French & Saunders
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French & Saunders is a British sketch comedy television show written by and starring Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders, and also the name by which the performers are known on the rare occasions when they appear elsewhere as a double act.
Widely popular in the early 1990s (and now a cult classic), the show was given one of the highest budgets in BBC history to create detailed spoofs and satires of pop culture, movies, celebrities and art. French and Saunders continue to film holiday specials for the BBC, and both have been successful starring in their own shows. Saunders starred in and wrote the hit sitcom "Absolutely Fabulous", which is based on a sketch written with French for French & Saunders, while French starred in "The Vicar of Dibley".
The show features an unusual style of humour, where many otherwise normal parody sketches are permeated with an underlying theme (which somewhat breaks the fourth wall) of the jealousy that French has for Saunders, and the superiority complex of Saunders.
In a 2005 poll to find The Comedian's Comedian, they were voted amongst the top 50 comedy acts ever by fellow comedians and comedy insiders.
The last special 2005's French and Saunders Christmas Celebrity Special aired on December 27th, 2005 on BBC One.
In 2006, Saunders and French announced that the sketch style French and Saunders show was now dead, and that they had moved on to more age-appropriate material. However, Saunders revealed that the two have been thinking of setting out for a tour in 2007, or sometime in the near future.[1]
[edit] History
The duo met in 1978 while attending the Central School of Speech and Drama and immediately began to collaborate on projects. They first came to attention performing at the London club The Comic Strip - which also gave its name to the TV show and the informal grouping of so-called alternative comedians. French & Saunders 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 TV appearance was in 1982 in the British comedy programme The Comic Strip Presents..., where they were featured 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 in which French had the honour of being the first person to use the word "blowjob" on UK TV.
In 1985 they collaborated on the 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 the UK version of Comic Relief, and they signed a long-term contract with the BBC.
In 1987 the duo launched the programme French & Saunders, which has carried over six series up until present date. The show began humbly but immediately established its own niche as a spoof on other types of shows. In the first season it was set up to intentionally look like a low-budget variety show in which the two stars were constantly attempting grandiose stunts and often failing miserably. Oftentimes a "famous" guest star (usually a very b-list celebrity) would be brought on and 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 the duo 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, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?) to spoofs on popular music artists (Madonna and Bananarama 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 a mangled interpretation: "Har URR Yer?" Since then they often break character in the middle of elaborate sketches to do an "accent check" and repeat these lines.
Another unique aspect to the show is that it was permeated by a sense of awareness at all times that the viewer was actually watching a parody. Unlike many parodies that are done in a straightforward manner for effect, French & Saunders uses the viewer's awareness of what is going on to further stretch out the joke. In their parody of the The Lord of the Rings films, an encounter by Galadriel (Saunders) and Frodo (French) is thrown off when Saunders delivers the line "Now I shall go into the West and diminish", to which French responds "What? I'm sorry, I don't...what?" "I don't know", Saunders replies: "It was in the book!"
As the two have parted somewhat to find great success apart from one another (Saunders with Absolutely Fabulous and French with The Vicar of Dibley) the two frequently reunite for Holiday specials on the BBC. A six-DVD boxed set of their work was released internationally.
Other characters that make a recurring appearance are the bald, fat men ("I bet she wants some of that!"); Star Test (most memorable character is Sonia, played by French); and Out and About ("I bet she do's tricks").
[edit] Series lists and era appearances/work
[edit] Series 1 - 1987
- 9 March 1987 (Alison Moyet)
- 16 March 1987 (Roy Castle)
- 23 March 1987 (Julie T. Wallace)
- 30 March 1987 (Michael Grade)
- 6 April 1987 (Jools Holland, Rik Mayall, Harry Enfield)
- 13 April 1987 (Joan Armatrading, Harriet Thorpe)
Other appearances and work
- 1987 - Alison Moyet - Love Letters (promo video - F&S appearance)
- 1988 – Comic Relief
[edit] Series 2 - 1988
- 4 March 1988 (Joan Bakewell, Squeeze)
- 11 March 1988 (Toyah, Steve O'Donnell)
- 18 March 1988 (Helen Lederer, Kirsty MacColl)
- 25 March 1988 (Ben Elton)
- 8 April 1988 (Adrian Edmondson, Lenny Henry, The Proclaimers)
- 15 April 1988 (Robbie Coltrane, June Whitfield)
Other appearances and work
- 1988 - Bananarama & Lanananeenoo – Help! Promo video (Comic Relief single)
- 1988 - Bananarama & Lanananeenoo – Help! Comic Relief '88 Live performance
- 1988 - Christmas Special 28 Dec 88 (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
[edit] Series 3 - 1990
- 15 March 1990 The Sound of Music (Jerry Hall)
- 22 March 1990 Whatever Happened to Baby Dawn? (Mac McDonald)
- 29 March 1990 The Exorcist (Kathy Burke)
- 5 April 1990 Dangerous Liaisons (Nigel Planer, Eleanor Bron, Joan Bakewell)
- 12 April 1990 Gone with the Wind
- 19 April 1990 Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Harriet Thorpe, Mac McDonald)
- 26 April 1990 (Jane Asher, Carl Davis)
Other appearances and work
- 1990 Little Pig Robinson (Beatrix Potter)
- 1990 – French & 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
[edit] Series 4 - 1993
- 18 February 1993 Misery
- 25 February 1993 The Silence of the Lambs
- 4 March 1993 The Seventh Seal
- 11 March 1993 In Bed with French & Saunders
- 18 March 1993 French & Saunders: the Special Edition
- 25 March 1993 The House of Idiot
- 1 April 1993 Thelma and Louise
- 1994 - Christmas Special 30 December 1994 (Adrian Edmondson, Chris Ryan, Harriet Thorpe, Richard Briers) (40 min)
- 1994 - Dusty Springfield - Full Circle (BBC Interview/Documentary)
- 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
[edit] Series 5 - 1996
- 4 January 1996 Baywatch (Julia Sawalha)
- 11 January 1996 Loveheart
- 18 January 1996 Franco e Sandro (Felicity Kendal)
- 25 January 1996 Batman
- 1 February 1996 Pulp Fiction
- 8 February 1996 The Quick and the Dead (Lenny Henry)
- 29 February 1996 Dr. Quimn, Mad Woman (Michael Praed)
- 1997 - Spice Girls & The Sugar Lumps – Who Do You Think You Are? - Promo video (Comic Relief)
- 1997 – Comic Relief ’97:
- Spice Girls & The Sugar Lumps – Who Do You Think You Are? - Live Performance
[edit] Series Hiatus / The Specials
- 1998 - Christmas Special – Titantic (30mins)
- 1999 - Bank Holiday Special – Witless Silence/ F&S Products Home Shopping (30mins)
- 1999 - Christmas Special – The Phantom Millennium (30mins)
- 2000 - French & Saunders - Live in 2000 Tour (Home video release – non-BBC)
- 2002 - Easter Special – The Lord of the Rings (30mins)
- 2002 - Christmas Special – Celebrity Christmas Puddings
- 2003 - Comic Relief Special – Harry Potter and The Secret Chamberpot of Azerbaijan'
- 2003 - Christmas Special – French & Saunders Actually
[edit] Series 6 - 2004
- 6 x 30-minute episodes. Guest stars Liza Tarbuck, David Wallimas, Matt Lucas, Anastacia, Basil Brush
[edit] Specials - 2005
- 2005 – Christmas Special (Eastenders / Celebrity Big Brother)
[edit] Side projects & spin-off series
- featuring both Dawn French & Jennifer Saunders:
[edit] Girls On Top (1985-1986)
13 x30 mins Series One (7) 23 Oct-4 Dec 1985 Series Two (6) 30 Oct-11 Dec 1986
Dawn French - Writer Jennifer Saunders - Writer Ruby Wax - Writer Ben Elton - Script Editor Paul Jackson - Director (series 1) Ed Bye - Director (series 2) Allan McKeown - Executive Producer Paul Jackson – Producer Principal Cast Tracey Ullman - Candice Valentine (series 1) Dawn French - Amanda Ripley Jennifer Saunders - Jennifer Marsh Ruby Wax - Shelley Dupont Joan Greenwood - Lady Carlton
[edit] Happy Families (1985)
6x 35 mins/ 17 Oct-21 Nov 1985 BBC1 Ben Elton - Writer Paul Jackson - Director / Producer Principal Cast Jennifer Saunders - Edith Fuddle / Cassie Fuddle / Roxanne Fuddle / Joyce Fuddle / Madeleine Fuddle Adrian Edmondson - Guy Fuddle Dawn French - Cook Stephen Fry - Dr De Quincy Helen Lederer - Flossie Jim Broadbent - Dalcroix
[edit] Let Them Eat Cake (1999)
Peter Learmouth - Creator / Writer 6x 30min episodes 9 Sep-14 Oct 1999 · BBC1
[edit] Jam and Jerusalem (2006 - )
- featuring Dawn French:
[edit] The Vicar of Dibley (1994-2007)
Richard Curtis – Creator/Writer Series One (6 x 30 mins) 10 Nov-15 Dec 1994, BBC1 Special (40 mins) 8 Apr 1996, BBC1 Special (45 mins) 25 Dec 1996, BBC1 Short special part of Comic Relief, 24 Mar 1997, BBC1 Special (40 mins) 26 Dec 1997, BBC1 Series Two (3 x 30 mins) 8 Jan-22 Jan 1998, BBC1 Short special part of Comic Relief, 12 Mar 1999, BBC1 Series Three (4 x 40 mins) 24 Dec 1999-1 Jan 2000, BBC1
[edit] Murder Most Horrid (1991-1999)
Series One (6) 14 Nov-19 Dec 1991, BBC2 Series Two (6) Murder Most Horrid II 3 Mar-7 Apr 1994, BBC2 Series Three (6) 10 May-14 June 1996, BBC2 Series Four (6) 19 Feb-2 Apr 1999, BBC2
[edit] Wild West (2002-2004)
Series One (6): 22 Oct-3 Dec 2002 · BBC1 Series Two (6): 12 Mar-16 Apr 2004 BBC1
[edit] High Table (2007 - )
- featuring Jennifer Saunders:
[edit] Absolutely Fabulous (1992-2004)
Written by Jennifer Saunders Series One (6) 12 Nov-17 Dec 1992 · BBC2 (cameo by Dawn French in 1 episode) Series Two (6) 27 Jan-10 Mar 1994 · BBC1 Series Three (6) 30 Mar-11 May 1995 · BBC1 Special The Last Shout: Part 1 6 Nov 1996 · BBC1 Special The Last Shout: Part 2 7 Nov 1996 · BBC1 Series Four (6) 31 Aug-5 Oct 2001 · BBC1 Special Gay 27 Dec 2002 · BBC1 Series Five (6) 17 Oct-5 Dec 2003 · BBC1 Special Cold Turkey 24 Dec 2002 · BBC1 Special 2004 White Box
Mirrorball x1 Length: 30 mins 22 Dec 2000 · BBC1
