The BBC's latest sitcom offering, 'Can You Keep a Secret?', has ignited a storm of mixed reactions following its debut on Wednesday evening, the 7th of January 2026. The show, starring comedy veterans Dawn French and Mark Heap, left many viewers distinctly underwhelmed, with some taking to social media to brand it "awful".
A Premiere Met With Scorn and Some Praise
As the first episode aired, viewers quickly turned to X (formerly Twitter) to voice their immediate opinions. The response was sharply divided. One unimpressed viewer commented, "Makes Mrs Brown look like a comedy masterclass. Wish the bbc had kept it a secret!" Another echoed the sentiment, posting, "Waiting for the comedy on @bbc #CanYouKeepaSecret." A third admitted, "Not sure not raised a half hearted smile so far #CanYouKeepaSecret," while another critique was brutally succinct: "Just awful."
However, not all feedback was negative. Some audience members found the humour to their taste, particularly those who stayed tuned after 'The Traitors'. One person noted, "That was lucky. I kept the TV on after #Traitors and Dawn French humour is cracking me up." A fellow fan agreed, enthusing, "Same here. This is hilarious!"
The Plot of the Controversial Comedy
The sitcom centres on married couple Debbie and William Fendon, played by French and Heap. The plot takes a darkly comic turn when William, a reclusive man, is wrongly pronounced dead. His wife Debbie, rather than correcting the error, decides to pocket the life insurance payout on the condition that William remains hidden from the world.
The family's fragile secret is threatened when their son, Harry (Craig Roberts), discovers his father is very much alive. The situation escalates further by the episode's end, when a menacing letter addressed to William is pushed through the letterbox, revealing that someone else knows the truth and is demanding hush money.
Dawn French on Her 'Righteous' Character
Discussing her role, Dawn French provided insight into her character's mindset. "Right from the off I could see that she's one of those people that absolutely believes she's always right," French explained. "She's made a split decision in a mad moment, and once the decision is made, unless she's prepared to go to prison, she knows she'd better man up and deal with it."
She added, "I guess once you make a life-changing decision like that, and you jump into the dilemma of it, you've got to gird your loins and get on with it because once you're in, you're in." Teasers for upcoming episodes confirm the secret is out, setting the stage for more tense and comedic scenarios as the family deals with the consequences.
'Can You Keep a Secret?' is now available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
