BBC’s Big Night In kicks off with a Miranda reunion and the return of Dawn French as The Vicar Of Dibley (who suggests parents should use lockdown to eat chocolate off each other) to raise funds for Children In Need, Comic Relief and the COVID-19 battle
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The BBC’s Big Night In kicked off on Thursday evening to raise funds for Children In Need, Comic Relief and the battle against COVID-19.
The evening featured the return of comedies Little Britain, Miranda and The Vicar Of Dibley, with specially-recorded skits as the casts of the erstwhile TV shows reunited from home.
Lenny Henry led proceedings, alongside Davina McCall and Matt Baker. After the first hour, Paddy McGuinness and Zoe Ball joined Lenny in the studio.
Staying home: The BBC’s Big Night In kicked off on Thursday evening to raise funds for Children In Need, Comic Relief and the battle against COVID-19. Miranda kicked things off, with Miranda Hart playing her titular character, telling viewers that lockdown suits her fine, with flashbacks showing scenes from the sitcom which prove she’s best left indoors
Miranda kicked things off, with Miranda Hart playing her titular character, telling viewers that lockdown suits her fine, with flashbacks showing scenes from the sitcom which prove she’s best left indoors.
She then joined in on a Zoom reunion with the likes of Tom Ellis, Sarah Hadland, Patritcia Hodge and Sally Phillips, who starred alongside her on the show.
Dawn French was the next iconic sitcom to return to screens, as Dawn French, as chocoholic Reverend Geraldine Granger, reprised the role for the first time in five years.
The iconic sitcom ran from 1994 before coming to an end in 2000. However, the characters made comebacks on several occasions, namely for the show’s 10th and 20th anniversaries and well as for Comic Relief – with the last appearance being in 2015.
Egg-cellent! Dawn French was the next iconic sitcom to return to screens, as Dawn French, as chocoholic Reverend Geraldine Granger, reprised the role for the first time in five years
Snip snip! Joe Sugg and Dianne Buswell – of Strictly fame – took part in a live haircut, with red-head Dianne letting Joe loose with the scissors
Dressed as Geraldine, Dawn told viewers via Zoom that her vicarage was filled with Easter eggs this time last week, but that she’d been tidying up by eating them all.
She added: ‘Just a little tip for all the mums and dads who are struggling in isolation – the chocolate egg halves make an excellent chocolate bra. So there’s hours of God-given fun there!’
She joked that there had been misprints in the latest parish newsletter, namely that there’d been an announcement that two women in Dibley had had rabies rather than babies.
There was no reunion of the iconic cast in this skit, but Dawn reminded fans of the scatty characters, explaining that they don’t have computers.
She said: ‘One of them called me to say that he bought an Apple. I asked him which version and he said a granny smith.’
Regal sketch: There was a skit recorded by Stephen Fry and Prince William, who took part in a Zoom call before leaving their homes to clap for carers
Good one, Wills! The Blackadder sketch was filmed at Anmer Hall and written by Richard Curtis
The jokes subsided as the iconic vicar assured viewers, ‘life goes on, this will pass, don’t dwell on the sadness’.
‘Praise the Lord, and praise the NHS. God bless you for watching!’ she concluded.
Joe Sugg and Dianne Buswell – of Strictly fame – took part in a live haircut, with red-head Dianne letting Joe loose with the scissors.
There was a skit recorded by Stephen Fry and Prince William, who took part in a Zoom call before leaving their homes to clap for carers.
The Blackadder sketch was filmed at Anmer Hall and written by Richard Curtis.