14 Hilarious British Comedies You Can Binge Right Now

The cast of “The Vicar of Dibley”. (Photo: Courtesy of BBC and Tiger Aspect Productions)

The Vicar of Dibley

In March of 1994, the first women were ordained as Church of England priests (or vicars). Eight months later, comedy legend Richard Curtis made a show about one.

This is more of a classic series than most items on this list, but it’s one of those light-hearted kind of shows that makes you feel good when you watch it.

The Vicar of Dibley follows the story of the eccentric residents of a fictional Oxfordshire village, who are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the new vicar of St. Barnabas, the parish church. They are somewhat shocked to discover that Reverend Granger is actually a plucky, chocolate-loving, man-crazy female vicar named Geraldine. Comedy, predictably, ensues.

The series stars Dawn French as the titular vicar, alongside a charming ensemble cast that includes Emma Chambers, Gary Waldhorn, James Fleet, Trevor Peacock and Roger Lloyd Pack. And many recognizable British guest stars paraded through Dibley at one point or another, including Hugh Bonneville, Miranda Hart, Richard Armitage, Peter Capaldi, Keeley Hawes, and even Great British Bake Off presenter Mel Giddroyc.

This comedy originally premiered almost twenty years ago now, but still manages to feel surprisingly fresh. (And most of the jokes are still funny.) The Vicar of Dibley originally aired 20 episodes, but has been coming back off and on to do various Christmas specials and short charity bits since the series “ended” in 2007. The most recent Comic Relief charity special aired in 2015.

Number of Seasons: 3 seasons and a handful of assorted holiday specials

Where to Watch:  Netflix