Main News Stories About 'Rev.':

• Church sitcom Rev set for US re-make (22/10/12)
• BBC Two orders another series of Rev (01/08/12)

DVD review: Rev. series two

The second series of Rev succeeds thanks to its spot-on characterisation, clever humour and Tom Hollander's winning performance in the title role.

Written by Sharon Lougher. Metro, 7th December 2012

How I helped Tom Hollander get into character

Saturday Live presenter the Rev Richard Coles - one of the clergy consultants for the BBC2 sitcom - says life often imitates art.

Written by The Rev Richard Coles. The Radio Times, 4th October 2012

Tom Hollander on Rev

The BBC comedy Rev has put the urban vicar on the map. Tom Hollander talks about a heavenly role.

Written by Jasper Rees. The Telegraph, 10th June 2012

Rev writer admits show won't return this year

James Wood says BBC2 sitcom's cast are 'too bloody successful' but hopes to make a third series in 2013.

Written by Ben Dowell. The Guardian, 9th May 2012

Rev wins four Broadcasting Guild awards

BBC Two comedy series Rev leads the way at this year's Broadcasting Press Guild Awards (BPG), winning four prizes.

BBC News, 30th March 2012

Tom Hollander's conflicted inner-city minister never ceases to be funny and likeable without trying, with nuggets of social commentary and real emotional resonance hidden among the laughs. In Series 2, Rev still seemed like a delicious secret.

The Radio Times, 31st December 2011

Hollander's the most believable & likeable vicar ever

The set-up of Rev means Adam Smallbone could be a saintly pain, so it's no small credit to Tom Hollander that he's turned the much put-upon incumbent of St Saviour's into TV's most believable and likeable vicar ever.

Written by Keith Watson. Metro, 21st December 2011

Rev ended, as the first series did, on a high. Tom Hollander's drunken bad-singing, bad-dancing Christmas sermon/rant/mini breakdown is a thing of joy and beauty. Lovely, like the show.

Sam Wollaston, The Guardian, 20th December 2011

Rev, Christmas Special, BBC Two, review

Ed Cumming finds the conclusion to the second series of the Bafta-winning sitcom, Rev, hilarious, heart-warming and suitably festive.

Written by Ed Cumming. The Daily Telegraph, 20th December 2011

It's Christmas at St Saviour's and someone has stolen the Three Wise Men's camels from the Nativity display. Vicar Adam Smallbone refuses to be downhearted -maybe the missing beasts can be replaced by cows? "A Wise Man crossing the desert on a cow?" blusters outraged parishioner Adoha.

That's Adam, a man for whom there are never problems, there are only solutions. But even his legendary compassion and good nature are stretched by a truly testing Christmas. He loses a friend, he is head-butted by another, supposed, mate and his father-in-law (a magnificently austere Geoffrey Palmer) arrives unexpectedly. Worse, Midnight Mass is disrupted by drunks and Adam (Tom Hollander) melts down in a spectacular, funny/sad, Adam-type way.

Christmas specials of television comedies are so rarely special, or even Christmassy, but Rev is a fount of goodness and kindness all year round and especially at Christmas. You'll have a few tears and a heart as warmed as a plum pudding by the end.

Alison Graham, Radio Times, 20th December 2011

The three days before Christmas are fraught for poor Adam Smallbone (Tom Hollander), who has charities to support and services to arrange. So it's no surprise he has an 'episode' during a midnight mass packed with drunks after pub closing ('We're the religious equivalent of a kebab,' grumbles Nigel). The last ten minutes are quietly triumphant for our hero though - a fittingly lovely bow topping a package that's been sublimely scripted and acted.

Sharon Lougher, Metro, 20th December 2011

Spare a thought for men of the cloth this Christmas. Judging by this superb series finale, it's the most stressful time of year for a vicar. As Reverend Adam Smallbone (Tom Hollander) enters his first Advent in the London parish of St Saviour's, festive nerves are fraying. Camels keep being stolen from the church Nativity, he's up at the crack of dawn every day to cook breakfast for the homeless, and resident wino Colin (the show's cult figure, played with pitch-perfect pathos by Steve Evets) plans on being drunk until Twelfth Night. Adam is out of pocket, permanently hungover and under pressure for the seasonal collection plate to hit its financial targets.

The last thing he needs is a surprise house guest in the form of his grumpy "social hand grenade" father-in-law (the hilariously hangdog Geoffrey Palmer). Midnight Mass is a shambles thanks to a congregation fresh from the pub. As lay reader Nigel (Miles Jupp) notes: "We're the religious equivalent of a kebab." There's still time for subtle pastiches of Groundhog Day and Da Vinci's Last Supper. A gently witty, fittingly heart-warming conclusion to this second excellent run of the Bafta-winning sitcom.

Michael Hogan, The Daily Telegraph, 19th December 2011

"Any chance of a festive blow job?" inquires a tired Adam as he gets home from attending to his flock. Not really, what with Alex's grump-faced, "social hand grenade" of a dad, Martin (Geoffrey Palmer), having unexpectedly turned up to spend Christmas with the couple. If that weren't bad enough, Adam's diary is packed, necessitating 5.30am starts every day. The pressure will surely tell, especially with midnight mass, treated by booze-sodden parishioners as "the religious equivalent of a kebab", approaching. A Christmas episode that's genuinely heartwarming rather than toe-curlingly sentimental.

Jonathan Wright, The Guardian, 19th December 2011

No one should miss the Christmas Rev, a brilliant end to the series, with ever-embattled Adam (the great Tom Hollander) having to conduct Midnight Mass with a black eye and trying to persuade uptight God pedant Nigel (Miles Jupp) that the season of goodwill is big enough to embrace Jesus and giant Toblerones. Alex's lugubrious father (who else but Geoffrey Palmer?) turns up to add woe and mischief. It takes a stony heart not to cheer at the TV when Adam finally gets the present he deserves. Joyful and (as the song goes) triumphant.

Phil Hogan, The Observer, 18th December 2011

The 7th best programme of 2011 according to the Radio Times.

An intelligent sitcom that didn't panic about gag quotas, Rev was funny and likeable without trying, and concealed nuggets of social commentary and real emotional resonance. A comedy of clerical errors is an insanely unfashionable thing to attempt, but then Tom Hollander's conflicted inner-city minister Adam was a world away from those buck-toothed twits of yore. Not that Rev was a one-man show. All the characters made their mark, from feral Colin and druggie Mick to slinky headmistress Ellie and edged-out wife Alex. In series two, Rev still seemed like a delicious secret. A divinely inspired one.

Mark Braxton, Radio Times, 16th December 2011

The reality of Rev - vicars' views on the BBC2 comedy

Do the exploits of the Rev Adam Smallbone ring true for those in similar positions? Real-life vicars give the joyful BBC sitcom their blessing.

Written by Ben Arnold. The Guardian, 15th December 2011

Aw, I want to pull Rev into a warm embrace; it's such a kind, sweet, life-affirming programme and this final episode in the series (a Christmas special is on its way) is just fuzzy with goodness.

You'll even end up feeling sympathy for the something-of-the-night-about-him Archdeacon (Simon McBurney) when he admits to a big secret about his personal life. Hint: Adam and Nigel spot him choosing a bed with a handsome friend called Richard (guest star James Purefoy). Which could put an end to the Archdeacon's dreams of becoming Bishop of Stevenage.

There is a rare moment of accord between the Archdeacon and Adam (Tom Hollander), who has much to contemplate. His unhappy wife Alex (luminous Olivia Colman) has gone on a walking holiday to think about their future. Such is our emotional connection with these people, you'll be willing their marriage not to fail.

Alison Graham, Radio Times, 15th December 2011

There are further un-Christian goings-on in the east London parish tonight in this gentle comedy that never fails to hit the spot. Lay reader Nigel (Miles Jupp) grabs an opportunity to prove he'd be a better priest than Reverend Adam Smallbone (Tom Hollander) while Archdeacon Robert (Simon McBurney) tries to climb further up the greasy pole. The mild-mannered Adam, meanwhile, ponders his future.

Josephine Moulds, The Daily Telegraph, 14th December 2011

Having offered up an episode largely focused on Mick the local crack addict and rubbish conman last week, tonight's offering puts pedantic, pursed-lipped Nigel at the centre of events. Beautifully played by Miles Jupp, the lay preacher is a smarmy bureaucrat, always brown-nosing to Archdeacon Robert when the opportunity arises. Secretly, Nigel has long thought he might be a better priest than Adam. How will he fare when an opportunity to prove this arises? Meantime in an ambition-themed episode, Robert dreams of career advancement.

Jonathan Wright, The Guardian, 14th December 2011

The Archdeacon (Simon McBurney) is hovering like a big grey owl because there's a glaring hole in church accounts and he's ready to exact retribution - on hapless vicar Adam Smallbone, of course.

But it looks like there could be a ready-made solution to St Saviour's problems - the arrival of a wealthy City financier (played by Richard E Grant). He's at church to attend a meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous. But Adam's thoughts are elsewhere after yet another encounter with the hopeless, forever-cadging Mick. He's the homeless fella who routinely turns up on the vicarage doorstep to scrounge £20. But this week he has a much bigger request, forcing Adam to take a huge risk.

Alison Graham, Radio Times, 8th December 2011

A more prominent role for the brilliant Simon McBurney as the fabulously disdainful Archdeacon Robert has helped to make the second series of this sitcom about an inner city parish a real treat. He's here from the start in this episode, circling gleefully as Reverend Adam Smallbone (Tom Hollander) discovers a hole in the church accounts. Salvation arrives in the form of a wealthy city banker, played by guest star Richard E Grant, who fetches up at St Saviours to join the church's Alcoholics Anonymous class. However Adam soon finds himself morally compromised once again.

Sam Richards, The Daily Telegraph, 7th December 2011

"Don't say Jesus!" commands archdeacon Robert, but it's too late, because Adam is in one of his what's-my-vocation-all-about weeks. His conclusion? That it's about helping Mick to stay clean until the crack addict gets into a hostel. Accordingly, Adam has a house guest, much to the annoyance of Alex, who would rather her husband focused on having sex so that she might get pregnant. Via a plotline involving an alcoholic City banker (Richard E Grant) and a hole in the church accounts, this is an episode that makes some barbed points about snobbery, and who gets help in our society and why.

Jonathan Wright, The Guardian, 7th December 2011

Genial inner-city vicar Adam is nervous about the forthcoming religious inspection at the C of E school run by the comely Ellie. He's particularly disturbed by Matthew, a cool new teacher whose credentials are in doubt after he gave a school assembly on Richard Dawkins's The Selfish Gene.

So jealous Adam gets all pompous and defensive when he agrees to put together a team to take part in the archdeacon's beloved interdenominational football tournament. But Adam has problems raising enthusiasm. His fey curate Nigel (Miles Jupp) is appalled and wonders aloud: "Can we do bowls instead?"

As ever, gentle Adam (Tom Hollander) is at his funniest when his less-than-godly side starts to show, this time when he behaves disgracefully during the match. But we are all brought up short by a tragedy, and a final, genuinely moving few minutes when Adam is called upon to bring solace.

Alison Graham, Radio Times, 1st December 2011

It's the Church of England versus Britain's major religion - football - this week as Adam makes the rash decision to take part in an inter-faith soccer match.

It's an absolutely sublime episode that also finds Adam wracked with jealousy once again.

That's nothing new, of course but this time it's over head teacher Ellie's friendship with one of her male teachers who has cool hair, skinny jeans, an expensive bike and is playing for the Catholics.

Football in TV shows rarely works but the match is simply ­brilliant - a wonderfully edited amalgam of hot-shot Italians, projectile vomiting and ­Archdeacon Robert, effortlessly perfect as the man in black.

And to add even more spice to this multi-faith pick 'n' mix, this week, Mick has decided to take up Buddhism.

"I'm a fan," offers Adam ­encouragingly, "but I prefer a ­religion with a God."

What's noticeable about this second series is that there's not an ounce of flab on this comedy.

Every single frame, every facial expression, each one of Adam's petty little emotions adds another subtle shade to the total picture.

Adam's little crush on Ellie may be hopeless (and of course, wrong) but it's also one of the things that makes him human and lovable.

What's even more surprising is that after making us laugh out loud for 30 minutes, right at the end the script takes a sharp turn somewhere quite unexpected.

We're in totally different territory now, but the script - and Tom Hollander - handle that perfectly, showing far nimbler footwork than anything you see on the pitch.

Jane Simon, The Daily Mirror, 1st December 2011

Forget Ofsted, it's the church school religious inspection that worries Adam (Tom Hollander). Fail this and Archdeacon Robert won't be happy. Not that Ellie's concerned, with new teacher Feld (or "twatty Matty man" in Adam's jealous estimation) inspiring the kids. But there's a problem: Feld's on the side of Dawkins, not the angels. Meantime, Adam enters a team in an inter-faith football tournament. Shame it includes Nigel in goal. Adam: "Man up, put your sports face on or we're going to get humiliated!" The best sitcom on TV - as tonight proves, it never settles for easy laughs.

Jonathan Wright, The Guardian, 30th November 2011