You might think you’ve seen all of Olivia Colman’s extensive offering over the decades – from her hysterical breakthrough role as Sophie in Peep Show to her compelling performance as Broadchurch’s Detective Sergeant Ellie. But we’ve delved through her back catalogue and struck gold with a biblical BBC drama, Rev, that you can watch tonight.
Over the years, Olivia has made us laugh and cry in equal measure. And her portrayal of a fed-up yet fiercely loyal vicar’s wife, Alex, is no exception. The award-winning series Rev begins with Alex (Olivia) and her husband, vicar Adam (Tom Hollander), being plucked from their sleepy countryside village and into a chaotic East London parish. It’s hilarious, poignant and truly Olivia Colman at her finest.
With Rev now available to watch on repeat on BBC iPlayer, here’s everything you need to know about the series before you watch it, including the plot, cast and how to watch it.
What is Rev about?
The three series follow Reverend Adam Smallbone (Tom Hollander), a Church of England vicar who gets promoted from a sleepy rural parish to the inner city mayhem of St Saviour’s in Hackney, East London. Being a good city vicar is a difficult feat, but being married to one is even harder. Alex (Olivia Colman) is brilliant as his long-suffering wife, who tries her best to be a supportive figure, but who has her own career as a legal-aid solicitor to contend with.
The first series centres around Adam trying to meet the demands of serving the hodgepodge of characters that walk through his doors – from drug addicts to scheming politicians and parents trying to cheat their children into better schools. He also must weather the burden of his huge decaying church, the romantic attentions of ‘cassock-chaser’ Adoha (Ellen Thomas) and the faux support of his lay reader Nigel, a self-interested careerist.
If that wasn’t enough drama, in series 2 (first airing in 2011) Alex grows even more impatient with the demands of being the vicar’s wife – and then finds out she’s pregnant. Series 3, first airing in 2014, centres around the couple juggling the demands of both parenthood and the parish – and Adam’s lingering extra-marital temptation. Meanwhile, the revolving door for the good, the bad and truly crazy members of the community at St Saviour’s continues to spin.
Olivia previously shared her delight at returning to the show for the final series. ‘A subsequent series is always more fun for me,’ she told the BBC. ‘There’s something comforting about knowing we’re back because people liked it, so we’re doing something right.’
Who’s in the cast of Rev?
The cast of Rev includes:
- Tom Hollander (The Night Manager, The Iris Affair) as Adam Smallbone
- Olivia Colman (Flowers, Broadchurch) as Alexandra (Alex) Smallbone
- Steve Evets (Brassic) as Colin Lambert
- Miles Jupp (Bad Move) as Nigel McCall
- Ellen Thomas (Coming Of Age) as Adoha Onyeka
- Lucy Liemann (Agatha Raisin) as Ellie Pattman
- Simon McBurney (The Conjuring 2) as Archdeacon Robert
Is there a trailer for Rev?
While we don’t have an official trailer, there is an official BBC preview of the first episode of Rev.
Is Rev any good?
Yes – if you enjoy a feelgood comedy with poignant moments, it doesn’t get much better than Rev. Although he’s a vicar, Tom Hollander’s portrayal of Adam is highly relatable; at his core he’s a vulnerable, flawed, yet well-meaning man trying to do his best by his congregation. Olivia Colman is truly hilarious (as ever) as Alex, a wife who stands by her husband despite not being outwardly religious herself, even reading the papers during his service! Viewers have praised the series as ‘absolutely brilliant’, ‘superb’ and ‘heartbreakingly poignant’ – and we couldn’t agree more.
How can I watch Rev?
You can watch all episodes of Rev now on BBC iPlayer.
What other Olivia Colman dramas can I watch now?
If you’re after something a little more offbeat, but equally funny, we’d recommend Flowers. Olivia Colman stars as Deborah, a music teacher and matriarch of an eccentric family who, as well as living in a ramshackle home, are struggling to keep it altogether. Flowers is available to watch now on Prime Video. If you’re in the mood for something darker, we’d point you towards The Thirteenth Tale, in which Margaret (Olivia) interviews dying author Vida Winter (Vanessa Redgrave) to write her emotional biography – which involves a troubling childhood. The Thirteenth Tale is available to watch now on Prime Video.
