British Comedy Guide
French And Saunders. Image shows from L to R: Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders
French And Saunders

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.

  • JustWatch Streaming rank this week: 5,534

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300 Years Of French And Saunders

French And Saunders. Image shows from L to R: Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders
Dragged up all the way from the ocean bed, national treasures Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders are back together this festive season for a special 30th anniversary clip show bursting with brand new material, greatest hits, hilarious rarities, and even some never before seen footage.

Preview clips

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.

French And Saunders. Image shows from L to R: Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders
French And Saunders. Image shows from L to R: Dawn French, Eleanor Tomlinson, Jack Farthing, Jennifer Saunders
French And Saunders. Image shows from L to R: Dawn French, Jack Farthing, Jennifer Saunders, Eleanor Tomlinson
French And Saunders. Image shows from L to R: Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders
French And Saunders. Image shows from L to R: Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French
French And Saunders. Image shows from L to R: Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French

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

Cast
Dawn French Various
Jennifer Saunders Various
Lorna Brown Ensemble Actor
Guest cast
Victoria Graham Self
Joanna Lumley Self
Lulu Self
Jack Farthing Self
Eleanor Tomlinson Self
Jon Plowman Ensemble Actor
Writing team
Dawn French Writer
Jennifer Saunders Writer
Production team
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 - 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 2017

French 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 2017

300 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 2017

French and Saunders, review

Very silly and extremely smart.

Sarah Hughes, i Newspaper, 25th December 2017

300 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 2017

Can 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

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