Dawn French’s BBC comedy had me cackling at TV for the first time in years

I couldn’t tell you the last time I genuinely laughed out loud while watching a TV series.

While there’s absolutely no shortage of brilliant comedies that have graced our screens in recent years, I admittedly recall very few times when I’ve been left belly laughing at quips and gasping at hilarious one-liners.

It’s not that I simply enjoy tuning into shows that will only leave me devastated and in tears – in the past year, I raced through episodes of the brilliant A Man on the Inside, Man vs Baby and Such Fun Girls.

But I struggle to remember one that held my attention completely from start to finish, and made me chuckle more times than I could count.

However, 25 years since last starring in a sitcom, Dawn French’s new series has changed that for me.

Written by Simon Mayhew-Archer (the son of Vicar of Dibley co-writer Paul Mayhew-Archer), Can You Keep a Secret? is the perfect watch to ring in the New Year – despite its seemingly dark storyline.

The premise is absolutely bonkers – while watching TV with her husband William (Mark Heap) one night, retiree Debbie Fendon (Dawn) is faced with a devastating turn of events when he dies unexpectedly.

Although she wastes no time in seeking help, encounters with doctors and funeral directors who are pretty rubbish at their jobs lead to William being declared dead.

The problem is… he actually wakes up a few hours later, with it being discovered that he accidentally doubled up on his Parkinson’s pills – which were such a heavy dose they’d be able to ‘tranquilise a hippo’.

Despite Debbie’s best efforts to correct the record, she is then presented with an opportunity to change her family’s lives, playing along upon realising they’ve got a £250,000 life insurance payout coming their way.

Cue hysterical and jaw-dropping attempts to keep the secret under wraps, which is made more difficult by their anxious son Harry (Craig Roberts), who is floored by his parents’ risky move, and his wife Neha (Mandip Gill), a local police officer who could bring their ruse crashing down if she discovers the deception.

As the story plays out, the foursome inevitably ends up creating even bigger problems than the mammoth one they began with.

In just the first few minutes, viewers are treated to exactly what to expect in terms of the quips, with mentions of a local criminal known for ‘putting petrol pumps up his a***’ being considered a ‘cry for help’, Debbie declaring she was pleasantly ‘surprised’ how much money she got given for her supposedly dead husband and a flashback showing her motorboating William to try and bring him back to life.

Despite the outlandish premise, at the heart of the series is a run-of-the-mill middle-class couple who simply want to do the best for their family – their relatability helping to make the completely abnormal situation seem plausible.

Although the deception could have easily veered into territory that makes viewers want the Fendons’ secret to be discovered, their reasons for lying are actually completely understandable, and their morally questionable actions do feel acceptable.

Plus, rather than making the whole affair morally ambiguous, the fact that the medical experts and authorities didn’t exactly display due diligence makes it even more hilarious.

The chemistry between Dawn and Mark is captivating, with the pair sparring off each other with such ease that I was left googling to discover if they’d ever been a real-life couple or had already worked together before (they had, in 2020’s The Trouble with Maggie Cole).

While Debbie is determined to keep life ticking along as normal and holding things together, she has to contend with a somewhat bumbling William, who doesn’t quite understand the scale of what they’ve done, but goes along with it all anyway.

Like her previous acclaimed comedies, Dawn’s delivery of quips is effortless, with her charismatic charm making her feel like an actual friend who you support fully despite her at-times questionable decisions.

The role was written for her in mind, leaving you wondering just how much the lines have been blurred between Debbie and Dawn’s demeanours.

Mark, who previously starred in shows including Friday Night Dinner and Benidorm, embodies the eccentric energy of William, who – despite being a self-admitted hermit with no friends – is completely charming and likeable.

The pair’s razor-sharp timing while delivering lines had me questioning how they managed to stay in character and maintain straight faces, which they told me was quite difficult at times.

Although their performances shine, the writing of Mayhew-Archer cannot be overlooked, with his comedic wit and development of such flawed but utterly likeable characters almost astounding when you consider this is the first TV show he’s ever written in full himself, after previously writing episodes of This Country and Josh.

The pairing of Craig and Mandip is also brilliant casting. Although Harry could have come across as quite irritating, considering his frazzled and anxious demeanour, his scenes – particularly with his parents – are some of the standout moments across the series.

Mandip’s performance as Neha provides a calming presence amongst the chaos, appearing as though she’s the only voice of reason in the group.

Although I detest the idea of programmes being cut down simply to hold viewers’ attentions these days, the six 30-minute episodes are the perfect length to both tell the story in its full capacity and pack a punch.

This time of year might have you inundated with recommendations of shows to watch while you feel low on brain cells and just want to chill out on the couch, but if you want a genuinely hilarious comedy that will hold your attention, this is it.

After racing through the episodes, I was completely rooting for Debbie and William’s second chance at living life in full. I won’t be keeping any secrets gatekeeping this series – don’t miss it.

Can You Keep a Secret? starts on Wednesday January 7 at 9.30pm on BBC One.

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