Dawn French’s newest television comedy, Can You Keep a Secret?, has been renewed for a second series just weeks after its successful debut. The show, primarily filmed in and around Axbridge and Cheddar in Somerset, premiered in January to an impressive 5.3 million viewers within 28 days.
The sitcom stars Dawn French as Debbie Fendon, a commanding mother, grandmother, and lawn bowls enthusiast who discovers she has been mistakenly claiming life insurance payments on behalf of her husband William (played by Mark Heap), who was thought to be deceased due to Parkinson’s disease. However, William is very much alive, secretly hidden away in the attic while the couple waits for the insurance settlement. Their son Harold (Craig Roberts) is horrified by the deception, especially since his partner Neha (Mandip Gill) works in the police force.
The beloved cast is set to reunite for the second series, with filming scheduled to begin later this year across the West Country.
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Dawn French expressed her excitement, saying, “As chuffed as an actual chuff to hear that we have a second series! More chances for Debbie to get her bossy boots on and create further havoc… hooray.”
The show emerged as the third most popular comedy debut on BBC iPlayer in 2024, with 3.3 million viewers—62% of the total audience—over 28 days, just behind Ludwig and Amandaland.
Creator and writer Simon-Mayhew Archer praised the cast and crew: “Making this series was a joyous experience. Comedy is a team game, and Dawn, Mark, Craig, Mandip and the whole cast and crew are dream collaborators. I hope our success encourages more comedy production across the UK—it’s one of our national superpowers and we need it!”
Jon Petrie, BBC Director of Comedy Commissioning, described the audience reaction as “fantastic” and expressed enthusiasm for the forthcoming series. “Dawn French and the whole creative team have crafted a warm, mischievous comedy that clearly struck a chord with audiences. We look forward to seeing even more secrets unfold.”
Can You Keep a Secret? is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.