Got a half hour of leisure? Watch this show about a pastor who doesn't.
First of all, yes, if you're a linguistic traditionalist then the show should really be called The Rev., not Rev.
Second of all, it's disappointing that by the second episode, the British scripted series is relying heavily on the old binary of a small, old-fashioned, declining, liberal congregation vs. a large, hip, casual, thriving, conservative one. (The latter's hip-hop music leader goes by the name Ikon! Cute, but haven't the showrunners heard of Peter Rollins?)
Okay, now I can say it: Rev.'s on Hulu! You should watch it!
Well, you should if you don't object to good-sized doses of irreverence and crudeness. This isn't exactly The Vicar of Dibley or, good riddance, The Book of Daniel. But it is a sympathetic and reasonably well-informed look at the unglamorous life of a C of E vicar serving a church in London, a huge old building with weekly attendance in the 20s.
And it's savagely funny. My favorite moment so far: the vicar and his wife have been struggling to find time for each other. When they finally settle in to enjoy a hard-won dinner at home, she says this: "I love you. Thank you for cooking, and canceling the homeless meal for me."
Whatever its problems, the stuffy-liberal-vs.-casual-conservative-congregation plot line offers laughs as well:
