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Dawn French is returning to the BBC with a sitcom from This Country’s Simon Mayhew-Archer, CBS Studios and Big Talk.

French is co-starring with Mark Heap on Can You Keep a Secret?, in which the comedy icon will play widower Debbie Fenton, who will stop at nothing to make sure her family’s protected. Unfortunately, most of the time the person they really need protecting from is her. When her hermit-like husband William (Heap) unexpectedly dies, she makes an outlandish decision that will put the family under more pressure than ever before.

French hasn’t appeared on the BBC since a French and Saunders Christmas special in 2017. She made her name with her sketch show alongside Jennifer Saunders and has appeared in a wealth of other comedies and dramas, as well as performing stand up.

Can You Keep a Secret? is being created and written by Mayhew-Archer and directed by Ghosts’ Simon Hynd.

Exclusive: The Chelsea Detective is back for more sleuthing on the glamorous streets of West London.

AMC Networks’ streamer Acorn TV and Germany’s Zdf have ordered a third season of the mystery drama series set on the glamorous streets of Chelsea, with Adrian Scarborough and Vanessa Emme reprising their roles as Detective Inspector Max Arnold and Detective Sergeant Layla Walsh, respectively. A first-look image is above.

Filming has begun in and around London on a four feature-length episodes in which the duo explore murky crimes such as the tragic death of a 2000s poster, the impenetrable world of the U.S. Embassy, the splendor of Kew Gardens, a classic music academy and a climate scientist found dead in a supercar. Also new is Max embarking on couples therapy with his estranged wife Astrid (Anamaria Marinca) and Layla getting used to living in London as her partner,...