Outrage over Dibley sitcom

As a sitcom so closely aligned to cosy Middle English values, The Vicar of Dibley is not normally associated with controversy.

But broadcasting watchdogs were swamped with complaints over the Christmas special, with scores of viewers complaining about its content.

However regulators at Ofcom have today ruled that the show did not breach rules on denigrating religious groups and the use of offensive language.

A total of 66 people complained about the two-part special, the first of which went out on Christmas Day, complaining it insulted Christians on one of the most important days in their calendar.

They also complained about the general bad language and adult nature of some  of the material including verger Alice speculating about a lesbian relationship with the Queen.

In response, the BBC argued that the episodes were in keeping with the sitcom’s style of ‘a  “gentle’ comedy with moments of irreverence”.

And the corporation inisited: ‘The sexual element was  notable for the comic misunderstandings it led to, rather than any degree of  explicitness.”

Regulators agreed, saying in their judgement: ‘‘The programme was peppered with farcical, broad comedy elements that would not  have been out of place in a Carry-On film or a Whitehall farce. 

‘This series long ago established its ability to create bizarre  and  farcical moments from major misunderstandings within the community – this has  included outrageous statements about figures in both Church and State, strong  language, adult material and, indeed, drunkenness on the part of the vicar. 

‘While the  programme may, in places, have been at the limits of audience expectations, it did  not go beyond them.

‘The culmination of  Geraldine’s frustrations leading to her questioning her calling as a vicar, which  included her getting drunk, forgetting Midnight Mass and falling out of the pulpit,  again, would not have been out of place in a more traditional sit-com from a bygone  age.  In effect, a routine and traditional ”comedy vicar”  moment.’

They did say the decision to schedule the episode on Christmas Day was ‘questionable’ – but ultimately decided not to uphold the complaints because ‘people were not laughing at  the tenets of belief but at the characters' false interpretation of such elements’.

 

Published: 5 Jun 2005