If there’s one thing the Brits have mastered, it’s the sitcom, with some of the greatest comedy titles in television’s illustrious history hailing from across the pond. Now, one of the modern comedic greats, Dawn French, is set to bring a new BBC sitcom to our screens, titled Can You Keep a Secret? The series follows French as a bullish grandmother, Debbie, who will let nothing get in the way of her family’s happiness, although she is perhaps doing more damage than good.

However, one great comic doesn’t make a great sitcom, with Can You Keep a Secret? benefiting from a strong ensemble cast announced thus far. Alongside French in the cast is Mark Heap of Friday Night Dinner and Green Wing fame, Submarine‘s Craig Roberts, and former Doctor Who companion Mandip Gill, known best for her role as Yasmin Khan in the sci-fi series. Currently, other names cast in the series are being kept tightly under wraps, with more information likely to arrive in the coming months.

Created by Simon Mayhew-Archer and directed by Simon Hynd, Can You Keep a Secret? is set to be split into six episodes, produced by the trio of CBS Studios, Mayhay Studios, and Big Talk Productions. Kenton Allen, Toby Welch, and Mayhew-Archer are executive producers on the project, with producer credits going to Lauriel Martin and Joe Scantlebury. Filming on the series is reported to have already begun, with shooting taking place in the West Country of England.

What is ‘Can You Keep a Secret?’ About?

A great cast alone cannot sustain strong viewership on any given series, with the aforementioned cast luckily bolstered by a premise that seems deliciously enticing. After her husband suddenly dies, French’s Debbie makes “an outlandish decision that will put the family under more pressure than ever before.” The synopsis, via Radio Times, continues, “Because Debbie isn’t actually a widow and William didn’t really die – he 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.” A tricky secret to keep is always a sure-fire way to draw dramatic and comedic tension, with Can You Keep a Secret? the sort of series you won’t want to miss.

Currently, there is no release date or window announced for Can You Keep a Secret?, so make sure to stay tuned to Collider in case any updates are made. For now, you can catch Mandip Gill’s Doctor Who on Disney+.

Doctor Who

Release Date

2005 – 2021

Network

BBC

Directors

Graeme Harper, Euros Lyn, Douglas Mackinnon, Jamie Magnus Stone, Charles Palmer, Rachel Talalay, Joe Ahearne, James Strong, Jamie Childs, Saul Metzstein, Toby Haynes, Wayne Che Yip, Nick Hurran, Richard Clark, James Hawes, Daniel Nettheim, Colin Teague, Keith Boak, Azhur Saleem, Adam Smith, Andrew Gunn, Nida Manzoor, Lawrence Gough, Paul Murphy

Source: Radio Times