so many other good shows, all you get is these three seasons and a few specials. Be sure to check out other DVDs on this show, too.