I've got a friend who's a vicar. Nice chap, pretty cool, not the sort whose job you'd necessarily guess if you spotted him in civvies.

So I thought perhaps I'd show him my preview DVD of this new sitcom, just to get his thoughts, seeing as the main character is a man of the cloth. Then I decided against it, because there's quite a bit of swearing and a fair few sexual references - and, in all honesty, not that many belly laughs.

Tom Hollander plays Reverend Adam Smallbone, preaching to a dwindling congregation at his London church - but surprised to discover, in this opening episode, that a lot of new faces are suddenly showing up. Surprised, that is, until he realises they have an ulterior motive. Olivia Colman and Alexander Armstrong also star.

This intelligent new sitcom offers a much more gentle take on clerical comedy than Father Ted. Actor and co-creator Tom Hollander, who stars as the Reverend Adam Smallbone, was intrigued by the idea of a classic Church of England vicar being thrust into a parish in the unforgiving urban jungle of London.

The cast clearly had faith in Hollander's vision, because he's got the wonderful Olivia Colman (Green Wing, Peep Show) as his wife Alex and Lucy Liemann (Moving Wallpaper, Reggie Perrin) as the local headmistress, alongside Alexander Armstrong guesting hilariously this week as an MP.

With the London landmark of St Leonard's church in Shoreditch standing in for the fictional St Saviours in the Marshes, tonight the Rev is delighted to see the meagre ranks of his congregation swelling - until he discovers the parents are just trying to boost their religious credentials to get their kids into the good C of E school round the corner. And Adam faces a moral conundrum about whether he should award places in return for money.

The Archdeacon (a brilliant turn by Simon McBurney), who holds very unsentimental views about a vicar's role in the inner city, would undoubtedly think so. He seems to be constantly circling the capital in a black cab and there's a lot of mileage in this character, in every sense.

Rev's mission isn't to make you roll on the floor laughing. It's subtle and thoughtful, with heart and soul as well as a funny bone. I'll say Amen to that.

Start of a nice sitcom vehicle for Tom Hollander. The diminutive Pride & Prejudice/In The Loop star is perfectly cast as the slightly inept Reverend Adam Smallbone, who used to preside over the parish of a sleepy rural town but is now hopelessly out of his depth after being transferred to a busy church in east London and its loose-moralled congregation. Peep Show's Olivia Coleman co-stars as his long-suffering solicitor wife.

In the Golden Age Of British Sitcom, vicars were responsible for much laughter. Why, a middle class family couldn't arrange to have tea with one without some kind of mix-up involving a pair of bloomers, a good-looking young woman and a cucumber sandwich.

Then hard-hitting political charity appeal The Vicar Of Dibley came along and everything changed. Our image of vicars became more jaded and somehow we lost something. Now, Tom Hollander wants to take us back to those halcyon days of dog-collar-based comedy. Actually, that's not really true. If Rev does feel retro, it's because it's got a touch of class. The excellent Hollander plays Reverend Adam Smallbone, an ineffectual clergyman who smokes and drinks. Comedy arises 'cause he can't deal with the challenges of being a London vicar. It's far from hysterically funny, but as the jokes seem character-based, it may need time to settle. While it does, you will find yourself smiling and enjoying an excellent supporting cast (including Olivia Coleman) and a cameo from Alexander Armstrong.

Rev. Review: Good Work

Although not conventionally 'laugh-out-loud', Rev is a well-written and genuine comedy. Tom Hollander is excellent as the struggling vicar and manages to infuse humour and sympathy into his character.

Tom Hollander's inner-city cleric is no angel

There are no real laugh-out-loud moments, and some of the gags are a little predictable. But it's a surprisingly fresh and genuinely funny mainstream comedy, and could grow into something memorable.

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Olly Grant talks to Tom Hollander, who stars as a vicar in Rev - a new BBC comedy that is the antidote to The Vicar of Dibley.

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Olivia Colman explains was like on the set of Rev, how she hopes the show will be received and why comparisons to the Vicar Of Dibley are wide of the mark.