(It's going to be another late night getting home, so I decided to do double duty yesterday and put up this review early. It's a grueling, grueling job, but someone's gotta do it.)
This
wound up being a pleasant surprise for me.
Netflix has tried to sell me on The Vicar of Dibley many a time,
but I've not bitten. I've never been too
taken with French and Saunders, together or separate – I've seen a couple
episodes each of Girls on Top and Ab Fab, and both strike me as
old-fashioned, overly-hammy Britcoms. (I
know that Ab Fab is quite popular, and it's possible that I just have
yet to realize the magic, but for now, that's my stance.)
I
didn't realize, however, that The Vicar of Dibley was written by Richard
Curtis, he of Blackadder fame (not to mention the fabulous “Vincent and
the Doctor” from Who.) Sure, it
has its broad moments, but I actually found the show really funny in a charming
way. In “Songs of Praise,” Geraldine –
the titular female vicar of a small West Country parish – is delighted when a
service at her church is chosen to be featured on the BBC series Songs of
Praise. The only problem? The songs of praise part, since the church
doesn't currently have a choir. Sitcom
mishaps ensue, including a very funny botched scripture reading.
To
complicate matters, Geraldine immediately develops a substantial crush on
Tristan Campbell, a dishy young BBC director played by PC. Tristan is the one who's come down to film
the service, and Geraldine's attempts to be both flirtatious and ecclesiastical
are about as successful as you'd think they'd be.
It's
not an especially tall order for a capable actor, but PC is fun and likable in
the role. He plays off of Geraldine's
craziness well, and the scene in which he's shooting the sermon is a hoot.
Another
enticement, for me, is the way the show deals with religion. Rather than just mocking religious people,
the humor tends more toward churchy issues that plenty of church-goers would be
familiar with, like debates over “appropriate” Bible translations or
prospective choir members with more enthusiasm than talent. And Geraldine herself is a lot of fun - “Come
in if you're sexy and you love Jesus!” is a cute line.
Accent
Watch
Now,
this is a little confusing for me. I
swear PC is doing RP here, but Geraldine makes a remark about him being
Scottish. Maybe Tristan is ethnically
Scottish but came of age and accent in England?
Beats me.
Recommend?
In
General
– I'd say so. I'm adding this one to the
list of Shows to Return to After Capaldi Fall.
Be advised, though – the laugh track gets a little grating at times.
PC-wise – Maybe, if you just
want something light and fun. PC was in
one more episode of The Vicar of Dibley, so I might have a more decided
opinion tomorrow.
Warnings
A small
handful of sexual jokes/references, including a number of unintentional
euphemisms.
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