French and Saunders
Encyclopedia
French and Saunders is a British sketch comedy
television show written by and starring comic duo Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders
. It is also the name by which the performers are known on the occasions when they appear elsewhere as a double act
.
Widely popular in the late 1980s and the early 1990s, the show was given one of the highest budgets in BBC
history to create detailed spoof
s and satire
s of popular culture
, movie
s, celebrities
and art
. The duo continue to film holiday specials for the BBC
, and both have been successful starring in their own shows. Saunders won a BAFTA, an Emmy Award and international acclaim for writing and playing the lead role of Edina Monsoon in Absolutely Fabulous
, which led to her minor, cameo roles in the American sitcoms Roseanne
and Friends. She won an American People's Choice Award for voicing the wicked Fairy Godmother in the DreamWorks
animated film Shrek 2
, but more recently she has written and starred in another two BBC sitcoms, Jam and Jerusalem
and The Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle
. Her other work includes being the face of Barclays Bank and BBC America
. Meanwhile, French starred in the highly successful sitcom The Vicar of Dibley
which received great critical acclaim as well as numerous holiday specials and future airplay, receiving cult status. She also starred in three series of the comedy show Murder Most Horrid
. She had a voice over role as Mrs. Beaver in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
, but more recently she has starred in Jam and Jerusalem, written by Saunders, and Lark Rise to Candleford
, of which the fourth series has just been commissioned. For many years she became popular for her appearances in the Terry's Chocolate Orange
adverts saying the famous line "It's not Terry's, it's mine!" and is currently the voice of W H Smith
and Tesco
adverts. She recently released her autobiography 'Dear Fatty', referring to Saunders, to whom she gave the nickname 'Fatty'.
In a 2005 poll to find The Comedian's Comedian, the duo were voted amongst the top 50 comedy acts ever by fellow comedians and comedy insiders. Their last special, 2005's French and Saunders Christmas Celebrity Special, aired on 27 December 2005 on BBC One
. In 2006, both Saunders and French announced that their sketch show was now dead, and that they had moved on to more age appropriate
material. Their last ever concert, and last ever performing as a duo act, Still Alive tour ran until the end of 2008, and then resuming in Australia in the summer of 2009.
In 2009, they were jointly awarded the BAFTA Fellowship.
and began their career to collaborate on comedy projects. They came to prominence in the early 1980s for performing at the London comedy club The Comic Strip
, which also gave its name to the television series and the informal grouping of so-called alternative comedians. They were featured on the 1981 live comedy album of The Comic Strip recorded by comedy entrepreneur Martin Lewis for his Springtime!
label and released in September 1981. Their first mainstream television appearance was in 1982 in the British comedy programme The Comic Strip Presents..., where they were appeared in approximately 30 episodes each as well as writing material for the series. They began to establish themselves in what was referred to as the "underground comedy" scene, along with many other prolific actors and comedians like Alan Rickman
and Miranda Richardson
, people whom they would go on to work with for the next twenty-plus years. From 1984, they appeared as comedy relief on the weekly Channel 4 music programme The Tube
, for which French had the honour of being the first person to use the word "blowjob
" on UK TV.
In 1985, French and Saunders collaborated on their programme Girls On Top
, which they again wrote and starred in. Co-stars Tracey Ullman
and Ruby Wax
rounded out a set of four oddball roommates, and the show ran for two years. In 1986, they made their first of many appearances on Comic Relief, and they signed a long-term contract with the BBC. Although the two have parted somewhat to find great success individually, they frequently reunite for holiday specials on BBC. A six-DVD boxed set of their work was released internationally.
On 9 March 1987, the duo launched their sketch show French and Saunders, which has carried over six seasons and 46 episodes up until 24 December 2007. Their show began humbly but immediately established its own niche as a spoof on other types of shows. In the first season it was intentionally set up to look like a low-budget variety show
in which the two stars were constantly attempting grandiose stunts and often failing miserably. Often a "famous" guest star (usually very much a B-list celebrity) would be brought on then treated badly. Also featured during this season was a set of geriatric dancers and a bongos
/keyboard music duo called Raw Sex, actually long-time collaborators Simon Brint and Rowland Rivron
and the vocal talents of Kirsty MacColl
.
As the series progressed and ratings skyrocketed, French and Saunders received higher and higher budgets with which to create elaborate parodies of mainstream culture. These ranged anywhere from recreations of films (Thelma & Louise, Misery
, Titanic
, and What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
) to spoofs on popular music artists (Madonna
, Bananarama
, ABBA
, and The Corrs
being favourites). Certain spoken phrases and sight gags that referenced previously performed sketches (often from years before) were incorporated for loyal fans. In particular there is a running gag suggesting that the duo are unable to accurately affect accents; this first appeared in their spoof of Gone with the Wind
when they break character in the middle of an elaborate and expensive parody to argue about the authenticity of their Southern accent. Saunders goads French to try the accent by saying: "How are you?", and French responds with an interpretation sounding more like a strong Northern Irish
accent. Since then, the duo often break character in the middle of elaborate sketches to do an "accent check" and repeat these lines.
The show also featured meta references: an awareness that the viewer was actually watching a parody. Unlike many parodies that are done in a straightforward manner for effect, French and Saunders uses the viewer's awareness of what is going on to further stretch out the joke. In their parody of The Lord of the Rings film trilogy
, an encounter by Frodo
and Galadriel
is thrown off when Saunders delivers her line: "I have passed the test, and now I will diminish, and go to the West and remain Galadriel", to which French responds: "You will what, sorry?", Saunders replies: "I will diminish... I don't understand, it's in the book." Other characters that make a recurring appearance are the bald, fat, perverted old men ("Begging for it, she is!"); Star Test
(most memorable character is Sonia, played by French); and Out and About ("I bet she dos [sic] tricks"). The love child named Jean is a prominent feature in many of their sketches.
Other appearances and work
Other appearances and work
Other appearances and work
Other appearances and work
Dawn, a parody of Oprah-style chat-shows featuring Dawn French and Victoria Wood/ F&S Sketch
Other appearances and work
, set design by Lez Brotherstone, lighting, video and visual effects by Willie Williams
.
Sketch comedy
A sketch comedy consists of a series of short comedy scenes or vignettes, called "sketches," commonly between one and ten minutes long. Such sketches are performed by a group of comic actors or comedians, either on stage or through an audio and/or visual medium such as broadcasting...
television show written by and starring comic duo Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders
Jennifer Saunders
Jennifer Jane Saunders is an English comedienne, screenwriter, singer and actress. She has won two BAFTAs, an International Emmy Award, a British Comedy Award, a Rose d'Or Light Entertainment Festival Award, two Writers' Guild of Great Britain Awards, and a Peoples Choice Award.She first came into...
. It is also the name by which the performers are known on the occasions when they appear elsewhere as a double act
Double act
A double act, also known as a comedy duo, is a comic pairing in which humor is derived from the uneven relationship between two partners, usually of the same gender, age, ethnic origin and profession, but drastically different personalities or behavior...
.
Widely popular in the late 1980s and the early 1990s, the show was given one of the highest budgets in BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
history to create detailed spoof
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
s and satire
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
s of popular culture
Popular culture
Popular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the...
, movie
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
s, celebrities
Celebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
and art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
. The duo continue to film holiday specials for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, and both have been successful starring in their own shows. Saunders won a BAFTA, an Emmy Award and international acclaim for writing and playing the lead role of Edina Monsoon in Absolutely Fabulous
Absolutely Fabulous
Absolutely Fabulous, also known as Ab Fab, is a British sitcom created by Jennifer Saunders, based on an original idea by her and Dawn French, and written by Saunders, who plays the leading character. It also stars Joanna Lumley and Julia Sawalha, along with June Whitfield and Jane Horrocks...
, which led to her minor, cameo roles in the American sitcoms Roseanne
Roseanne (TV series)
Roseanne is an American sitcom broadcast on ABC from October 18, 1988 to May 20, 1997. Starring Roseanne Barr, the show revolved around the Conners, an Illinois working class family...
and Friends. She won an American People's Choice Award for voicing the wicked Fairy Godmother in the DreamWorks
DreamWorks Animation
DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. is an American animation studio based in Glendale, California that creates animated feature films, television program and online virtual worlds...
animated film Shrek 2
Shrek 2
Shrek 2 is a 2004 American computer-animated fantasy comedy film, produced by DreamWorks Animation and directed by Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury and Conrad Vernon. It is the second installment in the Shrek film series and the sequel to 2001's Shrek...
, but more recently she has written and starred in another two BBC sitcoms, Jam and Jerusalem
Jam and Jerusalem
Jam & Jerusalem is a British comedy-drama that aired on BBC One from 2006 to 2009. Written by Jennifer Saunders and Abigail Wilson, it starred Sue Johnston, Jennifer Saunders, Pauline McLynn, Dawn French, Maggie Steed, David Mitchell, and Sally Phillips. Earlier episodes also starred Joanna Lumley...
and The Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle
The Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle
The Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle is a British sitcom that was originally aired on BBC 2 in 2007. The programme was written and created by Jennifer Saunders and Tanya Byron...
. Her other work includes being the face of Barclays Bank and BBC America
BBC America
BBC America is an American television network, owned and operated by BBC Worldwide, and available on both cable and satellite.-History:The channel launched on March 29, 1998, broadcasting comedy, drama and lifestyle programs from BBC Television and other British television broadcasters like ITV and...
. Meanwhile, French starred in the highly successful sitcom The Vicar of Dibley
The Vicar of Dibley
The Vicar of Dibley is a British sitcom created by Richard Curtis and written for its lead actress, Dawn French, by Curtis and Paul Mayhew-Archer, with contributions from Kit Hesketh-Harvey. It aired from 1994 to 2007...
which received great critical acclaim as well as numerous holiday specials and future airplay, receiving cult status. She also starred in three series of the comedy show Murder Most Horrid
Murder Most Horrid
Murder Most Horrid is a BBC dark comedy anthology series starring comedian Dawn French. It ran for four series runs, in 1991, 1994, 1996 and 1999....
. She had a voice over role as Mrs. Beaver in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a 2005 epic fantasy adventure film directed by Andrew Adamson and based on The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the first published and second chronological novel in C. S. Lewis's children's epic fantasy series, The Chronicles of...
, but more recently she has starred in Jam and Jerusalem, written by Saunders, and Lark Rise to Candleford
Lark Rise to Candleford (TV series)
Lark Rise to Candleford is a British television costume drama series, adapted by the BBC from Flora Thompson's trilogy of semi-autobiographical novels about the English countryside, published between 1939 and 1943. The first episode aired on 13 January 2008 on BBC One and BBC HD in the UK. In the...
, of which the fourth series has just been commissioned. For many years she became popular for her appearances in the Terry's Chocolate Orange
Terry's Chocolate Orange
Terry's Chocolate Orange is a chocolate product, made by Kraft Foods, originally sold only in the United Kingdom, but now sold all across the world. It is a ball of chocolate mixed with orange oil, divided into 20 "segments", similar to a real orange, and wrapped in orange-coloured foil...
adverts saying the famous line "It's not Terry's, it's mine!" and is currently the voice of W H Smith
W H Smith
WHSmith plc is a British retailer, headquartered in Swindon, Wiltshire, England. It is best known for its chain of high street, railway station, airport, hospital and motorway service station shops selling books, stationery, magazines, newspapers, and entertainment products...
and Tesco
Tesco
Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...
adverts. She recently released her autobiography 'Dear Fatty', referring to Saunders, to whom she gave the nickname 'Fatty'.
In a 2005 poll to find The Comedian's Comedian, the duo were voted amongst the top 50 comedy acts ever by fellow comedians and comedy insiders. Their last special, 2005's French and Saunders Christmas Celebrity Special, aired on 27 December 2005 on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
. In 2006, both Saunders and French announced that their sketch show was now dead, and that they had moved on to more age appropriate
Age appropriate
Age appropriate refers to a developmental concept whereby certain activities may be deemed appropriate or inappropriate to a child's "stage" or level of development....
material. Their last ever concert, and last ever performing as a duo act, Still Alive tour ran until the end of 2008, and then resuming in Australia in the summer of 2009.
In 2009, they were jointly awarded the BAFTA Fellowship.
Early years (1978–1987)
French and Saunders met in 1978 while attending the Central School of Speech and DramaCentral School of Speech and Drama
The Central School of Speech and Drama was founded in London in 1906 by Elsie Fogerty to offer a new form of training in speech and drama for young actors and other students...
and began their career to collaborate on comedy projects. They came to prominence in the early 1980s for performing at the London comedy club The Comic Strip
The Comic Strip
The Comic Strip is a group of British comedians, known for their television series The Comic Strip Presents.... The core members are Adrian Edmondson, Dawn French, Rik Mayall, Nigel Planer, Peter Richardson and Jennifer Saunders, with frequent appearances by Keith Allen, Robbie Coltrane and...
, which also gave its name to the television series and the informal grouping of so-called alternative comedians. They were featured on the 1981 live comedy album of The Comic Strip recorded by comedy entrepreneur Martin Lewis for his Springtime!
Springtime!
This article is about the entertainment company and record label. For other uses see Springtime Springtime! is a boutique entertainment company established in the UK in 1977 and based in the United States since 1983. The company's activities encompass film, TV, radio, record and stage show...
label and released in September 1981. Their first mainstream television appearance was in 1982 in the British comedy programme The Comic Strip Presents..., where they were appeared in approximately 30 episodes each as well as writing material for the series. They began to establish themselves in what was referred to as the "underground comedy" scene, along with many other prolific actors and comedians like Alan Rickman
Alan Rickman
Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman is an English actor and theatre director. He is a renowned stage actor in modern and classical productions and a former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company...
and Miranda Richardson
Miranda Richardson
Miranda Jane Richardson is an English stage, film and television actor. She has been nominated for two Academy Awards, and has won two Golden Globes and a BAFTA during her career....
, people whom they would go on to work with for the next twenty-plus years. From 1984, they appeared as comedy relief on the weekly Channel 4 music programme The Tube
The Tube (TV series)
The Tube was an innovative United Kingdom pop/rock music television programme, which ran for five seasons, from 5 November 1982 until 1987...
, for which French had the honour of being the first person to use the word "blowjob
Oral sex
Oral sex is sexual activity involving the stimulation of the genitalia of a sex partner by the use of the mouth, tongue, teeth or throat. Cunnilingus refers to oral sex performed on females while fellatio refer to oral sex performed on males. Anilingus refers to oral stimulation of a person's anus...
" on UK TV.
In 1985, French and Saunders collaborated on their programme Girls On Top
Girls On Top
Girls On Top was a British television sitcom on ITV from 1985 to 1986. It was conceived by and starred French & Saunders - their first high-profile writing for television - and despite a low budget and poor critical reception received high ratings. It was made for the ITV network by Central.The...
, which they again wrote and starred in. Co-stars Tracey Ullman
Tracey Ullman
Tracey Ullman is a British stage and television actress, comedienne, singer, dancer, screenwriter and author ....
and Ruby Wax
Ruby Wax
Ruby Wax is a BAFTA nominated American comedian who made a career in the United Kingdom as part of the alternative comedy scene in the 1980s.-Early life:...
rounded out a set of four oddball roommates, and the show ran for two years. In 1986, they made their first of many appearances on Comic Relief, and they signed a long-term contract with the BBC. Although the two have parted somewhat to find great success individually, they frequently reunite for holiday specials on BBC. A six-DVD boxed set of their work was released internationally.
French and Saunders (1987–2010)
Variety show
A variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is an entertainment made up of a variety of acts, especially musical performances and sketch comedy, and normally introduced by a compère or host. Other types of acts include magic, animal and circus acts, acrobatics, juggling...
in which the two stars were constantly attempting grandiose stunts and often failing miserably. Often a "famous" guest star (usually very much a B-list celebrity) would be brought on then treated badly. Also featured during this season was a set of geriatric dancers and a bongos
Bongo drum
Bongo or bongos are a Cuban percussion instrument consisting of a pair of single-headed, open-ended drums attached to each other. The drums are of different size: the larger drum is called in Spanish the hembra and the smaller the macho...
/keyboard music duo called Raw Sex, actually long-time collaborators Simon Brint and Rowland Rivron
Rowland Rivron
Rowland J. Rivron is a British comedian, musician, writer and television presenter.-Early life: Rivron was brought up in Hillingdon, West London and attended Abbotsfield Secondary School...
and the vocal talents of Kirsty MacColl
Kirsty MacColl
Kirsty Anna MacColl was an English singer-songwriter.MacColl scored several pop hits from the early 1980s to the early 1990s...
.
As the series progressed and ratings skyrocketed, French and Saunders received higher and higher budgets with which to create elaborate parodies of mainstream culture. These ranged anywhere from recreations of films (Thelma & Louise, Misery
Misery (film)
Misery is a 1990 American Psychological Horror Film based on Stephen King's 1987 novel of the same name. Directed by Rob Reiner, the film received critical acclaim for Kathy Bates' performance as the psychopathic Annie Wilkes...
, Titanic
Titanic (1997 film)
Titanic is a 1997 American epic romance and disaster film directed, written, co-produced, and co-edited by James Cameron. A fictionalized account of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, it stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack Dawson, Kate Winslet as Rose DeWitt Bukater and Billy Zane as Rose's fiancé, Cal...
, and What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (film)
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? is a 1962 American psychological thriller film produced and directed by Robert Aldrich, starring Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. The screenplay by Lukas Heller is based on the novel of the same name by Henry Farrell...
) to spoofs on popular music artists (Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
, Bananarama
Bananarama
Bananarama are an English female pop duo who have had success on the pop and dance charts since 1982. Rather than relying on a two part harmony, the duo generally sings in unison, as do their background vocalists. Although there have been line-up changes, the group enjoyed their most popular...
, ABBA
ABBA
ABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog...
, and The Corrs
The Corrs
The Corrs are an Irish band which combine pop rock with traditional Celtic folk music. The brother and sisters are from Dundalk, Ireland. The group consists of the Corr siblings: Andrea ; Sharon ; Caroline ; and Jim .The Corrs came to international prominence with their performance at the...
being favourites). Certain spoken phrases and sight gags that referenced previously performed sketches (often from years before) were incorporated for loyal fans. In particular there is a running gag suggesting that the duo are unable to accurately affect accents; this first appeared in their spoof of Gone with the Wind
Gone with the Wind (film)
Gone with the Wind is a 1939 American historical epic film adapted from Margaret Mitchell's Pulitzer-winning 1936 novel of the same name. It was produced by David O. Selznick and directed by Victor Fleming from a screenplay by Sidney Howard...
when they break character in the middle of an elaborate and expensive parody to argue about the authenticity of their Southern accent. Saunders goads French to try the accent by saying: "How are you?", and French responds with an interpretation sounding more like a strong Northern Irish
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
accent. Since then, the duo often break character in the middle of elaborate sketches to do an "accent check" and repeat these lines.
The show also featured meta references: an awareness that the viewer was actually watching a parody. Unlike many parodies that are done in a straightforward manner for effect, French and Saunders uses the viewer's awareness of what is going on to further stretch out the joke. In their parody of The Lord of the Rings film trilogy
The Lord of the Rings film trilogy
The Lord of the Rings is an epic film trilogy consisting of three fantasy adventure films based on the three-volume book of the same name by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. The films are The Fellowship of the Ring , The Two Towers and The Return of the King .The films were directed by Peter...
, an encounter by Frodo
Frodo Baggins
Frodo Baggins is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium.He is the main protagonist of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. He was a hobbit of the Shire who inherited Sauron's Ring from Bilbo Baggins and undertook the quest to destroy it in the fires of Mount Doom...
and Galadriel
Galadriel
Galadriel is a character created by J.R.R. Tolkien, appearing in his Middle-earth legendarium. She appears in The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, and Unfinished Tales....
is thrown off when Saunders delivers her line: "I have passed the test, and now I will diminish, and go to the West and remain Galadriel", to which French responds: "You will what, sorry?", Saunders replies: "I will diminish... I don't understand, it's in the book." Other characters that make a recurring appearance are the bald, fat, perverted old men ("Begging for it, she is!"); Star Test
Star Test (TV programme)
Star Test was a British TV programme that ran from 1989 to 1991 on Channel 4. The show took an interview format, in which the guest "star" was seated facing directly to camera, questioned by an unseen voice...
(most memorable character is Sonia, played by French); and Out and About ("I bet she dos [sic] tricks"). The love child named Jean is a prominent feature in many of their sketches.
BBC Radio 2 (2010–present)
In Christmas 2010, French and Saunders are featured in three two-hours radio shows on BBC Radio 2. This was followed by further specials in 2011 for Easter and the Bank Holidays.Series 1 - 1987
| # | Airdate | Cast & Sketches | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 March | Alison Moyet Alison Moyet Alison Moyet , is an English singer, songwriter and performer noted for her bluesy voice.Her UK album sales have reached a certified 2.3 million, with 800,000 singles sold, all in the UK, where all seven of her studio albums and three compilation albums have charted in the Top 40 UK Album Chart,... |
||
| 2 | 16 March | Roy Castle Roy Castle Roy Castle OBE was an English dancer, singer, comedian, actor, television presenter and musician. He attended Honley High School, where there is now a building in his name... |
||
| 3 | 23 March | Julie T. Wallace Julie T. Wallace Julie Therese Wallace is an English actress.-Biography:Julie T. Wallace is the daughter of the late Scottish actor Andrew Keir, and is the sister of the actors Sean Keir and Deirdre Keir... |
||
| 4 | 30 March | Michael Grade Michael Grade Michael Ian Grade, Baron Grade of Yarmouth CBE is a British broadcast executive and businessman. He was BBC chairman from 2004 to 2006 and executive chairman of ITV plc from 2007 to 2009.-Early life:... |
||
| 5 | 6 April | Jools Holland Jools Holland Julian Miles "Jools" Holland OBE, DL is an English pianist, bandleader, singer, composer, and television presenter. He was a founder of the band Squeeze and his work has involved him with many artists including Sting, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, The Who, David Gilmour and Bono.Holland is a... , Rik Mayall Rik Mayall Richard Michael "Rik" Mayall is an English comedian, writer, and actor. He is known for his comedy partnership with Ade Edmondson, his over-the-top, energetic portrayal of characters, and as a pioneer of alternative comedy in the early 1980s... , Harry Enfield Harry Enfield Henry Richard "Harry" Enfield is a BAFTA-winning English comedian, actor, writer and director.-Early life:... |
||
| 6 | 13 April | Joan Armatrading Joan Armatrading Joan Anita Barbara Armatrading, MBE is a British singer, songwriter and guitarist. Armatrading is a three-time Grammy Award-nominee and has been nominated twice for BRIT Awards as Best Female Artist... , Harriet Thorpe Harriet Thorpe -TV:She was in the mid-to-late 1990s British television sitcom The Brittas Empire, playing Carole Parkinson, the receptionist who was prone to depression and fits of emotion who permanently kept her children with her, in drawers under her desk and would sometimes be seen feeding them or washing... |
||
Other appearances and work
- 1987 - Alison MoyetAlison MoyetAlison Moyet , is an English singer, songwriter and performer noted for her bluesy voice.Her UK album sales have reached a certified 2.3 million, with 800,000 singles sold, all in the UK, where all seven of her studio albums and three compilation albums have charted in the Top 40 UK Album Chart,...
- Love Letters (promo video - F&S appearance) - 1988 – Comic Relief
Series 2 - 1988
| # | Airdate | Cast & Sketches | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 March | Joan Bakewell, Squeeze | ||
| 2 | 11 March | Toyah Willcox Toyah Willcox Toyah Ann Willcox is an English actress and singer. In a career spanning more than thirty years Toyah has had 13 top 40 singles, released 22 studio albums, written two books, appeared in over forty stage plays and ten feature films, as well as voicing and presenting numerous television shows... , Steve O'Donnell |
||
| 3 | 18 March | Helen Lederer Helen Lederer Helen Lederer is a Welsh comedienne, writer and actress who emerged as part of the alternative comedy boom at the beginning of the 1980s.-Career:... , Kirsty MacColl Kirsty MacColl Kirsty Anna MacColl was an English singer-songwriter.MacColl scored several pop hits from the early 1980s to the early 1990s... |
||
| 4 | 25 March | Ben Elton Ben Elton Benjamin Charles "Ben" Elton is an English comedian, author, playwright and director. He was a leading figure in the British alternative comedy movement of the 1980s, as a writer on such cult series as The Young Ones and Blackadder, as well as also a successful stand-up comedian on stage and TV.... |
||
| 5 | 8 April | Adrian Edmondson Adrian Edmondson Adrian Charles "Ade" Edmondson is an English comedian. He is probably best known for his comedic roles in the television series The Young Ones and Bottom , for which he also wrote together with his long-time collaboration partner Rik Mayall.-Early life:Edmondson, the second of four children, was... , Lenny Henry Lenny Henry Lenworth George "Lenny" Henry, is a British actor, writer, comedian and occasional television presenter.- Early life :... , The Proclaimers The Proclaimers The Proclaimers are a Scottish band composed of identical twin brothers, Charlie and Craig Reid . They are probably best known for the songs "Letter from America", "I'm On My Way" and "I'm Gonna Be ". The band tours extensively throughout Europe and other continents... |
||
| 6 | 15 April | Robbie Coltrane Robbie Coltrane Robbie Coltrane, OBE is a Scottish actor, comedian and author. He is known both for his role as Dr... , June Whitfield June Whitfield June Rosemary Whitfield, CBE is an English actress, well known in the United Kingdom since the 1950s for roles in radio and television comedy series.... , Lulu Lulu (singer) Lulu Kennedy-Cairns, OBE , best known by her stage name Lulu, is a Scottish singer, actress, and television personality who has been successful in the entertainment business from the 1960s through to the present day... |
||
Other appearances and work
- 1988 - Bananarama & Lananeeneenoonoo – Help! Promo video (Comic Relief single)
- 1988 - Bananarama & Lananeeneenoonoo – Help! Comic Relief '88 Live performance
- 1988 - Jim HensonJim HensonJames Maury "Jim" Henson was an American puppeteer best known as the creator of The Muppets. As a puppeteer, Henson performed in various television programs, such as Sesame Street and The Muppet Show, films such as The Muppet Movie and The Great Muppet Caper, and created advanced puppets for...
's The StorytellerThe StorytellerThe StoryTeller is a live-action/puppet television series. It was an American/British co-production which originally aired in 1988 and was created and produced by Jim Henson....
- the bad sisters in Sapsorrow - 1988 - Christmas Special 28 December 1988 (Kathy Burke, Harriet Thorpe) (40 min)
- 1989 – Hysteria 2 (live appearance C4 (Tiger Television), Standup/sketch, colour, 1989
- 1989 – Comic Relief 2: A Night Of Comic Relief 2
- 1989 - The Secret Policeman's Biggest Ball - ITV (Central), Standup/sketch
Series 3 - 1990
| # | Airdate | Sketches & Cast | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 March | The Sound of Music The Sound of Music The Sound of Music is a musical by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the memoir of Maria von Trapp, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers... (Jerry Hall Jerry Hall Jerry Faye Hall is an American model and actress, also known for her long-term relationship with Mick Jagger, with whom she had four children.-Early life:... ) |
||
| 2 | 22 March | Whatever Happened to Baby Dawn? What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (film) What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? is a 1962 American psychological thriller film produced and directed by Robert Aldrich, starring Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. The screenplay by Lukas Heller is based on the novel of the same name by Henry Farrell... (Mac McDonald Mac McDonald Mac McDonald is an American actor. He is best known for playing Captain Hollister on the BBC TV series Red Dwarf and frequently plays American characters in other British TV shows... ) |
||
| 3 | 29 March | The Exorcist The Exorcist The Exorcist is a novel of supernatural suspense by William Peter Blatty, published by Harper & Row in 1971. It was inspired by a 1949 case of demonic possession and exorcism that Blatty heard about while he was a student in the class of 1950 at Georgetown University, a Jesuit school... (Kathy Burke Kathy Burke Katherine Lucy Bridget Burke is an English actress, comedienne, playwright and theatre director. She is best known for her portrayals of Perry in the Harry Enfield film Kevin and Perry Go Large, and of Linda La Hughes in the British sitcom Gimme Gimme Gimme... ) |
||
| 4 | 5 April | Dangerous Liaisons Dangerous Liaisons Dangerous Liaisons is a 1988 drama film based upon Christopher Hampton's play, Les liaisons dangereuses, which in turn was a theatrical adaptation of the 18th-century French novel Les Liaisons dangereuses by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos.... (Nigel Planer Nigel Planer Nigel George Planer is an English actor, comedian, novelist and playwright.Planer is perhaps best known for his role as Neil Pye in the cult BBC comedy The Young Ones. He has appeared in many West End musicals, including Evita, Chicago, We Will Rock You, Wicked and Hairspray... , Eleanor Bron Eleanor Bron Eleanor Bron is an English stage, film and television actress and author.-Early life and family:Bron was born in 1938 in Stanmore, Middlesex, to a Jewish family of Eastern European origin... , Joan Bakewell) |
||
| 5 | 12 April | Gone with the Wind Gone with the Wind (film) Gone with the Wind is a 1939 American historical epic film adapted from Margaret Mitchell's Pulitzer-winning 1936 novel of the same name. It was produced by David O. Selznick and directed by Victor Fleming from a screenplay by Sidney Howard... |
||
| 6 | 19 April | Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Harriet Thorpe Harriet Thorpe -TV:She was in the mid-to-late 1990s British television sitcom The Brittas Empire, playing Carole Parkinson, the receptionist who was prone to depression and fits of emotion who permanently kept her children with her, in drawers under her desk and would sometimes be seen feeding them or washing... , Mac McDonald Mac McDonald Mac McDonald is an American actor. He is best known for playing Captain Hollister on the BBC TV series Red Dwarf and frequently plays American characters in other British TV shows... ) |
||
| 7 | 26 April | Jane Asher Jane Asher Jane Asher is an English actress. She has also developed a second career as a cake decorator and cake shop proprietor.-Early life:... , Carl Davis Carl Davis Carl Davis CBE is an American born conductor and composer who has made his home in the UK since 1961. In 1970 he married the English actress Jean Boht.... |
||
Other appearances and work
- 1990 Little Pig Robinson (Beatrix PotterBeatrix PotterHelen Beatrix Potter was an English author, illustrator, natural scientist and conservationist best known for her imaginative children’s books featuring animals such as those in The Tale of Peter Rabbit which celebrated the British landscape and country life.Born into a privileged Unitarian...
) - 1990 – French and Saunders Live! (1990 Tour) Home video release (non-BBC)
- 1991 - Comic Relief’ 91: F&S and Birds of a Feather – Mistaken Identity
- 1991 - Hysteria III (UK, C4 (Noel Gay Television), Standup/sketch, colour)
- 1991 - Amnesty International's Big 30 (ITV (Working Title Television for Central), Standup/sketch
- 1993 - Comic Relief’ 93: Total Relief
Series 4 - 1993
| # | Airdate | Sketches & Cast | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 18 February | Misery Misery (film) Misery is a 1990 American Psychological Horror Film based on Stephen King's 1987 novel of the same name. Directed by Rob Reiner, the film received critical acclaim for Kathy Bates' performance as the psychopathic Annie Wilkes... |
||
| 2 | 25 February | The Silence of the Lambs | ||
| 3 | 4 March | The Seventh Seal The Seventh Seal The Seventh Seal is a 1957 Swedish film written and directed by Ingmar Bergman. Set during the Black Death, it tells of the journey of a medieval knight and a game of chess he plays with the personification of Death , who has come to take his life. Bergman developed the film from his own play... |
||
| 4 | 11 March | In Bed With French And Saunders | ||
| 5 | 18 March | French And Saunders: The Special Edition | ||
| 6 | 25 March | Thelma and Louise Thelma and Louise Thelma & Louise is a 1991 film co-produced and directed by Ridley Scott and written by Callie Khouri, the film's plot revolves around Thelma and Louise's escape from their troubled and caged lives. It stars Geena Davis as Thelma and Susan Sarandon as Louise, and co-stars Harvey Keitel as a... |
||
| 7 | 1 April | The House of Idiot The House of Eliott The House of Eliott is a British television series produced and broadcast by the BBC in three series between 1991 and 1994. The series starred Stella Gonet and Louise Lombard as two sisters in 1920s London who establish a dressmaking business and eventually their own haute couture fashion house... |
||
Other appearances and work
- 1994 - Christmas Special 30 December 1994 (Adrian Edmondson, Chris Ryan, Harriet Thorpe, Richard Briers) (40 min)
- 1994 - Dusty Springfield - Full Circle (BBC Interview/Documentary)
- 1994 - Alison MoyetAlison MoyetAlison Moyet , is an English singer, songwriter and performer noted for her bluesy voice.Her UK album sales have reached a certified 2.3 million, with 800,000 singles sold, all in the UK, where all seven of her studio albums and three compilation albums have charted in the Top 40 UK Album Chart,...
- Whispering Your Name (promo video - Dawn appearance) - 1995 – Comic Relief '95: The Night Of Comic Relief (BBC, Sketch/standup)
Dawn, a parody of Oprah-style chat-shows featuring Dawn French and Victoria Wood/ F&S Sketch
Series 5 - 1996
| # | Airdate | Sketches & Cast | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 January | 1996 Baywatch Baywatch Baywatch is an American action drama series about the Los Angeles County Lifeguards who patrol the beaches of Los Angeles County, California, starring David Hasselhoff. The show ran in its original title and format from 1989 to 1999, sans the 1990-1991 season, of which it was not in production... (Julia Sawalha Julia Sawalha Julia Sawalha is an English actress well known for her roles as Saffron Monsoon in Absolutely Fabulous, Lynda Day, editor of The Junior Gazette in Press Gang and Lydia Bennet in the 1995 television miniseries of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. She also played Dorcas Lane in the BBC's costume... ) |
||
| 2 | 11 January | Braveheart Braveheart Braveheart is a 1995 epic historical drama war film directed by and starring Mel Gibson. The film was written for the screen and then novelized by Randall Wallace... |
||
| 3 | 18 January | Franco e Sandro (Felicity Kendal Felicity Kendal Felicity Ann Kendal, CBE is an English actor known for her television and stage work.Born in 1946, Kendal spent much of her childhood in India, where her father managed a touring repertory company. First appearing on stage at the age of nine months, Kendal appeared in her first film, Shakespeare... ) (Sue Barker Sue Barker Susan Barker, MBE is an English television presenter and former professional tennis player. During her tennis career, she won the women's singles title at the French Open and reached a career-high singles ranking of World No. 3... ) (Kate Moss Kate Moss Kate Moss is an English model. Moss is known for her waifish figure and popularising the heroin chic look in the 1990s. She is also known for her controversial private life, high profile relationships, party lifestyle, and drug use. Moss changed the look of modelling and started a global debate on... ) |
||
| 4 | 25 January | Batman Batman (1989 film) Batman is a 1989 superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the same name, directed by Tim Burton. The film stars Michael Keaton in the title role, as well as Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl and Jack Palance... |
||
| 5 | 1 February | Pulp Fiction Pulp Fiction (film) Pulp Fiction is a 1994 American crime film directed by Quentin Tarantino, who co-wrote its screenplay with Roger Avary. The film is known for its rich, eclectic dialogue, ironic mix of humor and violence, nonlinear storyline, and host of cinematic allusions and pop culture references... (Lulu Lulu (singer) Lulu Kennedy-Cairns, OBE , best known by her stage name Lulu, is a Scottish singer, actress, and television personality who has been successful in the entertainment business from the 1960s through to the present day... ) |
||
| 6 | 8 February | The Quick and the Dead (Lenny Henry Lenny Henry Lenworth George "Lenny" Henry, is a British actor, writer, comedian and occasional television presenter.- Early life :... ) |
||
| 7 | 29 February | Dr. Quimn, Mad Woman Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman is an American post-Civil War western/drama series created by Beth Sullivan. Dr. Michaela "Mike" Quinn, played by Jane Seymour, left Boston in search of adventure. She goes to Colorado Springs, Colorado where she establishes herself as doctor/adviser.The show ran on CBS... (Michael Praed Michael Praed Michael Praed born Michael David Prince, 1 April 1960 in Berkeley, Gloucestershire) is a British actor, is probably best known for his role as Robin of Loxley in the British television series Robin of Sherwood, which attained cult status worldwide in the 1980s... ) |
||
Other appearances and work
- 1997 - Spice GirlsSpice GirlsThe Spice Girls were a British pop girl group formed in 1994. The group consisted of Victoria Beckham , Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Geri Halliwell. They were signed to Virgin Records and released their debut single, "Wannabe" in 1996, which hit number-one in more than 30...
& The Sugar Lumps – Who Do You Think You AreWho Do You Think You Are"Who Do You Think You Are" is a dance-pop song performed by British pop group Spice Girls. It was written by the group members with Paul Wilson and Andy Watkins,—also known as Absolute—for the group's debut album Spice, released in November 1996. The song is heavily influenced by early 1990s...
- Promo video (Comic Relief) - 1997 – Comic Relief ’97
Series 6 - 2004
| # | Airdate | Cast & Sketches | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 October | Dawn and Jennifer meet their new producer and sign a contract, unknowingly locking themselves into a six-part series deal. | ||
| 2 | 22 October | Dawn attempts to find the chocolate lime to evoke childhood memories, Jennifer searches porn on the computer and a new director general of the BBC drops round. | ||
| 3 | 29 October | Jennifer has been selected for a royal award, while Dawn is aghast at not being selected, as well as Mark Lamarr's Mark Lamarr Mark Lamarr is an English comedian, radio DJ and television presenter.-Early life:Lamarr was born in the Park South area of Swindon and has three elder sisters. His father is Irish... rudeness. Episode one of the series is, apparently, drafted by the pair - albeit hastily. |
||
| 4 | 5 November | Dawn and Jennifer attempt to get funding for a series via the internal BBC process of offers. | ||
| 5 | 12 November | With 5 of the 6 episodes for the new series' soon-approaching deadline; Dawn and Jennifer cut their ideas down to a manageable portion. The episode ends with a guest appearance from Anastacia Anastacia Anastacia is an American singer-songwriter. Anastacia has been highly successful in Europe, Asia, South Africa and South America, but has had only minor success in her native United States... . |
||
| 6 | 26 November | Episode one of the new series starts filming. Dawn and Jennifer delay production, through a combination of pedanticism and constantly getting lost. The episode ends with the party for the start of the new series. | ||
Series 7 - A Bucket o' French and Saunders 2007
- A Bucket O' French and Saunders was shown from 7 September till 5 October, (The sixth episode not being shown canon). The series was shown as a retrospective, showing 20 years of the French and Saunders sketch show. The series also included new prerecorded sketches, which were interspersed between the classic sketches. The new sketches were recorded in June 2007 at the BBC Television Centre. New material included parodies of America's Next Top ModelAmerica's Next Top ModelAmerica's Next Top Model is a reality television show in which a number of women compete for the title of America's Next Top Model and a chance to start their career in the modeling industry....
, The Apprentice, Gordon RamsayGordon RamsayGordon James Ramsay, OBE is a Scottish chef, television personality and restaurateur. He has been awarded 13 Michelin stars....
's The F-WordThe F-WordThe F Word is a British food magazine and cooking show featuring chef Gordon Ramsay. The programme covers a wide range of topics, from recipes to food preparation and celebrity food fads. The programme is made by Optomen Television and aired weekly on Channel 4...
, The Academy Awards (featuring a cameo appearance by Dame Helen MirrenHelen MirrenDame Helen Mirren, DBE is an English actor. She has won an Academy Award for Best Actress, four SAG Awards, four BAFTAs, three Golden Globes, four Emmy Awards, and two Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Awards.-Early life and family:...
), X FactorThe X Factor (UK)The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
, Big BrotherBig Brother (UK)Big Brother UK is the British version of the Dutch Big Brother television format, which takes its name from the character in George Orwell's 1948 novel Nineteen Eighty-Four...
, Fame AcademyFame AcademyFame Academy is a televised competition to search for and educate new musical talents. The winner received a chance to become a successful music artist. The prize consisted of a £1m recording contract with a major record company, plus the use of a luxury apartment in London and a sports car for one...
and a parody of disgraced celebrities Amy WinehouseAmy WinehouseAmy Jade Winehouse was an English singer-songwriter known for her powerful deep contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres including R&B, soul and jazz. Winehouse's 2003 debut album, Frank, was critically successful in the UK and was nominated for the Mercury Prize...
and Britney SpearsBritney SpearsBritney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
.
| # | Airdate | Sketches & Cast | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 September 2007 | Episode 1 sees the return of the hapless documentary presenter (Joanna Lumley Joanna Lumley Joanna Lamond Lumley, OBE, FRGS is a British actress, voice-over artist, former-model and author, best known for her roles in British television series Absolutely Fabulous portraying Edina Monsoon's best friend, Patsy Stone, as well as parts in The New Avengers, Sapphire & Steel, and Sensitive... ), introducing the sketches. Classic Material: Who is it?/Dawn's Entrances, The Two Fat Men, ABBA Promo (C'est La Vie), 60s Dance Quickie, Marilyn and Jane, The Exorcist, The Extras, Britney & Madonna (Remixed), Titanic, Dawn at the Doctor, F&S Teenagers' and features a music montage of old clips to The Black Eyed Peas The Black Eyed Peas The Black Eyed Peas are an American pop group , formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1995. The group includes rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo, and singer Fergie. Since the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003, the group has sold an estimated 56 million records worldwide... ' "My Humps My Humps "My Humps" is the third single by The Black Eyed Peas from their fourth album, Monkey Business. It samples a section of the song "I Need a Freak" by Sexual Harassment, as well as the 1989 song "Wild Thing" by Tone Lōc and "It's Automatic" by Freestyle. Released in 2005, it reached number three in... ". New Material: The F-Word featuring Jemima, Humpty Dumpty and Little Ted. |
||
| 2 | 14 September 2007 | Classic Material:French and Saunders "get" a BAFTA, The Menopatsy Menopause Menopause is a term used to describe the permanent cessation of the primary functions of the human ovaries: the ripening and release of ova and the release of hormones that cause both the creation of the uterine lining and the subsequent shedding of the uterine lining... Sisters, F&S Dancing, Cassie's Dance Audition (featuring Harriet Thorpe Harriet Thorpe -TV:She was in the mid-to-late 1990s British television sitcom The Brittas Empire, playing Carole Parkinson, the receptionist who was prone to depression and fits of emotion who permanently kept her children with her, in drawers under her desk and would sometimes be seen feeding them or washing... ), Jen's Reactions to Dawn, Generation Gap (featuring Julia Sawalha Julia Sawalha Julia Sawalha is an English actress well known for her roles as Saffron Monsoon in Absolutely Fabulous, Lynda Day, editor of The Junior Gazette in Press Gang and Lydia Bennet in the 1995 television miniseries of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. She also played Dorcas Lane in the BBC's costume... , F&S do Presenters Academy Fame Academy Fame Academy is a televised competition to search for and educate new musical talents. The winner received a chance to become a successful music artist. The prize consisted of a £1m recording contract with a major record company, plus the use of a luxury apartment in London and a sports car for one... (featuring Davina McCall Davina McCall Davina McCall is an English television presenter and actress, most notable as the presenter of the UK version of Big Brother up until its move to Channel 5.- Early life :... , This sketch had been filmed in 2005 but had previously never been seen on television), Dana and Mary Hopkin, Dickens' Daughter, The Mamas & the Papas The Mamas & the Papas The Mamas & the Papas were a Canadian/American vocal group of the 1960s . The group recorded and performed from 1965 to 1968 with a short reunion in 1971, releasing five albums and 11 Top 40 hit singles... , George Michael George Michael George Michael is a British musician, singer, songwriter and record producer who rose to fame in the 1980s when he formed the pop duo Wham! with his school friend, Andrew Ridgeley... and Boy George Boy George Boy George is a British singer-songwriter who was part of the English New Romantic movement which emerged in the early 1980s. He helped give androgyny an international stage with the success of Culture Club during the 1980s. His music is often classified as blue-eyed soul, which is influenced by... , Florida Retirees, The Sound of Music The Sound of Music The Sound of Music is a musical by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the memoir of Maria von Trapp, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers... and features a music montage of old clips to Arctic Monkeys Arctic Monkeys Arctic Monkeys are an English indie rock band. Formed in 2002 in High Green, a suburb of Sheffield, the band currently consists of Alex Turner , Jamie Cook , Nick O'Malley and Matt Helders... ' "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor -Charts:-External links:* Mapped on Platial.... " and another montage set to Dmitri in Paris' Une Very Stylish Fille New Material: The French and Saunders Academy Awards featuring Dame Helen Mirren |
||
| 3 | 21 September 2007 | Classic Material: Alien Alien (film) Alien is a 1979 science fiction horror film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm and Yaphet Kotto. The film's title refers to its primary antagonist: a highly aggressive extraterrestrial creature which... , Gone with the Wind Gone with the Wind (film) Gone with the Wind is a 1939 American historical epic film adapted from Margaret Mitchell's Pulitzer-winning 1936 novel of the same name. It was produced by David O. Selznick and directed by Victor Fleming from a screenplay by Sidney Howard... , Cold Turkey Cold Mountain (film) Cold Mountain is a 2003 war drama film written and directed by Anthony Minghella. The film is based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Charles Frazier... , Loveheart Braveheart Braveheart is a 1995 epic historical drama war film directed by and starring Mel Gibson. The film was written for the screen and then novelized by Randall Wallace... , Look at my baby!, Poo Stripes, BoyZone Boyzone Boyzone are an Irish boy band comprising Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Ronan Keating,Shane Lynch, and formerly Stephen Gately. Boyzone have 19 singles in the top 40 UK charts and 21 singles in the Ire charts. The group currently have 6 UK number one singles and 9 number one singles in Ireland with 12... , Aimless Morris-Minor Alanis Morissette Alanis Nadine Morissette is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, record producer, and actress. She has won 16 Juno Awards and seven Grammy Awards, was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and also shortlisted for an Academy Award nomination... , Chris Martin Chris Martin Christopher Anthony John "Chris" Martin is an English song-writer, who is the lead vocalist, pianist and rhythm guitarist of the band Coldplay. He is married to actress Gwyneth Paltrow.-Early life:... 's Mother/"Apple", West Country West Country The West Country is an informal term for the area of south western England roughly corresponding to the modern South West England government region. It is often defined to encompass the historic counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset and the City of Bristol, while the counties of... Maids, Silence of the Lambs, F&S do Women's Programming, Lucky Bitches, 20s Dance Quickie, Hoodies Dance Quickie, and features a music montage of old clips to The Gorillaz "Feel Good Inc. Feel Good Inc. "Feel Good Inc." is a song by Gorillaz, on their album Demon Days, featuring De La Soul. The song was released as the lead single from the album on 9 May 2005 in the United Kingdom . "Feel Good Inc." peaked at #2 in the United Kingdom and #14 in the United States, at the time the band's highest... ". New Material: Jennifer's "Reality TV Tour" featuring Dawn as Andrew Lloyd Webber Andrew Lloyd Webber Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of... , Sir Alan Sugar Alan Sugar Alan Michael Sugar, Baron Sugar is a British entrepreneur, media personality and political advisor. From humble origins in the East End of London, Sugar now has an estimated fortune of £770m , and was ranked 89th in the Sunday Times Rich List 2011... , Tyra Banks Tyra Banks Tyra Lynne Banks is an American model, media personality, actress, occasional singer, author and businesswoman. She first became famous as a model, but television appearances were her commercial breakthrough... and Simon Cowell Simon Cowell Simon Phillip Cowell is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol... |
||
| 4 | 28 September 2007 | Classic Material: Dawn coming in, Bro's Star Test, Insane Housewife "Nibbles" (featuring Lenny Henry Lenny Henry Lenworth George "Lenny" Henry, is a British actor, writer, comedian and occasional television presenter.- Early life :... and Adrian Edmondson Adrian Edmondson Adrian Charles "Ade" Edmondson is an English comedian. He is probably best known for his comedic roles in the television series The Young Ones and Bottom , for which he also wrote together with his long-time collaboration partner Rik Mayall.-Early life:Edmondson, the second of four children, was... ), The Extra's at the Tate Modern Tate Modern Tate Modern is a modern art gallery located in London, England. It is Britain's national gallery of international modern art and forms part of the Tate group . It is the most-visited modern art gallery in the world, with around 4.7 million visitors per year... , Witless Silence Silent Witness Silent Witness is a BBC crime thriller series focusing on a team of forensic pathology experts and their investigations into various crimes. First broadcast in February 1996, the series is still airing to the present day, with a fifteenth series expected to air in January 2012. The series was... , Batman Batman Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics... (featuring Patsy Kensit Patsy Kensit Patricia Jude Francis "Patsy" Kensit is an English actress, singer, model and former child star, known for her television and film appearances. Her films include Lethal Weapon 2 and she has been married to rock stars Jim Kerr and Liam Gallagher, as well as herself fronting the band Eighth Wonder... ), Star Wars Star Wars Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year... , The two fat women, Jackie Jackie Stallone Jacqueline 'Jackie' Stallone is an American astrologer and celebrity who is the mother of the actor Sylvester and singer Frank. She is also the mother of actress Toni D'Alto whom she had with ex-husband Anthony Filiti.-Early life:Stallone was born Jacqueline M... and Brigitte Brigitte Nielsen Brigitte Nielsen is a Danish model, actress, musician and reality television personality who began her career modelling for Greg Gorman and Helmut Newton and several years later made appearances in the 1985 films Red Sonja and Rocky IV and is also known for her marriage to Sylvester Stallone... (featuring Tanya Byron Tanya Byron Tanya Byron is a British psychologist, writer and media personality, best known for her work as a child therapist on television shows Little Angels and The House of Tiny Tearaways... ), Elton John Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor... with Kiki Dee Kiki Dee Kiki Dee is an English singer with a career spanning more than 40 years.... and features a music montage of old clips to Basement Jaxx Basement Jaxx Basement Jaxx are a British electronic dance music duo from London, England consisting of Felix Buxton born 1971 and Simon Ratcliffe born 1 December 1969. They first rose to popularity in the late 1990s... ' "Where's Your Head At? Where's Your Head At? "Where's Your Head At" is a song by British electronic dance music duo Basement Jaxx. It was released as a single from their second album, Rooty, in 2001. The song was recorded in early 2001 and is based around samples from Gary Numan's songs "M.E." and "This Wreckage"... " and another montage to Just Jack Just Jack Jack Christopher Allsopp , known by the stage name Just Jack, is an English musician from Camden Town, London. He first came to prominence with the release of his 2007 single "Starz in Their Eyes", which reached number two on the UK Singles Chart... 's Stars in their Eyes Stars In Their Eyes Stars in Their Eyes is a British television talent show that ran on Saturdays nights from 21 July 1990 until 23 December 2006 in which contestants impersonate showbiz stars... . New Material: Dawn the Meter Checker, Amy Winehouse Amy Winehouse Amy Jade Winehouse was an English singer-songwriter known for her powerful deep contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres including R&B, soul and jazz. Winehouse's 2003 debut album, Frank, was critically successful in the UK and was nominated for the Mercury Prize... and Britney Spears Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album... |
||
| 5 | 5 October 2007 | Classic Material: F&S make Music, Lananeeneenoonoo Bananarama Bananarama are an English female pop duo who have had success on the pop and dance charts since 1982. Rather than relying on a two part harmony, the duo generally sings in unison, as do their background vocalists. Although there have been line-up changes, the group enjoyed their most popular... , Catherine Zeta-Spartacus-Jones Catherine Zeta-Jones Catherine Zeta-Jones, CBE, is a British actress. She began her career on stage at an early age. After starring in a number of United Kingdom and United States television films and small roles in films, she came to prominence with roles in Hollywood movies such as the 1998 action film The Mask of... "President" and "Pregnant", Hurrah for Hollywood, Horse Riding, Kill Bill Kill Bill Kill Bill Volume 1 is a 2003 action thriller film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It is the first of two volumes that were theatrically released several months apart, the second volume being Kill Bill Volume 2.... , Dot and May, Pulp Fiction Pulp Fiction (film) Pulp Fiction is a 1994 American crime film directed by Quentin Tarantino, who co-wrote its screenplay with Roger Avary. The film is known for its rich, eclectic dialogue, ironic mix of humor and violence, nonlinear storyline, and host of cinematic allusions and pop culture references... , Thelma and Louise Thelma and Louise Thelma & Louise is a 1991 film co-produced and directed by Ridley Scott and written by Callie Khouri, the film's plot revolves around Thelma and Louise's escape from their troubled and caged lives. It stars Geena Davis as Thelma and Susan Sarandon as Louise, and co-stars Harvey Keitel as a... and features a music montage of old clips to Lulu Lulu (singer) Lulu Kennedy-Cairns, OBE , best known by her stage name Lulu, is a Scottish singer, actress, and television personality who has been successful in the entertainment business from the 1960s through to the present day... 's "Shout". This episode also features a retrospective montage on 20 years of "F&S" set to Dawn and Jennifer Jennifer Saunders Jennifer Jane Saunders is an English comedienne, screenwriter, singer and actress. She has won two BAFTAs, an International Emmy Award, a British Comedy Award, a Rose d'Or Light Entertainment Festival Award, two Writers' Guild of Great Britain Awards, and a Peoples Choice Award.She first came into... 's rendition of Barbra Streisand Barbra Streisand Barbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy,... 's "The Way We Were". New Material: Location, Relocation, Property Under the Sun featuring Kirstie Allsopp Kirstie Allsopp Kirstie Mary Allsopp is a British TV presenter known for the Channel 4 property programmes: Location, Location, Location; Relocation, Relocation; Location Revisited; The Property Chain; Kirstie's Homemade Home and Kirstie's Handmade Britain... and Big Brother Big Brother (UK) Big Brother UK is the British version of the Dutch Big Brother television format, which takes its name from the character in George Orwell's 1948 novel Nineteen Eighty-Four... in the French and Saunders House |
||
| 6 | 12 October 2007 | Due to low ratings, the run was shortened and episodes five and six were edited down together into one show, so this scheduled broadcast was cancelled. Surprisingly, none of the leftover new material (including a Doctor Who Doctor Who Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior... parody, their second spoof of the show and also their second never to air) made it into the following Christmas special. |
||
| 7 | 24 December 2007 | Episode 7, the final in the series, is an episode dedicated to Christmas (a possible homage to the once famous French and Saunders' Christmas Special). Classic Material: Dawn Modelling with Kate Moss Kate Moss Kate Moss is an English model. Moss is known for her waifish figure and popularising the heroin chic look in the 1990s. She is also known for her controversial private life, high profile relationships, party lifestyle, and drug use. Moss changed the look of modelling and started a global debate on... , The Two Fat Men at Christmas, The Two Fat Women at Christmas, 'Don't Sit There!', La Belle Dame Sans Chapeau (with Darcey Bussell Darcey Bussell Darcey Andrea Bussell CBE is a retired English ballerina. Trained at the Arts Educational School and the Royal Ballet School, she was later employed by the Royal Ballet, where she was promoted to the rank of Principal Dancer and would become recognised as one of the greatest English ballerinas of... ), Scary Moments with F&S, Whatever Happened to Baby Dawn?, The Rubbish Maids,, F&S at Richard and Judy Richard and Judy Richard and Judy is the name informally given to Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan, a married couple who are both British television presenters and columnists. Since their marriage, their television appearances have been largely made as a couple. They are best known for presenting This Morning and... 's House, Hosanna in the Highest (with Alison Moyet Alison Moyet Alison Moyet , is an English singer, songwriter and performer noted for her bluesy voice.Her UK album sales have reached a certified 2.3 million, with 800,000 singles sold, all in the UK, where all seven of her studio albums and three compilation albums have charted in the Top 40 UK Album Chart,... ), Prosthetics with F&S, Computer Troubles, Cher Cher Cher is an American recording artist, television personality, actress, director, record producer and philanthropist. Referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes and a Cannes Film Festival Award among others for her work in... , Ride with F&S, Imagine: Parkour (with Alan Yentob Alan Yentob Alan Yentob is a British television executive and presenter who has worked throughout his career at the BBC.-Early life:... ), Catherine Zeta-Spartacus-Douglas-Jones Catherine Zeta-Jones Catherine Zeta-Jones, CBE, is a British actress. She began her career on stage at an early age. After starring in a number of United Kingdom and United States television films and small roles in films, she came to prominence with roles in Hollywood movies such as the 1998 action film The Mask of... ' Christmas Message, 1920's Dance Quickie, F&S in Prison, Christmas in the White Room, The Opera Divas (featuring Sarah Walker) and features a music montage of old clips to Shirley Bassey Shirley Bassey Dame Shirley Bassey, DBE , is a Welsh singer. She found fame in the late 1950s and was "one of the most popular female vocalists in Britain during the last half of the 20th century"... and The Propellerheads, "History Repeating History Repeating (song) "History Repeating" is a song written by Alex Gifford and originally performed by the Propellerheads featuring Shirley Bassey in 1997.-Single release:... ". New Material: White Room: Still Can't Get In to the BBC |
||
Special Episodes
- 1988 - Christmas Special - A French and Saunders Christmas Story
- 1994 - Christmas Special - French and Saunders Christmas Carol
- 1998 - Christmas Special – The Making of: The Filming of: The Making of: Titanic (30mins)
- 1999 - Bank Holiday Special – Witless Silence/F&S TV - Home Shopping Network (30mins)
- 1999 - Christmas Special – French and Saunders: The Phantom Millennium (30mins)
- 2000 - Comic Relief Special (Video Only) - The Extras On Doctor Who (unaired extended sketch recorded 13 years previously for series 1 episode 6 and eventually released as a short special as part of the Doctor WhoDoctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
Comic ReliefComic ReliefComic Relief is an operating British charity, founded in 1985 by the comedy scriptwriter Richard Curtis and comedian Lenny Henry in response to famine in Ethiopia. The highlight of Comic Relief's appeal is Red Nose Day, a biennial telethon held in March, alternating with sister project Sport Relief...
video compilation) - 2000 - French and Saunders - Live in 2000 Tour (Home video release – non-BBC)
- 2002 - Easter Special – The Egg
- 2002 - Christmas Special – Celebrity Christmas Puddings
- 2003 - Comic Relief Special – Harry Potter and The Secret Chamberpot of Azerbaijan
- 2003 - Christmas Special – French and Saunders: Actually
- 2005 – Christmas Special - French and Saunders Celebrity Christmas Special
- 2007 - TV Series - A Bucket O' French and Saunders
- 2009 - Comic Relief Special - Gimme, Gimme, Gimmick (Mamma Mia: The Movie) (Last official sketch under the brand of "French and Saunders")
Live Shows
French and Saunders began a UK tour at Blackpool Opera House on 29 February 2008. The first leg of the show concluded in May 2008. The show ended 9 November, in London. Previously they have toured their comedy act / sketch show very rarely, with UK tours in 1990 & 2000. The current tour contains a selection of their favourite sketches, as well as new material written specifically for the tour. The show was directed by Hamish McCollHamish McColl
Hamish McColl is a British comedian, writer and actor. He trained at the Ecole Phillippe Gaulier, Paris and Cambridge University. With Sean Foley, he formed the double act The Right Size in 1988, creating comic theatre shows which toured all over the world. more recently he has worked as a...
, set design by Lez Brotherstone, lighting, video and visual effects by Willie Williams
Willie Williams (lighting designer)
Willie Williams is a video director, stage and lighting designer for concerts, theatre, & multimedia projects...
.
- Live 1990
- Live in 2000
- French and Saunders: Still Alive 2008
- French and Saunders: Still Alive 2008 Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London
- French and Saunders: Still Alive 2009 Australia
- French and Saunders: Still Alive 2009 New Zealand
Featuring French and Saunders
- The Comic Strip Presents (1982–1998)
- Girls On TopGirls On TopGirls On Top was a British television sitcom on ITV from 1985 to 1986. It was conceived by and starred French & Saunders - their first high-profile writing for television - and despite a low budget and poor critical reception received high ratings. It was made for the ITV network by Central.The...
(1985–1986) - Happy FamiliesHappy Families (TV series)Happy Families was a rural comedy drama written by Ben Elton which appeared on the BBC in 1985 and told the story of the dysfunctional Fuddle family....
(1985) - Let Them Eat CakeLet Them Eat Cake (TV series)Let Them Eat Cake is a British sitcom that aired on BBC One in 1999. Starring Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders, it is one of the few programmes in which French and Saunders have appeared which they did not create themselves.-Plot:...
(1999) - Jam & Jerusalem (2006–2009)
- CoralineCoralineCoraline is a horror/fantasy novella by British author Neil Gaiman, published in 2002 by Bloomsbury and Harper Collins. It was awarded the 2003 Hugo Award for Best Novella, the 2003 Nebula Award for Best Novella, and the 2002 Bram Stoker Award for Best Work for Young Readers...
(2008)
Featuring French
- The Vicar of DibleyThe Vicar of DibleyThe Vicar of Dibley is a British sitcom created by Richard Curtis and written for its lead actress, Dawn French, by Curtis and Paul Mayhew-Archer, with contributions from Kit Hesketh-Harvey. It aired from 1994 to 2007...
(1994–2007) - Murder Most HorridMurder Most HorridMurder Most Horrid is a BBC dark comedy anthology series starring comedian Dawn French. It ran for four series runs, in 1991, 1994, 1996 and 1999....
(1991–1999) - Wild WestWild West (TV series)Wild West is a situation comedy screened from October 2002 until 2004 starring Dawn French and Catherine Tate. It was described as a dark comedy from the pen of Simon Nye and was filmed on location in Cornwall. Set in the hamlet of St Gweep, Wild West observes the strange goings-on in the local...
(2002–2004) - PsychovillePsychovillePsychoville is an award-winning British dark comedy television serial written by and starring The League of Gentlemen members Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton. It debuted on BBC Two on 18 June 2009. Pemberton and Shearsmith each play numerous characters, with Dawn French and Jason Tompkins in...
(2009–2011) - Lark Rise to CandlefordLark Rise to Candleford (TV series)Lark Rise to Candleford is a British television costume drama series, adapted by the BBC from Flora Thompson's trilogy of semi-autobiographical novels about the English countryside, published between 1939 and 1943. The first episode aired on 13 January 2008 on BBC One and BBC HD in the UK. In the...
(2008–2011)
Featuring Saunders
- Absolutely FabulousAbsolutely FabulousAbsolutely Fabulous, also known as Ab Fab, is a British sitcom created by Jennifer Saunders, based on an original idea by her and Dawn French, and written by Saunders, who plays the leading character. It also stars Joanna Lumley and Julia Sawalha, along with June Whitfield and Jane Horrocks...
(1992–2004) - The Life and Times of Vivienne VyleThe Life and Times of Vivienne VyleThe Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle is a British sitcom that was originally aired on BBC 2 in 2007. The programme was written and created by Jennifer Saunders and Tanya Byron...
(2007)
UK video
- French and Saunders The Video (Best Of Series 1 & 2) (1990)
- French and Saunders Live (4 Front Video) (1991)
- French and Saunders Series 3 (1993)
- French and Saunders At The Movies (Best Of Series 4) (1994)
UK DVD
- French and Saunders Live (Universal) (2001)
- The Best Of French and Saunders (or Gentlemen Prefer French and Saunders) (2002)
- French and Saunders At The Movies (also Includes the 1999 Christmas Special) (2005)
- French and Saunders: Complete Series 1-6 (2008)
- French and Saunders: Still Alive (2008)
USA video
- French and Saunders At The Movies (1997)
- Gentlemen Prefer French and Saunders (1997)
- French and Saunders Ingenue Years (1998)
- French and Saunders Living In A Material World (1998)
USA DVD
- Gentlemen Prefer French and Saunders (2002)
- French and Saunders At The Movies (2002)
- French and Saunders The Ingenue Years (2003)
- French and Saunders Living In A Material World (2003)
- French and Saunders On The Rocks (2005)
- French and Saunders Back With A Vengeance (2005)
Australian video
- French and Saunders: Series 3 - Complete and Un-edited(ish) - (Part One) (1993)
- French and Saunders: The Best of Series 4 (1994)
- French and Saunders: Series 3 - Complete and Un-edited(ish) - (Part Two) (1996)
- French and Saunders: Live (2002)
Australian DVD
- French and Saunders: Live (2003)
- French and Saunders At The Movies (with 1999 Christmas Special) (2005)
- BBC Presents "The Best of: French and Saunders" (2005)
- French and Saunders: Complete Series 1-6 (2008)
- French and Saunders: Still Alive - The Farewell Tour (2008)
- French And Saunders: Series One Episodes 1-3 (Comedy Bites) (4 March 2010)
- Dawn French Bundle (2011)
International broadcasters
| Country | TV Network(s) |
|---|---|
 Australia |
ABC Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster... (first runs) UK.TV/The Comedy Channel Comedy Central Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated.... (repeats) |
 CanadaCanada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... |
BBCK on BBC Kids |
 France |
Arte Arte Arte is a Franco-German TV network. It is a European culture channel and aims to promote quality programming especially in areas of culture and the arts... (first runs), Pink TV (France) (repeats) |
 Germany |
EinsFestival EinsFestival Einsfestival is a digital television channel from the German broadcaster ARD, which owns the flagship The First . It launched on 30 August 1997.Einsfestival is available on satellite and cable in Germany, and in some regions by digital terrestrial... , Arte Arte Arte is a Franco-German TV network. It is a European culture channel and aims to promote quality programming especially in areas of culture and the arts... |
 New Zealand |
UK.TV |
 Portugal |
RTP2 (first runs), BBC Prime BBC Prime BBC Prime was the BBC's general entertainment TV channel in Europe and the Middle East from 30 January 1995 until 11 November 2009, when it was replaced by BBC Entertainment.-Launch:... /BBC Entertainment BBC Entertainment BBC Entertainment is an international television channel showcasing comedy, drama, light entertainment and children's programming from the BBC and other UK production houses... (repeats) |
 SingaporeSingapore Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the... |
BBC Entertainment BBC Entertainment BBC Entertainment is an international television channel showcasing comedy, drama, light entertainment and children's programming from the BBC and other UK production houses... |
 ThailandThailand Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the... |
BBC Entertainment BBC Entertainment BBC Entertainment is an international television channel showcasing comedy, drama, light entertainment and children's programming from the BBC and other UK production houses... |
 United States |
BBC America BBC America BBC America is an American television network, owned and operated by BBC Worldwide, and available on both cable and satellite.-History:The channel launched on March 29, 1998, broadcasting comedy, drama and lifestyle programs from BBC Television and other British television broadcasters like ITV and... |