French And Saunders
- TV sketch show
- BBC One / BBC Two
- 1987 - 2017
- 49 episodes (6 series)
Long-running popular sketch show starring Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders. Also features Betty Marsden, Simon Brint, Rowland Rivron, The Hot Hoofers, Kirsty MacColl and more.
Streaming rank this week: 4,676
Episode menu
- 300 Years Of French And Saunders
Further details
Reuniting for their first TV show together in 10 years, the huge comedy talents that brought the world Absolutely Fabulous and The Vicar Of Dibley are on top form, where nothing is out of bounds and no-one is safe. With special appearances from Joanna Lumley, Lulu and one of the presenters from Spotlight South West.
Broadcast details
- Date
- Monday 25th December 2017
- Time
- 10:35pm
- Channel
- BBC One
- Length
- 55 minutes
- Recorded
-
- Sunday 26th November 2017, 18:30 at Television Centre
Cast & crew
| Dawn French | Various |
| Jennifer Saunders | Various |
| Lorna Brown | Ensemble Actor |
| Victoria Graham | Self |
| Joanna Lumley | Self |
| Lulu | Self |
| Jack Farthing | Self |
| Eleanor Tomlinson | Self |
| Jon Plowman | Ensemble Actor |
| Dawn French | Writer |
| Jennifer Saunders | Writer |
| Ed Bye | Director |
| Jon Plowman | Executive Producer |
| James Farrell | Producer |
| Andy Bennions | Line Producer |
| Jake Bernard | Editor |
| Harry Banks | Production Designer |
| Sarah Burns | Costume Designer |
| John Sorapure | Director of Photography |
| Simon Brint | Composer |
| Vivien Ackland-Snow | 1st Assistant Director |
| Kate Daughton | Commissioning Editor |
Videos
300 Years of French and Saunders
French & Saunders introduce their 2017 Christmas special.
Featuring: Dawn French & Jennifer Saunders.
300 Years of French and Saunders - Trailer
Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders celebrate 30 years of their comedy partnership with some brand new sketches alongside some of their greatest hits.
Featuring: Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders & Jack Farthing.
Press
300 Years of French and Saunders, BBC1 review
What joy that Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders were persuaded by the BBC to celebrate their 30 (ish) years as a comedy duo with this programme - and that this sweet confection was shown on Christmas Day. It was a pleasing mix of old clips and new material, and a reminder that when F&S are good, they are very, very good.
Veronica Lee, The Arts Desk, 26th December 2017French and Saunders signed off their semi-comeback with a joyous compilation of dance moves and pratfalls. It's been more than a decade since they last had a festive special, and the celebratory 300 Years of French and Saunders (BBC One[) opted to take a "ghost of Christmas past" approach, packing in plenty of archive clips while weaving in a handful of new skits with care. The fresh sketches were sharp and silly: their natural burial service was fantastically daft, the Poldark extras were deliciously awful and it was a thrill to see the white room back in use for their Handmaid's Tale send-up. It was, in short, a welcome return.
Rebecca Nicholson, The Guardian, 25th December 2017300 Years of French and Saunders review
It wouldn't be too much to ask for a full French and Saunders Christmas special for 2018, rather than raking over old ground.
Steve Bennett, Chortle, 25th December 2017French and Saunders, review
Very silly and extremely smart.
Sarah Hughes, i Newspaper, 25th December 2017300 Years of French and Saunders review
300 Years of French and Saunders was sophisticated comedy from a vital comic source.
Chris Harvey, The Telegraph, 25th December 2017Can French & Saunders cut it in the social media age?
On Christmas Day, Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders will appear in their first new TV show for a decade; a reunion almost guaranteed to cause a mixture of delight and apprehension among their fans.
Ben Lawrence, The Telegraph, 24th December 2017'Being silly is what they do best': French and Saunders
Thirty years after their first sketch series and 10 since their last TV show, the double act are back for a Christmas special.
Emine Saner, The Guardian, 23rd December 2017