Airing on BBC1 at 9.30pm on Wednesday 7th January 2026, ‘Can You Keep a Secret’ is a new comedy series written by Simon Mayhew-Archer (This Country) and directed by Simon Hynd (Ghosts). It stars Dawn French as Debbie Fendon, a granny and tinpot dictator who sets a comedy caper in motion when her hermit-like husband William (Mark Heap), unexpectedly ‘dies’… or at least seems to.
Where was Can You Keep A Secret filmed?
The 6 episode sitcom was filmed and set in the West Country, largely in and around Axbridge and Cheddar. The house that Debbie and William hide out in was Ten Acre Woods, a secluded Arts and Crafts style cottage sat within 10 acres of woodland, a location exclusive to Farm Locations.
When did the filming take place on location?
Location Manager, Andy Moore, contacted us in September 2024 on the hunt for one of the main hero locations – a cottage that feels a little isolated (but still accessible) close to Bristol. We naturally thought Ten Acre Woods matched that brief well and a recce was set up. After a number of visits, production company, Big Talk Productions, chose Ten Acre Woods as the location for the Fenton house and the location was taken over from February 2025 for several weeks, with filming finishing in April.
Owners Nathan and Peggy, although first-time hosts, were supported by Farm Locations throughout the whole journey and embraced the scale and house takeover with ease.
Says owner Nathan: “’We moved out for 50 days whilst Dawn French moved in! A highlight was to be invited to perform as an extra, and to watch the crew and actors at work in our house. Now they’ve gone, we are back home enjoying the complete repaint in colours of our choosing. We’d do it all again in a heartbeat.’
