The Vicar of Dibley

'Vicar of Dibley' is one of the funniest shows ever made. It is consistently hilarious. It never fails to make me laugh. Dawn French is priceless as the lady Vicar who arrives in a sleepy, yet crazy town whose occupants are expecting a male Vicar. She wins them all over eventually of course, but spends most of the time dealing with the general insanity of the village on a day-to-day basis. Dawn French, James Fleet and Emma Chambers among many others in the brilliant cast make this show a flawless, classic comedy. If you are a fan of British comedies, you should check this one out for sure. It is one of the absolute best.

The Brits have a flare for comedy that is unmatched and it is exhibited strongly in Vicar of Dibley. You'll find yourself laughing until tears roll down your cheeks.

Anything that Dawn French is in is Fabulous. Of course, Vicar of Dibley is one of my favorites simply because, as an Anglican, this focuses on a woman who is a priest. It is unprecedented - it came at a time when women struggled their way to become recognized in the Church of England and allowed to hold roles in the priesthood. The cast is wonderful and offers many opportunities throughout each episode for side-aching laughter. Of course, French can't take the cake by herself. Her sidekick, Alice Tinker (Emma Chambers), whose remarkable role as a "dingbat" (or as David Horton refers to her as a "moron) keeps the laughter rolling. And the comedy ends at each episode with the Vicar and Alice having a spot of tea and the Vicar telling a joke - usually with Alice not understanding the punchline. Genuine humor.

I will be the first to announce this here. I have a growing list of films that I have seen this year (ranging from the early 1920s to present) that I have ranked among my favorites that I have seen. While most do a list of what was released this year, I go beyond that because I see more than what is just released at the theaters. While I have consistently kept to just cinematic releases for this list, I believe with this series, The Vicar of Dibley, I am going to make an exception. This was, in my opinion, one of the funniest, cleverest, poignant, and original series that I have ever witnessed. While I am a huge fan of Scrubs, Family Guy, and the very underrated Arrested Development, this BBC released series takes the cake. Up until the final episode (which seemed forced and very strange), this series was chock full of some of the best one-liners imaginable on television. Each episode will continue to impress you, continue to make you laugh, and honestly make you dream that you lived in a community like Dibley. It is a feat that many modern, American, television shows fail to accomplish.

Big businesses, aka "corporations", are slowly turning the small individual communities into a suburbia frenzy. With shows like Friends and Everyone Loves Raymond, you see this mythological world where no bills need to be paid, everyone looks perfect, and jobs seem like a thing of the past. It creates this false sense of security, this idea that you need to live in a GAP world to be truly happy. Finally, there is a series that gives you hope that without the fancy clothing, without the fast cars, with just the simplicity of your neighbor, you can live a very meaningful life. Perhaps I am searching too deeply into this series, but The Vicar of Dibley gave me this newfound appreciation for the unique in my community. To witness a bunch of literal, bumbling stooges, run a facet of the Church's organization made me laugh constantly. Not only was writer Richard Curtis attempting to bring to view the idea of women at the pulpit, but also I believe that he was also taking a slow stab at local governments and their idiosyncratic ways. After watching this series, I miss the closeness that my small town used to have before the influx of mini-malls, multiplexes, and those horrid payday lenders. I wish I could live in Dibley, be a part of this nurturing community, and finally find piece in a non-commercial induced world.

Overall, this is one of the best programs that television has to offer. I suggest to everyone reading this review to run, never walk, to your nearest family-owned store to pick yourself up a copy of The Vicar of Dibley. The unique character development, the insanity of every situation (which bring about buckets of laughter), and the bond that these characters have cannot be seen in any other television series currently out there. The jokes are fresh and smart. There is not an outpouring of physical humor that you can see in nearly every pre-teen film released today. It is witty, charming, and (not to sound too repetitive) THE BEST television shows EVER! I do not think that I am speaking hastily, but honestly. I have never been ready to re-watch a series again as I have this one. So, join me, the Vicar, David & Hugo, Alice, Owen, Frank, and Jim on a wild ride. Should you watch this television series more than once…

"No no no no no no no no no no no no no no … yes!"

Grade: ***** out of *****

Loved the show. Histerical! Dawn French is delightful. Why can't us Americans learn something of GOOD comedy today from the English. They seem to have it down pat.