The nation’s favourite comedy channel, Gold, takes a reflective look at one of Britain’s most-loved comic creations in the brand-new one-off two-hour special, The Vicar of Dibley: Inside Out. The UKTV Original retrospective is produced by Expectation and will air later this year.

Dawn French, who played Geraldine Granger in The Vicar of Dibley, said: “It was a total treat to revisit such a happy place and time for this documentary. Part of my heart is still, and forever will be in Dibley.”

The documentary will take viewers on a joyous trip down memory lane and reveal what went on behind the scenes of the highly successful sitcom and share exclusive, never-before seen footage from rehearsals. Dawn French and Richard Curtis will be joined by writer Paul Mayhew-Archer, producer Jon Plowman, James Fleet (who played Hugo Horton) and guest stars including Kylie, Hugh Bonneville, Joanna Lumley and many more, as they lovingly look back at their favourite Dibley moments.

Executive producer is Jon Plowman, who was also the original producer. Jon said: “I feel incredibly proud to have been involved and am thrilled that it’s still making audiences laugh (and occasionally cry) more than 25 years later. It’s been a total joy to look back through the Dibley archives and to be reminded of old friends and so many wonderful moments. It looks to me like we were all having far too much fun. Quite how we got anything done is beyond me.”   

Owen Braben, series producer for Expectation, said: “The Vicar of Dibley is one of the most iconic sitcoms of our generation, filled with warmth and affection and memorable moments that audiences love to watch again and again. This programme hears some of the behind-the-scenes stories and we’ll reveal exclusive, never-before-seen footage filmed at Dibley rehearsals, and show how the Vicar team brought the show to our screens.”

The Vicar of Dibley: Inside Out will air later this year on Gold.