Thursday 14 January 2021
The nation's favourite comedy channel, Gold, takes a reflective look at one of Britain's most-loved comic creations in the brand-new one-off special, The Vicar of Dibley: Inside Out (1x120'). The UKTV Original retrospective is produced by Expectation and will air later this year.
Dawn French, who played Geraldine Granger in The Vicar of Dibley, said:
It was a total treat to revisit such a happy place and time for this documentary. Part of my heart is still, and forever will be in Dibley.
The Vicar of Dibley: Inside Out will take viewers on a joyous trip down memory lane and reveal what went on behind the scenes of the highly successful sitcom and share exclusive, never-before seen footage from rehearsals. Dawn French and Richard Curtis will be joined by writer Paul Mayhew-Archer, producer Jon Plowman, James Fleet (who played Hugo Horton) and guest stars including Kylie, Hugh Bonneville, Joanna Lumley and many more, as they lovingly look back at their favourite Dibley moments.
Executive producer of The Vicar of Dibley: Inside Out is Jon Plowman, who was also the producer of The Vicar of Dibley. Jon said:
I feel incredibly proud to have been involved with Dibley and am thrilled that it's still making audiences laugh (and occasionally cry) more than 25 years later. It's been a total joy to look back through the Dibley archives and to be reminded of old friends and so many wonderful moments. It looks to me like we were all having far too much fun. Quite how we got anything done is beyond me.
The Vicar of Dibley: Inside Out is commissioned by Hilary Rosen, UKTV deputy director of commissioning and head of factual and factual entertainment, and ordered by Gerald Casey, channel director for Gold. Steve North is genre general manager for comedy and entertainment and Richard Watsham is director of commissioning. Executive producer for Expectation is Ben Wicks and series producer is Owen Braben.
Hilary Rosen said: "I'm delighted to be working with Expectation on The Vicar of Dibley: Inside Out. For the first time Dawn French, Richard Curtis and team will tell the definitive story of the making of this show and it feels like the perfect moment to celebrate the irrepressible and hilarious Geraldine Granger and her Dibley congregants."
Gerald Casey added: "The Vicar of Dibley is a firm favourite for Gold viewers and includes so many brilliantly memorable scenes that never fail to entertain. We're thrilled to have the opportunity to celebrate this much-loved series and hear anecdotes from the wonderful cast and crew."
Owen Braben, series producer for Expectation, said: "The Vicar of Dibley is one of the most iconic sitcoms of our generation, filled with warmth and affection and memorable moments that audiences love to watch again and again. This programme hears some of the behind-the-scenes stories and we'll reveal exclusive, never-before-seen footage filmed at Dibley rehearsals, and show how the Vicar team brought the show to our screens."
The Vicar of Dibley: Inside Out will air later this year on Gold.
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Notes to Editors
About Gold
Sky 110/810, Virgin 124, BT & TalkTalk 310 On demand on Sky, Virgin, BT, Now TV and TalkTalk
Dedicated to celebrating the best of British comedy, Gold is the nation's favourite comedy channel. Much-loved comedy series Only Fools and Horses and The Royle Family sit comfortably alongside a whole host of heart-warming UKTV Originals from retrospective series Saluting Dad's Army, dinnerladies diaries and How The Young Ones Changed Comedy, to the feature length comedy capers Murder on the Blackpool Express, Death on the Tyne and Dial M for Middlesbrough. Plus, UKTV Original three part scripted series The Cockfields and Sandylands.
Gold remade three lost episodes of the comedy classic Dad's Army marking fifty years since the episodes were first broadcast and last seen. -Dad's Army: The Lost Episodes_ was praised by critics and viewers and was one of the most-watched UKTV Originals in 2019.
The perfect tonic to make you laugh whatever the time of day, Gold tickles with universally funny shows that everyone can enjoy.
Gold.uktv.co.uk / @goldchannel
About UKTV
UKTV has been at the forefront of branded television for over 25 years, entertaining the nation with programmes they love. Its leading brands - Dave, Gold, W, Drama, Alibi, Eden and Yesterday - span comedy, entertainment, natural history, factual and scripted drama, and are delivered to audiences through UKTV Play, Freeview, Sky, Virgin Media, BT, TalkTalk, YouView, Freesat and Amazon Fire. The broadcaster is a significant investor in British creativity and is committed to working with new and established writers, directors and programme-makers.
UKTV is part of BBC Studios, the UK's most-awarded production company, a world-class distributor with international branded services, and a commercial subsidiary of the world's leading public service broadcaster, the BBC.