More Tea, Vicar?

'More Tea, Vicar? 'was a British situation comedy that aired on BBC One about a cafe in a rural West Country town directly adjacent to a Church. It aired on a regular basis originally from 1974 - 1990, and again from 1993 - 2000. It returned for a series of Christmas specials annually between 2005 and 2011. In 2008, it was named the nation's favourite comedy.

Premise
Noreen and Arnold O'Hara (Doreen Welch and Archibald Franklin) move to the fictional west country village of Pipplebury and open a cafe directly adjacent to St Andrews Church, and they befriend Father Nathaniel (Robert Engleton) and the locals.

Cast
Doreen Welch as Noreen O'Hara

The charismatic and comical co-owner of The O'Hara Cafe in Pipplebury, she is the more conversational of the couple and the one who initiates a friendship with Father Nathaniel. Throughout the series, she gets up to all sorts of hijinx with her husband and friends. Later in life, her husband leaves to care for his dying mother in Hamstead, leaving her to run the cafe with the help of her daughter. In the Christmas specials, Noreen has gained newfound fame as a TV chef and cookbook writer, hosting her show from her cafe, which has become a tourist hotspot. She later becomes a widow and starts dating other men, eventually remarrying in the show's final episode in 2011.

''Doreen Welch is the only character to appear in all 190 episodes of the series despite originally planning to leave the series in 1979 over her feud with Archibald Franklin. She handled the series alone for 2 series between 1999 and 2000 after the departure of her on-screen husband and off-screen rival Archibald Franklin.''

Archibald Franklin as Arnold O'Hara

The grumpy and sarcastic co-owner of The O'Hara Cafe in Pipplebury, she is the more withdrawn and self-absorbed of the couple and he doesn't really want to run the cafe, let alone leave their home in Hamstead. He leaves later in life to care for his dying mother in Hamstead. He at some point returns to Pipplebury and dies at home suddenly in 2007.

''Archibald Franklin appeared in all episodes of the original series and returned in 1993. He remained on the series until he sensationally quit in 1998. He returned for the 2005 and 2006 Christmas specials before passing away in January 2007. He never reconciled with Doreen Welch and the tension was clear on set in 2005 and 2006.''

Robert Engleton as Father Nathaniel

The talkative local vicar in Pipplebury. He befriends the O'Haras when they move to the village and he's a confidant to many in the village. He is relocated to Sierra Leone permanently and dies there sometime before 2005.

''Robert Engleton appeared in every episode of the original series. He died in early 1992. His son Victor Engleton replaced him on the series in 1993.''

Victor Engleton as Reverend Michael Matthews

After Father Nathaniel is sent on a missionary to Sierra Leone, his much younger replacement arrives in Pipplebury with his wife and children. The O'Hara's quickly try and befriend him and his family. He eventually relocates to a church in a London suburb in 2001 and remains there until 2009, when he retires to France after being widowed.

''Victor Engleton is the son of Robert Engleton and replaced him on the series in 1993. When the series ended in 2000, Victor was given a spin off, Holy Moly, which premiered in 2001 and ended in 2009. Michael did not return for the Christmas Specials''

Aimee Reynolds as Minnie Matthews

Minnie is the charismatic wife of Rev. Matthew, she's almost identical in personality to Noreen and they become fast friends. She relocates to a London suburb in 2001 with her family. She moves to Oxford after achieving a scholarship to study in 2005. She returns to see her family after graduating early in 2007 but gets a job in Manchester. In 2009, it is revealed she's died.

''Aimee Reynolds joined the series when it returned in 1993 and appeared in all remaining episodes. She moved over into Holy Moly in 2001 but departed in 2005 after being diagnosed with breast cancer. She returned for 2 episodes in 2007 and died in late 2008.''

Melanie Van Beatrix as Holly O'Hara

Holly is the daughter of Noreen and Arnold, she is a snarky teenager at the start of the series, but by the end of the original series she's a married mother of 2. In the revived series, she's a divorced mother of 3 who lives in the next town over from her parents, but eventually moves in with her mother after her father leaves town to care for their dying grandmother in Hamstead. She eventually becomes her mother's publicist and remains living with her once her children are adults.

''Melanie Van Beatrix joined the series in 1974 at the age of 16, she recurred on the show while attending school. She continued recurring until 1990. She returned to the series in a recurring capacity between 1993 and 1998. She joined the series full time for the first time in 1999 after the departure of Archibald Franklin. She returns as a main character in 2005.''

Jane MacIntosh as Reverend Mary Walsh

Pipplebury's vicar as of 2005, she's become a minor celebrity as a result of appearing on Noreen's cooking show. She is more shy and less outgoing than her predecessors. She remains Pipplebury's vicar until the end of the specials in 2011.

Jane MacIntosh joined the series and is the series shortest serving main cast member, only appearing in 6 episodes.

Spin-offs
The series has had 5 spin offs: Each leading character from each series appeared on the series before their own, and only characters from Ladies Who Lunch and Maureen from Maureen's corner returned beyond their own shows. Red Flag is only a minor spin off, as the main characters only cameoed in the 2006 Christmas Special.
 * Andy's Workshop (1975 - 1977)
 * Ladies Who Lunch (1977 - 1997)
 * Maureen's Corner (1980 - 1989)
 * Holy Moly (2001 - 2009)
 * Red Flag (2007 - 2014)