Dawn French is heading back to BBC sitcom land, alongside Mark Heap, as the broadcaster announces ‘Can You Keep a Secret?‘, a brand new comedy written and created by Simon Mayhew-Archer (This Country, Josh).
Dawn plays widower Debbie Fenton – granny, lawn bowler, tinpot dictator – 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 – Friday Night Dinner, Green Wing) unexpectedly dies, she makes an outlandish decision that will put the family under more pressure than ever before… The main issue being that Debbie isn’t actually a widower and William didn’t really die…
It turns out, William was just mistakenly declared dead and the two retirees found themselves staring down the barrel of an opportunity too good to pass up. Just a few months hiding out in the loft waiting for the life insurance to pay out and then they can live out their golden years in peace!
This all proves a bit much for their easily frazzled son Harry who – despite his emotional shortcomings – has managed to acquire a family of his own and a potentially life-changing insurance payout from his father’s “death”. Reunited with a dad he’s just buried and the reality that his parents have turned into a pensioner version of Bonnie and Clyde, Harry suddenly has a lot more to juggle. Sandwiched between two generations of toddlers, Harry finds himself navigating a very common stage of life – only this time, it’s criminal. Can Debbie Fenton and her family keep their secret? Or will one of them spill the beans?
“At last…a sitcom where I can keep my top on…mostly,” commented Dawn.
The six-episode series is a Big Talk Studios, Mayhay Studios and CBS Studios co-production for BBC iPlayer and BBC One. The series was commissioned by Jon Petrie, Director of BBC Comedy. The Executive Producers are Kenton Allen and Simon Mayhew-Archer; the Producers are Lauriel Martin and Joe Scantlebury, and the Director is Simon Hynd. The series is written and created by Simon Mayhew-Archer. The Commissioning Editor for the BBC is Tanya Qureshi. Can You Keep a Secret? is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution. Big Talk Studios is part of ITV Studios.
“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,” said Jon Petrie, Director of BBC Comedy. “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.”
‘Can You Keep a Secret?‘ does not yet have a premiere date but will air on BBC One and iPlayer in the UK. If you want to keep track of this or any other show, you can add them via our Never Miss system, and you’ll be notified when it gets a UK premiere date.
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