Dawn French is returning to the BBC to star in sitcom Can You Keep A Secret?, and here are the details.
Dawn French came to prominence alongside comedy partner Jennifer Saunders in the alternative comedy boom of the 1980s, where they honed their craft at The Comedy Store and, later, The Comic Strip. That was alongside the likes of Alexei Sayle, Rik Mayall, Adrian Edmondson, Peter Richardson and Nigel Planer.
After appearing in The Young Ones, several Comic Strip films and Ruby Wax’s sitcom Girls On Top, French and Saunders starred in their eponymous sketch show, which ran on and off for over 30 years.
While Saunders became a solo star with Absolutely Fabulous, French played Gereldine Granger in Richard Curtis and Paul Mayhew-Archer’s The Vicar of Dibley, which grew into one of Britain’s most beloved sitcoms.
According to Deadline, French is returning to the BBC to star in Can You Keep A Secret?.
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Written by Mayhew-Archer’s son Simon, the synopsis reads as follows:
French plays widower Debbie Fenton, who will stop at nothing to make sure her family’s protected. Unfortunately, most of the time the person they really need protecting from is her. When her hermit-like husband William (Mark Heap) unexpectedly dies, she makes an outlandish decision that will put the family under more pressure than ever before.
The series will be directed by Simon Hynd. It is a co-production between Big Talk Studios, Mayhay Studios, CBS Studios and the BBC.
BBC comedy boss Jon Petrie said: “Can You Keep a Secret? hilariously delves into a rarely portrayed stage of the family life cycle, blending classic sitcom elements with an exhilarating farcical crime twist. With Dawn French and Mark Heap leading the cast, this is an irresistible new comedy and I can’t wait for BBC viewers to see it”.
We’ll keep you updated as we hear more.
