As a long-time fan of the series, I was excited to see Geraldine and some familiar faces return in this Red Nose special.
Maybe my expectations were too high, but apart from Dawn French's significant weight-loss, there was really nothing else of note in this blah vignette of a superb comedy show. The guest stars seemed forced into a plot that just seemed contrived and silly, instead of cleverly funny which is what we've come to expect from the Vicar of Dibley.
The drawn-out scene in the car with Hugo seemed to waste a lot of time to build up to a predictable and unfunny climax, then in the waiting room where she meets the other Bishop candidates, French's character is relegated to a bit player standing off to the side with an increasingly dour and disappointed expression. With nothing better to work with, Dawn French (playing the title character, no less) could do nothing to prevent her character from being overplayed by the guest celebrities. When I should have been laughing, I was squirming instead.
So maybe some of the main character actors were not available (RIP Roger Lloyd Pack) and maybe the writers were overwhelmed at having to shoe-horn in a bunch of special guests, but this was NOT classic Vicar of Dibley hilarious goofball comedy.
I can only hope there will be at least ONE more outing of this terrific ensemble, because such a remarkable show deserves a better send off than this.
Maybe my expectations were too high, but apart from Dawn French's significant weight-loss, there was really nothing else of note in this blah vignette of a superb comedy show. The guest stars seemed forced into a plot that just seemed contrived and silly, instead of cleverly funny which is what we've come to expect from the Vicar of Dibley.
The drawn-out scene in the car with Hugo seemed to waste a lot of time to build up to a predictable and unfunny climax, then in the waiting room where she meets the other Bishop candidates, French's character is relegated to a bit player standing off to the side with an increasingly dour and disappointed expression. With nothing better to work with, Dawn French (playing the title character, no less) could do nothing to prevent her character from being overplayed by the guest celebrities. When I should have been laughing, I was squirming instead.
So maybe some of the main character actors were not available (RIP Roger Lloyd Pack) and maybe the writers were overwhelmed at having to shoe-horn in a bunch of special guests, but this was NOT classic Vicar of Dibley hilarious goofball comedy.
I can only hope there will be at least ONE more outing of this terrific ensemble, because such a remarkable show deserves a better send off than this.
