Rev | Episode Two

1 comment

in Episode Guides,Video

Adam engages in a battle for his church with a charming evangelical priest, but Alex is more concerned about matters in the bedroom.

When the Archdeacon tells Adam his collection plates are too light, salvation appears to come in the form of fellow priest Darren Betts. Darren needs a temporary venue for services whilst his own church is renovated so Adam welcomes Darren and his huge congregation of young and fashionable evangelists with open arms. But the union soon becomes a battle for hearts and minds as Darren refuses to leave Adam’s church. There’s tension at home too – Adam’s wife Alex is feeling neglected and announces they need to rekindle their love life. [click to read more...]

Rev. | Episode One

0 comments

in Episode Guides,Video

Adam is elated when his dwindling congregation quadruples overnight – but the new worshippers have ulterior motives.

Feeling the pressure of trying to fill a rundown London church, the Reverend Adam Smallbone is elated when his congregation quadruples overnight. But the sudden influx of worshippers isn’t down to word getting out about his wonderful sermons – there’s a rumour going round that the local church school’s about to get a great Ofsted report. Faced with a bunch of hypocritical parents vying to out-Christian one another in the hope he’ll recommend their child, Adam is tempted to enter into a deal with the devil and trade a school place for the expensive restoration of a broken stained-glass window. [click to read more...]

Rev. | First Day of the Shoot

2 comments

in Behind the Scenes,Video

Tom Hollander introduces the world of Rev. on its first day of shooting.

Rev. is a new comedy about a vicar running a modern inner-city church, with a reluctant wife and a depleted, motley congregation.

An Interview with Tom Hollander

2 comments

in Interviews


You’re the co-creator of this character. Can you tell me where the inspiration for the Rev. Adam Smallbone came from?

    There was a news story about a West London Vicar who had suddenly become the most invited man in the district because the shadow cabinet was trying to get their children into his school. I thought that sounded quite funny because if you think of a classic image of an Anglican vicar being slightly socially awkward, and being thrust into the metropolitan world with people fighting over themselves to get his attention is a rather funny story to tell.

    Another inspiration came from attending the christening of one of my God children. As I looked at the father, an old friend, I remembered while at university he’d come back from home one Christmas and apparently said he reduced his mother to tears by finally proving the non existence of God and here we were twenty years later christening his son! I then realised his very practical wife was sorting out the educational issue early!

    So those two things started as a funny idea of ‘Oh here’s an urban comedy’ in essence, but then it became much broader and more interesting, as we met and talked to vicars all over the place.

    I met the wife of the vicar when I was at university who was a very contemporary vicar’s wife. So the conventional idea I had of her wearing an Alice band and making cakes were dispelled as I met this high powered barrister who earned six times more than her husband. Although she dearly loved him, she was irritated by the fact that her house was not her own, and so you can see where the character of Alex (Olivia Colman) came from.

[click to read more...]

Next Entries →