Let 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. It was, however, based on the French & Saunders sketch 'Dangerous Liaisons'.
| Let Them Eat Cake | |
|---|---|
 Let Them Eat Cake DVD cover | |
| Created by | Peter Learmouth |
| Starring | Dawn French Jennifer Saunders Adrian Scarborough |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 6 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 29 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Tiger Aspect Productions |
| Distributor | Endemol UK |
| Release | |
| Original network | BBC One |
| Picture format | PAL 16:9 |
| Audio format | Stereo |
| Original release | 9 September – 14 October 1999 |
Plot
It is 1782, seven years before the French Revolution. The most reviled woman in France is the ambitious and immoral Colombine, Comtesse de Vache, who stalks the halls of the Palace of Versailles, spreading terror into the hearts of her fellow aristocrats by gathering their darkest and most intimate secrets. Her loyal maid is the nymphomaniacal, former prostitute Lisette and her acid-tongued couturier is Bouffant. Colombine's constant rival is Madame de Plonge, along with her naive yet sharp-witted daughter, Eveline.
Cast
- Jennifer Saunders as Colombine, Comtesse de Vache
- Dawn French as Lisette
- Adrian Scarborough as Bouffant
- Alison Steadman as Madame de Plonge
- Lucy Punch as Eveline de Plonge
- Elizabeth Berrington as Marie Antoinette
- Julian Rhind-Tutt as Marie Antoinette's Adviser
- Maggie Whiting as 2nd Aristocratic Woman
Episodes
| No. | Title | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Pox" | 9 September 1999 | |
| Madame de Plonge tries to humiliate the Comtesse de Vache by convincing her to seduce one of her lovers. Meanwhile, the Comte de Vache has contracted the pox and wishes to end his life pressed against Colombine's bosom. | |||
| 2 | "Murder" | 16 September 1999 | |
| Colombine loses a bet against the Marquise de Fufu and is arrested after the Marquise is found brutally murdered in her apartment. | |||
| 3 | "The Portrait" | 23 September 1999 | |
| The Marquis de Sade has escaped from the Bastille and it seems that Colombine has become a favoured victim of his depravities. Meanwhile, a famous artist wants to paint Colombine. Guest starring Richard E. Grant and Maggie Steed. | |||
| 4 | "Making Voopee" | 30 September 1999 | |
| Colombine believes herself to be pregnant and thinks the King to be the father. She then conspires to do away with the King's legitimate son so that her own will become heir to the throne of France. | |||
| 5 | "A Marriage of Convenience" | 7 October 1999 | |
| A Duke is offering a vast sum to anyone who can provide him with a "show wife," which he needs to appear to be one of the lads. Colombine tries to enlist her estranged sister, Cecille (played by Kathy Burke), for the job. | |||
| 6 | "The Royal Command Performance" | 14 October 1999 | |
| The King and Queen have decided to hold a Royal Command Performance, consisting basically of them copulating, and Colombine does her best to outshine her nemesis, Madame de Plonge. | |||
DVD releases
Let Them Eat Cake was released in Region 2 (UK) on 5 March 2007. It is also available in Region 4 (Australia).
References
- Mark Lewisohn, "Radio Times Guide to TV Comedy", BBC Worldwide Ltd, 2003