Thirty years after Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders first paired up for their sketch show in 1987, the duo are returning to our screens for a one-off Christmas special.

Ad

French revealed that a new episode of French and Saunders is expected to air on BBC1 on Christmas day, though the BBC have yet to reveal any further details.

The pair are already working on the special, and French confirmed that recent Emmy winner The Handmaid's Tale and trashy reality shows were in their headlights.

“There’s some ­Handmaid’s Tale in there," she told The Times. "We had fun with some of the costumes.”

Talking about reality shows set in holiday resorts, she said: "I am shocked by how they behave. You reckon they’d want to meet someone who would love, cherish and respect them. But instead they go out and get utterly hammered and are sh***ing in a bush and coming out and going ‘Yes!’, like men."

French and Saunders had a series of hit sketch shows that ran on-and-off for 20 years, until 2007. While they have regularly reunited over the years – almost religiously on Red Nose Day – this full-length episode is a very exciting prospect for fans. Have a gander at their most recent Red Nose Day sketch below to whet the appetite.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2Djoy8qEQc

Ad

French and Saunders is expected to air on Christmas Day 2017

Authors

Ben AllenOn Demand Writer, RadioTimes.com

Comments, questions and tips

Rate this recipe

What is your star rating out of 5?

Choose the type of message you'd like to post

Choose the type of message you'd like to post

Overall rating

Ad
Ad
Ad
Create an image depicting a festive scene with elements from the top Christmas songs, such as a snowy New York for 'Fairytale of New York', a cozy home setting for 'Last Christmas', and a glamorous Christmas party for 'All I Want for Christmas Is You'. Include musical notes and festive decorations to represent the spirit of these iconic Christmas songs.

RT offer

Immediate’s iconic brands reach 21m people every month – that’s more than a third of the UK’s adults – through its world-class magazines, innovative digital products and exciting live events

hello
An image depicting a festive scene with iconic Christmas elements such as a beautifully decorated Christmas tree with twinkling lights, snow gently falling, and perhaps a cozy fireplace in the background. The image should capture the essence of popular Christmas songs, with musical notes and lyrics subtly included in the design, representing a playlist of classic Christmas tunes.

summer

Immediate’s iconic brands reach 21m people every month – that’s more than a third of the UK’s adults – through its world-class magazines, innovative digital products and exciting live eventsImmediate’s iconic brands reach 21m people every month – that’s more than a third of the UK’s adults – through its world-class magazines, innovative digital products and exciting live eventsImmediate’s iconic brands reach 21m people every month – that’s more than a third of the UK’s adults – through its world-class magazines, innovative digital products and exciting live events

More