The BBC has pulled back the curtain on ‘Can You Keep a Secret?‘, a brand new six-part sitcom arriving on BBC iPlayer and BBC One in early 2026. This one comes packed with comedy royalty, a delightfully daft premise, and just enough family chaos to keep things spicy, thanks to a cast led by Dawn French (French & Saunders, The Vicar of Dibley), Mark Heap (Friday Night Dinner, Green Wing), Craig Roberts (Submarine, The Fundamentals of Caring), and Mandip Gill (Doctor Who, This Time Next Year).
French stars as Debbie Fendon, a self-appointed guardian of her clan who believes fiercely in family protection, even when she is, quite often, the one they need protection from. When her reclusive husband William, played by Mark Heap, is mistakenly declared dead, the pair make a spectacularly ill-advised choice. Instead of correcting the error, they see an opportunity: hide out in the loft for a few months until the life insurance comes through, then retire in comfort. What could possibly go wrong?
Naturally the answer is everything. Their already on edge son Harry, played by Craig Roberts, suddenly finds himself balancing grief, shock, and the unexpected resurrection of a father he has just buried. Harry’s wife Neha, played by Mandip Gill, is a relentlessly pragmatic local police officer, which is far from ideal when your in-laws have turned themselves into a cosy West Country crime syndicate. The more Harry tries to keep the lie contained, the more the wheels wobble, leaving him sandwiched awkwardly between two generations and one very big secret.
Set and filmed in the West Country, ‘Can You Keep a Secret?’ is pitched as the story of a slightly odd but instantly recognisable British family stumbling into criminal capers they are wildly unsuited for. It is warm, chaotic, relatable mischief with French at the centre of it all.
Behind the scenes, the sitcom comes from Big Talk Studios, Mayhay Studios and CBS Studios for BBC One and BBC iPlayer. It is written and created by Simon Mayhew Archer, known for producing This Country. Executive Producers include Kenton Allen, Simon Mayhew Archer, Dawn French and Toby Welch, with Lauriel Martin and Joe Scantlebury producing. Simon Hynd directs the series, which is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.
‘Can You Keep a Secret?‘ does not yet have a premiere date but will air on BBC iPlayer and BBC One in the UK. If I want to keep track of this or any other shows, I can add them via our Never Miss system, and I’ll be notified when it gets a UK premiere date. Visit Never Miss.
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