The Vicar Of Dibley Is Coming Back For A Coronavirus Fundraiser

If you're craving TV comfort food right now, today brings good news: Dawn French is bringing back The Vicar of Dibley for a charity special.

The actress announced on Twitter that she's reprising her much-loved role as Reverend Geraldine Granger for BBC One's The Big Night In coronavirus fundraiser.

French broke the news on Twitter, saying: "I’m back in the dog collar, back in the vicarage, and back on your telly as part of The Big Night In. Be there, or go to hell. Literally. I have some sway."

The Big Night In, a collaboration between Comic Relief and Children in Need, will air on BBC One from 7pm on Thursday 23rd April. Matt Baker, Zoe Ball, Lenny Henry, Davina McCall and Paddy McGuinness will be on hosting duties.

According to the BBC, the three-hour special programming event will "celebrate the acts of kindness, humour and the spirit of hope and resilience that is keeping the nation going during the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic".

Viewers will be able to donate should they wish to do so, and proceeds will be used to support "vulnerable people of all ages and backgrounds across the UK who will be significantly impacted by the crisis".

The Vicar of Dibley originally ran for 20 episodes between 1994 and 2007. Since then, French has reprised her role for a number of charity specials, the most recent of which came in 2015 when Geraldine Granger took part in the Ice Bucket Challenge.

Since then, several of French's co-stars have sadly passed away, including Emma Chambers, who played dim-witted verger Alice Tinker. The actress, also known for her role in Notting Hill, died of natural causes in 2018.

John Bluthal (who played Frank Pickle), Roger Lloyd-Pack (Owen Newitt) and Liz Smith (Letitia Cropley) have also passed away in recent years.

If you fancy catching up with The Vicar of Dibley, it's been added to Netflix this month along with some classic '80s teen films and Victoria Wood's sitcom Dinnerladies.