The Vicar of Dibley

Change can be hard for a small town, especially when it shows up in a clerical collar and a sense of humor. The sleepy English village of Dibley gets a jolt when its new vicar turns out to be a woman - and not just any woman, but Geraldine Granger, played by Dawn French of the peerless comedy duo French & Saunders. With wit and warmth, Gerry quickly overcomes her parishioners' old-fashioned chauvinism, turning "The Vicar of Dibley" into a beloved British sitcom and cult favorite. Over its run of episodes and specials, Gerry grapples with everything from a broken church window to being smeared in the tabloids, from the demise of the Easter Bunny to the possible destruction of the village itself. The show happily dabbles in the absurd - pop star Kylie Minogue drops by just when she's needed most - but at its best, it finds its biggest laughs in the everyday life of an English village and the quirks of its daffy residents. French is the heart of the show, but much of its success comes from the clever writing of creator Richard Curtis ("Four Weddings and a Funeral," "Notting Hill," "Love Actually") and a rock-solid ensemble. Emma Chambers plays Gerry's dim-bulb verger, Alice; Gary Waldhorn is pompous landowner David Horton; James Fleet is his none-too-bright son, Hugo; and Roger Lloyd-Pack, Trevor Peacock, John Bluthal and Liz Smith round out the maddeningly eccentric villagers. No wonder the series has devoted fans on both sides of the Atlantic. From the clever stories to the joke that follows the credits of every episode, it's sheer delight. Sometimes the best sermons are the ones that make you laugh.