Dawn French, a name synonymous with British comedy, once believed she’d hung up her sitcom hat for good. After captivating audiences in the belovedFrench and Saundersand then as the unforgettable Vicar of Dibley, the thought of returning to the genre felt…unlikely. But a persistent writer, and a script she initially approached with skepticism, changed everything.
The new six-part series,Can You Keep a Secret?, centers around Debbie Fendon, a woman whose quiet life is upended when her seemingly reclusive husband, William, unexpectedly “dies” while they watch television. The shock, however, quickly morphs into a complicated secret. Months later, Debbie discovers a substantial life insurance payout – and realizes William isn’t actually gone.
This isn’t a simple case of a resurrected husband. A series of bizarre events led to William being declared deceased, and Debbie, faced with a life-changing sum of money, made a fateful decision: to remain silent. Complicating matters further is their anxious son, Harry, and his wife, Neha, a local police officer who unknowingly holds the key to unraveling the deception.
French admits she was initially resistant to the project. The script arrived courtesy of Simon Mayhew-Archer, son of the original Vicar of Dibley writer, Paul. “I was nervous,” she confessed. “I wasn’t really looking for a sitcom. Good sitcoms are rare, and I braced myself for polite rejection duties.”
But the script surprised her. It resonated with a deeply personal connection – Mayhew-Archer’s father. “I knew what he was writing about, his dad, who I know well. It had beautiful heart, and was genuinely funny. I loved how contained it was, focusing on the dynamics within that one house.” Crucially, she was relieved the creative vision remained intact throughout production.
The premise, while outlandish, isn’t entirely fictional. French and co-star Mark Heap, who plays William, drew inspiration from real-life cases of individuals who faked their own deaths. “It’s like ‘The Canoe Man’ story,” Heap remarked, referencing the infamous John Darwin case. “People *do* fake their deaths. It happens! I even read about a woman who woke up in her own coffin!”
Despite the morally questionable actions of their characters, both French and Heap believe audiences will find themselves rooting for Debbie and William. “It’s morally dubious, absolutely,” Heap acknowledged with a grin. “But you’ll want them to succeed, even if it’s illegal. They haven’t hurt anyone.” French added, “It taps into a universal weakness – finding a suitcase full of money and questioning whether to keep it. Especially if it’s from a less-than-sympathetic insurance company.”
The series is filled with sharp wit and unexpected turns, but one scene proved particularly challenging for French: a mortuary scene requiring an impromptu kiss with a stranger playing a “corpse.” “I had a hard time in the funeral parlour,” she laughed. “I had to kiss a man I’d never met, lying there with a very pale face. It was charming, but surreal. You’re introduced, shake hands, and then told you’ll be kissing him later…while he’s playing dead!”
BeyondCan You Keep a Secret?, French is currently working on a new novel. Inevitably, the conversation turned to the possibility of a reunion with her long-time comedy partner, Jennifer Saunders. The pair, who first collaborated as students, have continued to find ways to work together, from podcasts to charity skits.
“We’re always talking about what we might do, but we’re quite lazy,” French admitted with a smile. “Ideas come and go. Our podcast is when we’re most creatively fertile. But we both have full lives, and we enjoy seeing each other. The reason to work together is simply to spend more time together. We’ve agreed on that. We’d like to, but we just don’t know what ‘it’ is yet.”
Can You Keep a Secret?premieres on January 7th, promising a hilarious and heartwarming journey into a world of deception, family dynamics, and the irresistible allure of a secret windfall.
