Line #41 Series/Rev


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rev_bbc.png]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:L - R: [[HotTeacher Ellie]], [[AddledAddict Mick]], [[WomenAreWiser Alex]], [[HotForPreacher Adoha]], [[GoodShepherd Adam]], [[SmugSnake Robert]], [[TheAlcoholic Colin]], [[TheStarscream Nigel]]]]
3	'''Rev.''' (2010-14) is a [[Creator/TheBBC BBC]] television sitcom. The Reverend Adam Smallbone (Creator/TomHollander) is an Anglican vicar who has recently been transferred from a small rural parish to the "socially disunited" inner-city parish of St Saviour in the Marshes in East London. Unable to turn anyone away from his new appointment, Smallbone is faced with a collection of moral challenges as he balances the needs of genuine believers, people on the streets and drug addicts as well as with the demands of social climbers using the church to get their children into the best schools.
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5	Adam has an impossibly difficult job being a good modern city vicar and his wife, Alex (Creator/OliviaColman) does her best to support him, but she's got her own career as a solicitor to worry about and she is no one's idea of a conventional vicar’s wife. He is also supported by lay reader Nigel, although he firmly believes that he should be the one running the church. In immediate supervision is Archdeacon Robert, who continually puts pressure on Adam to increase the congregation and church income.
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7	Parishioners include Colin (a heavy-drinking, unemployable lost soul who is Adam's most devoted parishioner), Adoha (well-known for her romantic interests in the clergy), Ellie (the head teacher of the local primary school) and Mick (an irredeemable crack addict).
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9	!!''Rev'' contains examples of:
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11	* AbhorrentAdmirer: Adoha is openly described as a "cassock-chaser" and usually acts affectionately towards Adam. For his part, Adam occasionally acts like this towards Ellie.
12	* AccidentalHero: The plot of the series 2 opener has Adam get regarded as one of these after he accidentally foils a mugger.
13	* ActorAllusion: Creator/LiamNeeson, who has a cameo role as [[spoiler: {{God}}]], had previously played UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}} in the 1978 film adaptation of ''Literature/ThePilgrimsProgress''.
14	* AddledAddict: Mick, invariably referred to as "Mick the Crackhead". Sometimes becomes a FunctionalAddict but has usually [[StatusQuoIsGod relapsed]] by the end of the episode.
15	* AesopAmnesia: Adam needs to learn the lesson he [[RecycledScript keeps being taught]] about not [[GreenEyedMonster envying]] people who are [[AlwaysSomeoneBetter better at their jobs than him]] before their inevitable bad luck gets someone ki- [[KilledOffForReal oh, too late]].
16	* TheAlcoholic: Colin is rarely seen without a drink.
17	* AloneInACrowd: The title sequence. Also at play in "A Fine Bromance", when Adam laments that he doesn't have any actual friends.
18	* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: A recurring plot; it seems like [[TheVicar the good vicar]] [[MrViceGuy has a problem]] with [[SevenDeadlySins Envy]]...
19	** Roland Wise, Adam's schoolfriend who's making a good name as a celebrity vicar; see BrokenPedestal. [[AscendedExtra Promoted]] to RecurringCharacter in series 2.
20	** Abby the curate in series 2, who immediately increases attendance, becomes beloved by everyone, and generally outshines Adam in every way. [[ResetButton Luckily for him]], she's KickedUpstairs by the end of the episode.
21	** Mattie Feld, everyone's favourite CoolTeacher, the [[HotTeacher Hot Headmistress]]'s boyfriend and — despite being an atheist — star of the Catholic team in the interfaith five-a-side football tournament. [[spoiler: Gets [[LookBothWays hit by a bus]].]] Unlike the other two, he's very much a JerkAss .
22	* ArsonMurderAndJaywalking: The fallout from Adam's appearance on ''The One Show'':
23	-->'''Nigel''': This pile of letters is from people who think you're homophobic, and are a disgrace. This pile of letters is from people who think you're condoning homosexuality, and are a disgrace. [[ItMakesSenseInContext And this letter is from an ABBA fan who thinks you're stupid!]]
24	* ArtisticLicenceReligion: Usually averted, but a couple of minor points do come up.
25	** Archdeacon Robert worries a few times about what the Dean might have to say about what's going on in Adam's parish, giving the impression that the Dean is senior to him (Robert) in the church hierarchy. In actual fact, though, in the Church of England, a diocese is divided into archdeaconries, which are in turn divided into deaneries — so the reverse is actually true. Unless of course he's talking about the Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral, although it is unlikely that he would be interested in the goings-on in an East London parish church.
26	** When Adam and Nigel are holding a minute's silence at the local war memorial, everyone else is carrying on with their daily business as usual. A group of uniformed schoolkids are playing football, and one of them comes over to verbally abuse them. Although it is ''possible'' that Adam and Nigel are doing this on Armistice Day (11th November) itself [[note]] which fell on a Thursday in 2010, the year in which that particular episode was first broadcast [[/note]], they would be more likely to be doing it on the nearest ''Sunday'' which is commemorated as Remembrance Sunday in Britain; it's therefore unlikely that there would be uniformed schoolkids and roadworks. Plus, you'd think a few others (Adoha and Colin at the very least, along with at least one representative of the local branch of the Royal British Legion) would've shown up as well.
27	** When Adam blesses the marriage of a gay couple in such a way that causes everyone to think that he actually ''married'' them, Archdeacon Robert says that he could get defrocked as a result. In actual fact, defrocking [[note]] the removal of a priest's right to exercise the functions of an ordained minister, referring to the (somewhat archaic) ritual removal of the frock-like vestments of clergy and ministers [[/note]] is very rare in the Church of England; the suspension of his licence to preach and administer the sacraments within the diocese would be a more likely punishment.
28	* AsHimself: In a series 1 episode where Adam is trying to get onto the media like rival reverend Roland Wise, [[NewscasterCameo John Humphrys, Jonathan Dimbleby]] and ''The One Show'' presenters Christine Bleakley and Adrian Chiles appear as themselves [[note]] unfortunately, both Bleakley and Chiles subsequently left for ITV and were no longer presenting ''The One Show'' by the time the first series was broadcast [[/note]].
29	* BadToTheLastDrop: Adam's coffee, according to Robert.
30	* BittersweetEnding: The last two episodes present a TraumaCongaLine for Adam and others as [[spoiler: a brief indiscretion on his part causes the parish to be closed down, he's barred from ministerial work and has to take menial jobs, Colin is very bitter toward him over the church closing, and Colin's dog dies. Still there's some uplift as Adam, Alex, Colin, the Archdeacon, and Nigel reunite for the baptism of Adam and Alex's baby daughter.]]
31	* BlindShoulderToss: How Colin disposes of empty beer bottles. [[spoiler: Which is how the church window came to be broken in the first place.]]
32	* BrattyHalfPint: Enid, Adam's goddaughter, whose stay leads Adam and Alex to (briefly) question whether they really should be trying to have a baby of their own.
33	* {{Britcom}}: One about a vicar, no less -- but in contrast to ''Series/TheVicarOfDibley'', this one has been assigned to an inner-city parish.
34	* BrickJoke: A few examples.
35	** In the first episode, Adam cycles to the pub and locks his bike up outside. He's then visited by Archdeacon Robert who insists on talking to him in a taxi ... making Adam leave his bike. When he goes back to the pub later in the episode (several days later), the bike's still there.
36	** Early on in "Forests of Prejudice", Colin tells a long-winded (and quite possibly made-up) story about how a criminal acquaintance once used a burqa as a disguise in order to rob a bookmaker's. Later on, Colin -- in fear of his safety after running afoul of a local criminal gang -- disguises himself by wearing a burqa.
37	* BritishBrevity: Three series of six episodes each, plus a Christmas special after the second series, making 19 episodes in total.
38	* BrokenPedestal: Adam meets his hated "Thought For The Day"-reading, ''Series/HaveIGotNewsForYou''-appearing ex-schoolmate rival, and finds out he's ultimately unhappy at having lost the point of his calling. Which doesn't stop him from stealing Adam's sermon idea to use it in a radio interview.
39	* TheCameo: A few.
40	** Ralph Fiennes appears in the first episode of series 2 as the Bishop of London.
41	** In episode six of series 2, [[Series/{{Rome}} James Purefoy]] plays the part of [[spoiler: Archdeacon Robert]]'s boyfriend.
42	** Episode six of Series Three has Creator/LiamNeeson as [[spoiler: God.]]
43	* CelebrityParadox: Roland is played by Hugh Bonneville, who also plays the Earl of Grantham on ''Series/DowntonAbbey''. Ellie treats herself to a ''Downton Abbey'' marathon in the ChristmasEpisode.
44	* ChivalrousPervert: Colin.
45	* ChristmasEpisode: What with all of the extra work he has to do in the run-up to Christmas (cooking breakfast for the homeless, playing Santa at Ellie's school, etc), Adam breaks down under all the stress and has a mini-FreakOut during midnight mass - the next day, he apologises for his "[[LeaningOnTheFourthWall little Christmas episode]]".
46	* CircleOfShame: Adam has a dream-version featuring pretty much everyone he knows. "You'd be a terrible father!"
47	* CoolOldLady: Joan, the elderly parishioner whose retirement home apartment may or may not be haunted. The fact that she's played by Creator/SylviaSyms definitely helps.
48	* CrisisOfFaith: Adam is prone to these as he struggles with the demands of being a vicar in a modern, inner-city parish.
49	* DepravedDentist: A dead one is supposed to haunt the old folks home ... unless the Archdeacon made the whole thing up.
50	* DidntThinkThisThrough: Quite why Adam doesn't opt to wear a regular shirt and tie instead of his usual dog collar for his visit to the strip club is anyone's guess. Although in the event, it incites few comments and as a result of his and Ellie's visit, they are able to block the plans for the club to open a new venue opposite the school.
51	* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: Appropriately, the actions of several characters bring to mind incidents from Literature/TheBible.
52	** Adam's meeting with the Area Dean and the Diocesan Secretary, who are both solely interested in the monetary value of St Saviour's Church and the land on which it stands, calls to mind UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}}'s encounter with the money-lenders in the Temple.
53	** By reporting Adam to the church authorities for [[spoiler: kissing Ellie]], Nigel is emulating Judas Iscariot.
54	** After Adam is [[spoiler: suspended from duty as a result of the above]], Colin denies knowing him three times -- an allusion to Peter denying that he knows UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}} three times after the latter's arrest.
55	** Just before Easter, Adam carries a large wooden cross through the streets ([[ItMakesSenseInContext delivering it to a neighbouring church which wants to use it]]) and is roundly mocked by everyone he encounters.
56	** A non-Biblical example can be found in the team kits at the inter-faith five-a-side football tournament. The Anglican team plays in white shirts and blue shorts, the home kit of the England national football team. In contrast, the Catholic team has red and black striped shirts, just like AC Milan (Milan being home to the largest cathedral in Italy), the Jewish team plays in light blue (this being the colour of the Israel national football team's home kit) and the Muslim team plays in green (a colour strongly associated with Islam).
57	* DreadlockRasta: Adam has a run-in with one who has mistakenly received vestments intended for him. [[spoiler: The Rasta, who as it happens is the leader of the local Rastafarian community, refuses to give them back, prompting Colin -- who is dabbling with Rastafarianism in that particular episode -- to beat him up.]]
58	* DropInCharacter: Colin usually, Mick sometimes. The difference is that Colin helps himself to Adam and Alex's food, while Mick is after money to buy drugs.
59	* [[BaseballEpisode Football Episode]]: In "The Beautiful Game", Adam finds out that Archdeacon Robert referees at an inter-faith five-a-side football tournament consisting of Catholic, Muslim and Jewish teams -- with the Buddhists providing the refreshments. He gets an Anglican team together to take part, and is not impressed to find that Matthew Feld, an avowed atheist, is playing for the Catholics.
60	* {{Foreshadowing}}: There are a number of hints to the Archdeacon's true nature, such as his reaction to Adam's comment "We're all gay in the Church" and when Adam sarcastically refers to him spending his nights at "posh clubs for knobs" he coldly replies: "You literally have no idea how I spend my nights."
61	** A more subtle one: Early on in the Matthew Feld episode, he and Adam are both seen riding bicycles. Adam's bike seems to be a somewhat slow and cumbersome model in comparison to Matthew's much lighter racing bike. Also, Adam is wearing a luminous jacket and a helmet, while Matthew ... isn't. [[spoiler: Later on, Matthew is the one who gets killed as a result of being hit by a lorry while cycling.]]
62	* FreezeFrameBonus: In the opening credits, the figure on the "zebra crossing" road sign is sporting a little dog collar.
63	* TheGhost: Father England, Adam's predecessor who defected to the Roman Catholic church, is mentioned a few times. He was quite fond of using incense during services, had a picture of UsefulNotes/ThePope in the vestry, and once tried to creepily chat up Adoha's goddaughter. And he took some of the vestments with him when he left.
64	* GirlfriendInCanada: Nigel starts babbling about a never-before mentioned "Cherry" [[HaveIMentionedIAmHeterosexualToday apropos of nothing]] soon after he and Adam find out that [[spoiler: Robert]] is gay.
65	* GoodShepherd: Although he has his lapses, Adam genuinely cares for his parishioners. The episode in which he gives comfort to a dying woman after experiencing a crisis of confidence (and faith) is a case in point.
66	* {{Homage}}: Adam and Nigel begin humming [[Film/TheExorcist "Tubular Bells"]] while on their way to perform an exorci- ''[[InsistentTerminology blessing]]'' for one of Adam's elderly parishioners. Nigel gets a bit carried away during the... procedure, and launches into the "power of Christ compels you!" liturgy from the film.
67	* HotForPreacher: Adam is mortified to discover that Adoha is turned on by [[ArousedByTheirVoice listening to him preaching]].
68	* HotTeacher: Ellie. Matthew is a male version.
69	* {{Hypocrite}}: Most of the parents who suddenly start going to church when the primary school gets a good inspection report count as this, especially the MP. Matthew Feld provides a minor example, in that his atheism does not stop him from playing for the Catholic team in the interfaith five-a-side football tournament.
70	* ImpersonatingAnOfficer: An ecclesiastical variation: In "Ever Been to Nando's?", Adam is picked up by the police on suspicion of ''impersonating a vicar''. Even though the officers aren't entirely sure if that's actually illegal [[note]] it is not, in and of itself — although anyone doing so would still be subject to arrest for any criminal offences committed while impersonating a vicar [[/note]]. Turns out, though, someone has been going round London pretending to be a vicar in order to enjoy the various benefits that that entails. [[spoiler: It's later revealed to be Colin.]]
71	* INeedAFreakingDrink: In "Jesus is Awesome", rival vicar Darren's service is a little too evangelical for Adam's liking. When he sees Colin topping up his fruit smoothie with some vodka, he's very quick to take the bottle so that he can do the same to his smoothie.
72	* InnerMonologue: Adam has these, although they are actually him talking to God.
73	* InsistentTerminology: Adam is not allowed to do exorcisms -- although C of E priests can do them, they need to be specially qualified (which Adam is not). The ritual he performs with a bottle of holy water for a parishioner who's scared that her room is haunted is a ''blessing''.
74	* JerkassHasAPoint: Although his behaviour is rather questionable, Adam is correct when he points out that his goal in the Anglicans v Catholics five-a-side football match is perfectly legal as the referee (Archdeacon Robert) had not blown the whistle to stop play when Alex threw up -- the members of the Catholic team who went over to help her should really have played to the whistle, which is what Adam did (seeing them all distracted, he went on a solo run and scored rather than go and see if his wife was OK). Robert allows the goal.
75	* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: The Archdeacon. He's a SmugSnake who seems to value financial considerations over everything else, has an air of a Mafia don, and normally treats Adam with nothing but contempt, yet backs Adam up regarding Colin. Also when he comes to accept that he [[spoiler: will never be a Bishop (a post that he's catastrophically unsuited for anyway) due to his sexuality]]. After spending the entire episode faking humility he elects, for once, to be honest and accepts his role as it is. He also helps Adam get rid of Darren who has been getting on his nerves, as well as [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking allowing Adam's somewhat controversial goal in the Anglicans v Catholics five-a-side football match to stand.]]
76	* KickTheDog: After Adam tries to comfort Nigel over [[spoiler: his ordination application being rejected]], Nigel blames Adam for "fucking him over".
77	* LiesToChildren: Adam's heartwarming bugs-and-dragonflies analogy to explain {{heaven}} to an assembly-full of grieving children.
78	* MoodWhiplash: In the final episode of series one, [[spoiler: after getting drunk and behaving like a {{Jerkass}} at the Tarts and Vicars party, Adam (having just been collared by the police for being drunk in public) is taken by the police to the flat of an elderly couple. The wife is dying, and needs a priest. Adam comforts her and gives her last rites, and by the end of the episode has dropped his bad attitude.]]
79	* MrViceGuy: Adam, a basically good man who's not without fault, fits this trope more than he does TheVicar.
80	* MyLocal: Adam spends enough time in the Monarch pub for him to be on first-name terms with the barmaid (well, he ''did'' officiate at her wedding) and for Archdeacon Robert to comment that that's where he knows to find him if he's not at the church or the vicarage.
81	* NoodleIncident: We only hear about what Colin got up to when he [[spoiler: went around pretending to be a vicar]]. Averted in the case of Colin getting arrested for assaulting the thief who's been stealing the lead from the church roof ''with a wheelie bin'', as we later get to see some of the CCTV footage of the incident.
82	* {{Novelization}}: In 2014, ''The Rev. Diaries'' was published. It's [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Adam's "diary"]], retelling the events of the first series. In the introduction, he states that he's decided to keep a diary of his tenure at St. Saviour's in the hope that in years to come, he'll be celebrated as the C of E's equivalent of [[Literature/TheDiaryOfSamuelPepys Samuel Pepys]], or maybe Literature/BridgetJones.
83	* OverzealousUnderling: The guys with the low-loader who tow away ''a hearse'' which was illegally parked outside the church during a funeral definitely count. Even though we only hear Adam's side of his subsequent complaint to the council, it's clear that whoever is on the other end of the phone can't quite believe that anyone would actually do that, even though they were merely enforcing the parking regulations laid out by the council (albeit very over-zealously).
84	* PottyEmergency: When Mick knocks at the door while Adam is waiting for Ronald, he's in his usual agitated state but is asking to use the toilet, not for money. Adam refuses ... and when Ronald arrives, he mentions that he just saw a man defecating in Adam's garden.
85	* PrecisionFStrike: At the end of an episode in which he's received a torrent of verbal abuse from the builders who are working on a building next to the church and has made a point of turning the other cheek, Adam takes his dog collar off and tells them to fuck off.
86	* RaisedCatholic: Matthew Feld, this part of his background being his justification for playing for the Catholic five-a-side team despite his atheism.
87	* RousingSpeech: Adam gives a frustrated, competitive and downright vicious one at the football match.
88	* RunningGag: Archdeacon Robert dumping his coffee down the sink and kicking Adam out of his taxi on random street corners.
89	* ScrewTheMoneyIHaveRules: Even though he really needs the money to repair the church window, and the smarmy local MP has promised to source a donation if Adam can bend the rules in order to let his son into the local primary school, Adam ultimately decides not to give the kid a place.
90	* SeriousBusiness: Football, especially against the Catholics.
91	* SheIsAllGrownUp: Ellie has this reaction when she and Adam visit the strip club, and find that one of the strippers is a former pupil of hers.
92	* ShipperOnDeck: Several minor characters appear to be this for Adam and Ellie.
93	* ShoutOut: A few...
94	** When lamenting about how people take him for granted, Adam describes himself as "[[Theatre/{{Chicago}} Mr. Cellophane]] -- well, the Reverend Cellophane".
95	** Adam refers to Archdeacon Robert as "the Dark Lord" -- although it's unclear whether he has [[Franchise/StarWars Darth Vader]], [[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings Sauron]] or [[Franchise/HarryPotter Voldemort]] in mind.
96	** The mystery vicar impersonator, [[spoiler: later revealed to be Colin]], is said to have harassed the Bishop of London with questions about ''Literature/TheDaVinciCode''.
97	** The night before Adam's goddaughter comes to stay, Alex is sitting in bed reading ''Literature/TheSlap''. She's severely tempted to hurt the EnfanteTerrible by the end of the weekend, while Nigel very nearly gives the little brat a slap in the face.
98	* SmugSnake: Archdeacon Robert.
99	* TheStarscream: Nigel, who thinks that he would be a much better vicar than Adam, is a particularly pathetic example.
100	* StatusQuoIsGod: At play whenever anyone tries to better themselves, but averted at the end of the show [[spoiler: when the church gets closed after Adam submits his resignation]].
101	* StoryArc: In series 2 Adam and Alex are trying for a baby, which becomes both a major and minor plot point in the episodes. She tells Adam that she's pregnant in the final episode of that series, and gives birth to their daughter Katie in the first episode of the third series — while in a taxi with Archdeacon Robert, no less.
102	* StraightGay: While he is, in retrospect, a little bit camp, [[spoiler: Archdeacon Robert]]'s homosexuality is only revealed when Adam and Nigel catch him and his boyfriend bed-shopping.
103	** Directly revealed, yes, although it's ''very'' heavily implied at the beginning of the series in the sauna scene.
104	* TakeThat: An amusing one aimed at a certain ''[[Series/TopGearUK Top Gear]]'' presenter (broadcast a few years ''before'' he got fired for punching a producer).
105	-->'''Alex''': You hate my friends. You say Julie swears too much.
106	-->'''Adam''': It's just when she used [[CountryMatters the C-word]] in a soft-play area. There were toddlers present.
107	-->'''Alex''': Well, she was talking about Creator/JeremyClarkson, so there were extenuating circumstances.
108	* TurnTheOtherCheek: Adam does this with regards to the builders who are verbally abusing him in the first episode. Ultimately subverted, though, as he eventually gets fed up with them, takes off his dog collar and gives them a well-deserved PrecisionFStrike.
109	* TheVicar: Somewhat subverted, as Adam is a relatively ordinary, married man who just happens to be a vicar. When Nigel sees him [[spoiler: kissing Ellie]], it's definitely not played for laughs.
110	* VillainWithGoodPublicity: Darren, whose church -- which is a bit too evangelical for Adam's taste -- has attracted a large, enthusiastic and mostly young following despite the fact that it openly offers courses which purport to "cure" people of homosexuality.
111	* WeHardlyKnewYe: [[spoiler:Matthew Feld gets hit by a lorry and killed in the only episode in which he appears.]]
112	* WhamLine: Series 2 episode 4's main storyline is Adam's rivalry with an atheist teacher at the local school, Mr Feld, naturally PlayedForLaughs. When Feld fails to turn up for an inspection, Adam feels he has done so deliberately to undermine him. Then he finds a child crying in the corridor:
113	-->'''Child''': Mr. Feld fell off his bike. [[spoiler:A lorry hit him. He's dead.]]
114	** The strange tramp Adam encounters in episode five of season three seems to be little more than a weird, cliche-babbling eccentric ... [[spoiler: until [[{{God}} He]] suddenly addresses Adam by name, despite having no possible way of knowing who he is.]]

Context Series / Rev