Vicar of Dibley in Lockdown cast: who stars with Dawn French in Christmas specials - and what happened to Alice?

The British sitcom is scheduled for a return to the BBC this festive season
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Dawn French is set to reprise her role as Geraldine Granger in a series of The Vicar of Dibley specials this festive season.

She will be joined by James Fleet, who plays Hugo Horton, and others in the much-loved British sitcom to spread a little Christmas cheer from the quaint village of Dibley.

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A lot has changed since the show was last aired more than a decade ago, with the short 10-minute episodes addressing life in lockdown through the coronavirus pandemic.

The Vicar of Dibley in Lockdown will be aired on the BBC this December. (Pic: PA)The Vicar of Dibley in Lockdown will be aired on the BBC this December. (Pic: PA)
The Vicar of Dibley in Lockdown will be aired on the BBC this December. (Pic: PA)

When is The Vicar of Dibley in Lockdown on TV?

There will be three 10-minute episodes shown on the BBC in the run up to Christmas, with a repeated half-hour show being aired later in the festive season.

The first instalment of The Vicar of Dibley in Lockdown will be screened on BBC One at 8.50-9pm on Monday 7 December.

The second will be shown a week later at 8.55pm on Monday 14 December on the same channel.

Who is the cast of The Vicar of Dibley in Lockdown?

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Viewers can expect to see French play her iconic character Geraldine Granger but not all of the former cast will be joining her for these Christmas specials.

Hugo Horton (Fleet), who has spent lockdown with his father and Dibley parish councillor David (Gary Waldhorn), will join the vicar and will naturally have a few things to vent about.

Some of the cast have died since the original series was last screened, including Emma Chambers who played Hugo’s love interest Alice Tinker.

“There is a eulogy to Alice there which wasn’t very easy for me to film which was important for me to do,” French said.

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Others characters such as Jim Trott (Trevor Peacock), Jeremy Ogilvy (Hugh Bonneville), Rosie Kennedy (Keeley Hawes) and Harry Kennedy (Richard Armitage) are all listed to feature.

What will The Vicar of Dibley in Lockdown be about?

Without giving too much away, the vicar will deliver online sermons for her parishioners during the pandemic.

It begins by explaining the difference between metres and miles when it comes to social distancing and the second show looks at the lengths people went to to get a haircut.

What has Dawn French said about The Vicar of Dibley’s return?

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Speaking on Lorraine, French said: “We asked ourselves, and by we I mean [writers] Richard Curtis and Paul Mayhew-Archer and I asked ourselves, ‘What would Geraldine be doing in the lockdown?’

“And of course she would be on the webcam talking to her parishioners so that’s what we have done.

“We have made nine little tiny films where she, through the power of Zoom, is connecting with everybody and it’s funny and silly as she is talking to folk. She is doing a sort of newsletter and a sermon.

“We have tried to be light and funny but we also try to remember those who aren’t with us anymore.”

Where is The Vicar of Dibley filmed?

Dibley, unfortunately, is a fictional setting.

The original show was filmed in the Buckinghamshire village of Turville, which has also been the production home of Midsomer Murders, Jonathan Creek and Killing Eve.

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