Rev. (TV series)

Did You Know?

• Tom Hollander said after the third series that 'the idea of not doing it any more is sad but also quite attractive'.
• The complete first series was released on DVD by 2 Entertain on 21 November 2011.
• A boxset containing the first three series was released on 5 May 2014.

Plot

The Reverend Adam Smallbone, an Anglican priest, moves from a small rural parish to St Saviour in the Marshes in Hackney, East London, a socially disunited area. He faces moral challenges as he balances the needs of genuine believers, homeless people, drug addicts, and social climbers using the church for school admissions. His wife Alex, a solicitor, supports him while remaining detached from his work. Lay reader Nigel believes he should run the church, and Archdeacon Robert pressures Adam to grow the congregation and income. Parishioners include Colin, a heavy-drinking lost soul; Adoha, who has romantic intentions toward clergy; homeless Mick; and head teacher Ellie.

Production

Six episodes were produced for the first series by Big Talk Productions for BBC Two. Church scenes were filmed at St Leonard's in Shoreditch, east London. The BBC renewed the show in September 2010, with filming for a second series of seven episodes beginning in mid-2011 and premiering in November 2011. A third series of six episodes aired in 2014.

Reception

The series was praised by The Independent as a smart comedy, highlighting Tom Hollander's strong performance and the supporting cast. In 2011, Rev. received the South Bank Award for Best Comedy and earned nominations from the Royal Television Society for Best Scripted Comedy and Best Comedy Performance. That same year, it won the BAFTA for Best Sitcom, with Hollander up for Best Male Comedy Performance. Both were nominated again the following year but did not win. At the 2015 BAFTAs, Hollander and Olivia Colman were nominated for Best Male and Best Female Comedy Performance, respectively.