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The Vicar of Dibley Season 1 Episodes
Season 1 Episode Guide
8 Episodes 1994 - 1996
Episode 1
The Arrival
Thu, Nov 10, 199429 mins
When the ancient Reverend Pottle dies, the village of Dibley looks forward to its new vicar's arrival. Staid, right-wing parish council chairman David Horton is horrified when this turns out to be switched-on, plain-speaking Geraldine Granger. However, she is popular with the other council members: eccentric culinary experimenter Mrs. Cropley, grubby farmer Owen Newitt, hesitant Frank Pickle, slow-talking Jim Trott, David's put-upon son Hugo and the dizzy church warden Alice; and the village turns out in force for her first sermon - after all, it's not every day they get a female vicar.
Episode 2
Songs of Praise
30 mins
Dibley is chosen to feature on 'Songs of Praise', a television show which broadcasts church services. Everyone wants to be in the choir and, amazingly, Owen turns out to have a beautiful voice and is a star singer. Geraldine is smitten by Tristan, the producer, and David falls for Ruth, one of the technicians. Numbers are exchanged but Tristan and Ruth share the same number so they must be an item.
Episode 3
Community Spirit
29 mins
David Horton always opens the village fete but Geraldine wants a real celebrity this year - somebody like Elton John, Reg Dwight himself. Luckily Reg turns out be Alice's cousin and gets booked but unluckily he's just Reg Dwight and not Elton John. With the crowd getting impatient to see a celebrity it's a good thing Kylie Minogue is in the area and has come to the fete to see her friend Elton.
Episode 4
The Window & the Weather
30 mins
During a fierce storm a beautiful stained glass window in the church is destroyed when a tree smashes through it. Geraldine seeks a sponsor to replace it, persuading businessman Daniel Frobisher to put up the money, his philanthropy being celebrated as a result. However, when Geraldine learns of an earthquake in South America, she donates most of Daniel's eleven thousand pound gift to its appeal, settling for a plain window as a replacement instead.
Episode 5
Election
30 mins
The local election is coming up and David will doubtless be re-elected as councillor for Dibley. Geraldine is appalled that he abuses his position to take free trips to supposed twinning sites when the local bus service is woefully inadequate. The other members of the parish council persuade her to stand against him, which she does, but she drops out. However, she gets a load of pensioners to invade the golf course to 'persuade' him to do something about the buses.
Episode 6
Animals
30 mins
Geraldine is struck at how upset people are when their pets die and resolves to hold a special day when everybody brings an animal to church. David is appalled and tries to get the bishop to prevent it but he allows it, provided Geraldine takes the blame if it fails. A gutter press journalist turns up and tries to belittle the event with a stupid banner headline, but the day turns out to be a huge success with the furry and feathered congregation on their best behaviour.
Episode 7
The Easter Bunny
39 mins
With Lent approaching Geraldine suggests that everybody give something up and contribute a pound to charity if they fail - in her case chocolate, which is difficult, though she succeeds. Mrs. Cropley, who has agreed to give up making strange food combinations dies, but on her death-bed, charges Geraldine to dress as the Easter Bunny and dole out goodies, a job Mrs. Cropley had always done. Geraldine agrees but in fact finds that everybody else has also dressed up as the Easter Bunny.
Episode 8
The Christmas Lunch Incident
44 mins
Geraldine is so popular that everybody wants her round for Christmas dinner so she won't be alone - Jim and Frank, Alice and her family, who are even more bizarre than Alice herself and the Hortons. Geraldine is protective of Hugo when David bullies him and indulges in a sprout-eating contest. And then Owen turns up wanting company since he has spent every Christmas alone since 1971. As a consequence she has to be taken home on a bulldozer to sleep it off.