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 stars in and writes the hit sitcom "Absolutely Fabulous", which is based on a sketch written with French for "French & Saunders".
The show features a highly 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 [2005 French and Saunders Christmas Celebrity Special] aired on December 27th, 2005 on BBC One .
History
The duo met in 1978 while attending the Central School of Speech and Drama and immediately began to collaborate on projects. Their first mainstream appearance was in 1982 in the British comedy programme "The Comic Strip Presents", where they were featured in approximately 30 episodes each (and were also writers). 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 phrase '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 U.K. version of Comic Relief, and they signed a long-term contract with the BBC.
In 1987 the duo launched the program "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 failing miserably.) Often times 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 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").
List of Works
Series 1 - 1987
1- 1 9 Mar 87 (Alison Moyet)2- 1- 2 16 Mar 87 (Roy Castle)
3- 1- 3 23 Mar 87 (Julie T. Wallace)
4- 1- 4 30 Mar 87 (Michael Grade)
5- 1- 5 6 Apr 87 (Jools Holland, Rik Mayall, Harry Enfield)
6- 1- 6 13 Apr 87 (Joan Armatrading, Harriet Thorpe)
OTHER APPEARANCES AND WORK
1987 - Alison Moyet - Love Letters (promo video - F&S appearance)
1988 – Comic Relief
Series 2 - 1988
2- 1 4 Mar 88 (Joan Bakewell, Squeeze)2- 2 11 Mar 88 (Toyah, Steve O'Donnell)
2- 3 18 Mar 88 (Helen Lederer, Kirsty MacColl)
2- 4 25 Mar 88 (Ben Elton)
2- 5 8 Apr 88 (Adrian Edmondson, Lenny Henry, The Proclaimers)
2- 6 15 Apr 88 (Robbie Coltrane, June Whitfield)
OTHER APPEARANCES AND WORK
1988 - Bananarama & Lanananeenoo – Help! Promo video (Comic Relief single) GOT DIGITAL MPEG 1988 - Bananarama & Lanananeenoo – Help! Comic Relief '88 Live peformance
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
Series 3 - 1990
3- 1 15 Mar 90 The Sound of Music (Jerry Hall)3- 2 22 Mar 90 Whatever Happened to Baby Dawn? (Mac McDonald)
3- 3 29 Mar 90 The Exorcist (Kathy Burke)
3- 4 5 Apr 90 Dangerous Liasons (Nigel Planer, Eleanor Bron, Joan Bakewell)
3- 5 12 Apr 90 Gone with the Wind
3- 6 19 Apr 90 Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Harriet Thorpe, Mac McDonald)
3- 7 26 Apr 90 (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
Series 4 - 1993
4- 1 18 Feb 93 Misery
4- 2 25 Feb 93 The Silence of the Lambs
4- 3 04 Mar 93 The Seventh Seal
4- 4 11 Mar 93 In Bed with French & Saunders
4- 5 18 Mar 93 French & Saunders: the Special Edition
4- 6 25 Mar 93 The House of Idiot
4- 7 01 Apr 93 Thelma and Louise
1994 - Christmas Special 30 Dec 94 (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
Series 5 - 1996
5- 1 4 Jan 96 Baywatch (Julia Sawalha)
5- 2 11 Jan 96 Loveheart
5- 3 18 Jan 96 Franco e Sandro (Felicity Kendal)
5- 4 25 Jan 96 Batman
5- 5 1 Feb 96 Pulp Fiction
5- 6 8 Feb 96 The Quick and the Dead (Lenny Henry)
5- 7 29 Feb 96 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
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 Millenium (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
Series 6 -2004
- 6 x 30mmin episodes. Guest stars Liza Tarbuck, David Wallimas, Matt Lucas, Anastacia
2005 – Christmas Special (Eastenders / Celebrity Big Brother)
Side Projects & Spin-off Series
featuring both Dawn French & Jennifer Saunders
Girls on Top 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
Happy Families 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
Let them Eat Cake (1999) Peter Learmouth - Creator / Writer 6x 30min episodes 9 Sep-14 Oct 1999 · BBC1
featuring Dawn French
The Vicar of Dibley (1994-present) 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
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
Wild West (2002-2004) Series One (6): 22 Oct-3 Dec 2002 · BBC1 Series Two (6): 12 Mar-16 Apr 2004 BBC1
featuring Jennifer Saunders
Absolutely Fabulous (1992-present) 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
External links
- [French and Saunders Dot Com]
- [British Film Institute Screen Online]
- [French & Saunders BBC page with cast, crew, and episode list]
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