Rev

9:30pm Tuesday 20 December on BBC TWO

Christmas is the busiest time of year for a vicar – and the worst time for a vicar’s wife – as Tom Hollander stars in the final episode of Rev.

Adam is full of ideas for his first Advent in London. However, he soon discovers that Christmas at St Saviour’s is quite different to his sleepy Suffolk parish. He’s under pressure from the Archdeacon to maximise seasonal profits, the diary’s packed with unusual events and he’s up at the crack of dawn every morning to cook breakfast at the homeless shelter.

Exhausted, with a permanent hangover and Midnight Mass looming, he’s in no mood for a house guest – least of all Alex’s cantankerous father, Martin (Geoffrey Palmer)…

Tom Hollander, Olivia Colman, Steve Evets, Miles Jupp, Lucy Liemann, Simon Mcburney, Ellen Thomas, Geoffrey Palmer, Jimmy Akingbola, Severn Brand, Katie Males and Eliza Newman star.

Ep 7/7

9:00pm Thursday 15 December on BBC TWO

Nigel finally has the chance to prove he’d be a better priest than his boss.

Ambition is in the air. Pedantic Lay Reader Nigel has always believed he’d be a far better priest than Adam and finally gets the chance to prove it – or not. The Archdeacon also has lofty ambitions for career advancement, but a surprise encounter throws a rather different light on things, and even Colin has got a new job. Meanwhile, Adam faces questions about his own future and has a big decision to make.

Tom Hollander, Olivia Colman, Steve Evets, Miles Jupp, Lucy Liemann, Simon Mcburney, Ellen Thomas and James Purefoy star.

Ep 6/7

9:00pm Thursday 8 December on BBC TWO

Financial salvation for the city vicar seems to come in the form of a city slicker, as the comedy continues.

There’s a hole in the church accounts and the Archdeacon’s ready to pounce. Salvation appears to come in the form of a wealthy city banker (Richard E Grant) who arrives at St Saviour’s to join Alcoholics Anonymous. However, Adam’s mind isn’t on balancing the books – serial blagger Mick (Jimmy Akingbola) has arrived on the vicarage doorstep with a much bigger ask than the usual �20, and Adam takes a huge risk.

Tom Hollander, Olivia Colman, Steve Evets, Miles Jupp, Simon McBurney, Richard E Grant, Jimmy Akingbola, Lu Corfield and Katie Males star.

9:00pm Thursday 1 December on BBC TWO

There’s a brilliant new teacher at the church school – problem is, he’s an atheist.

The church school is up for religious inspection and headteacher Ellie’s confident they’ll pass with flying colours, thanks to inspiring new teacher Mr Feld (Adrian Bower). The only problem is, he’s an atheist. Adam clashes with Ellie, but has another battle on his hands – he’s signed up for an interfaith football tournament and the St Saviour’s congregation rather lacks young, fit athletes.

Starring Tom Hollander, Olivia Colman, Steve Evets, Miles Jupp, Lucy Liemann, Simon Mcburney, Ellen Thomas, Adrian Bower, Jimmy Akingbola, Severn Brand, Jayden Jean-Paul Denis, Eliza Newman, Marcus Onilude, Robin Weaver, Ben Willbond.

9:00pm Thursday 24 November on BBC TWO

Adam’s goddaughter comes to stay and things start to go bump in the night.

A heatwave hits London and Adam can’t sleep. He’s not the only one plagued by nightmares – elderly parishioner Joan (Sylvia Syms) has just moved into a nursing home and is convinced her new room is haunted. Adam’s called on to justify believing in the holy ghost but not spooks, and there are demands at home too – Alex and Adam have a pint-sized house guest in the form of Adam’s difficult goddaughter Enid.

Starring Tom Hollander, Olivia Colman, Steve Evets, Miles Jupp, Lucy Liemann, Simon McBurney, Ellen Thomas, Sylvia Sims, Jimmy Akingbola, James Bachman, Brian Peck, Olivia Riley.

9:00pm Thursday 17 November on BBC TWO

A brilliant new curate comes to train at St Saviour’s and Adam is far from ecstatic.

Abi Johnston (played by Amanda Hale), a talented young curate, comes to train at St Saviour’s.

Lay Reader Nigel is green with envy, and even Adam’s initial enthusiasm at the prospect of someone to cover weekends off soon gives way to doubt in his own abilities as a priest when he realises just how brilliant she is.

When Colin decides his vicar needs cheering up, Adam inadvertently gets the chance to experience religious versus chemical ecstasy.

Rev stars Tom Hollander, Olivia Colman, Steve Evets, Miles Jupp, Simon McBurney, Ellen Thomas, Amanda Hale, Lu Corfield, Ben Willbond.

9:00pm Thursday 10 November on BBC TWO

Inner-city parish life hasn’t got any easier, so when he becomes an accidental hero, the vicar gets a bit carried away, as the award-winning comedy starring Tom Hollander returns for a second series.

The Reverend Adam Smallbone’s back and life in his London parish hasn’t got any easier; his flock are just as demanding and his wife Alex has reached breaking point. So when Adam unwittingly thwarts a mugging, he’s tempted to bask in the novelty of being hailed a super vicar instead of the usual clergy-baiting, and enjoy Alex’s renewed attraction to her hero husband. But as the lie spirals out of control, Adam draws attention from on high…

Tom Hollander, Olivia Colman, Simon McBurney, Miles Jupp, Jimmy Akingbola, Steve Evets, Ellen Thomas and Lucy Liemann star.

I can’t deny being a recently converted huge fan of BBC Two’s Rev.

The world weary tale of an inner city vicar with a face longer than his congregation. It’s wonderful and clever and it’s a must to catch up with on iPlayer while you can.

Brilliantly, one fan of the show is the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, who thinks the series is “really rather good” and reveals “something about the continuing commitment of the church to run down and challenging areas.

“It also shows us someone who prays honestly,” according to the Guardian.

He’s not the only man of the cloth who is into the show.

The Right Rev Alan Wilson, the bishop of Buckingham wrote on his blog: “At last the BBC has moved beyond The Vicar of Dibley. It’s a noble enterprise. Those who wrote it know whereof they speak. Adam sits in his church trying to pray the office, wishing God would bloody do something, but secretly suspecting he won’t … It’s a ministry that resents all the distractions, until it realises that the ministry is the distraction.”

“On a personal and emotional level, Rev is remarkably surefooted. It brings back vividly for me memories of 10 years’ urban ministry.”

A spokesman for the Church of England said it was great to see a church drama on television that did not resort to tired old stereotypes” and instead gave “an edgy insight” into the work of its clergy today.

Here’s hoping that the BBC recommission this charming and very funny show.

They’d better or they might get smited or whatever it is God does to naysayers.

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BBC comedy Rev closes to 1.7m

The first season of new BBC comedy Rev closed to 1.7 million viewers on Monday night. The comedy, which stars Tom Hollander and Olivia Colman pulled an 8% audience share between 10pm and 10:30pm.

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10.00pm Monday 28 June on BBC TWO

The daily frustrations and moral conflicts of the Reverend Adam Smallbone are followed in this contemporary new sitcom for BBC Two, starring Tom Hollander.