Poldark will return to screens this Christmas Day – but not as you know it. Eleanor Tomlinson will star as Demelza in Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders BBC1 special 300 Years of French and Saunders.

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Tomlinson will appear alongside Jack Farthing as George Warleggan in the comedy sketch, which will feature French and Saunders in period dress. Exactly how the two Poldark stars will fit into the parody we're not yet sure – but don’t expect any windswept brooding on the Cornish coast to be taken too seriously.

300 Years of French and Saunders will celebrate the 30th anniversary of Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders’ award-winning BBC sketch show. The one-off special will feature the duo's greatest skits, never-before-seen footage and new sketches.

Alongside the Poldark parody, you can expect an appearance from Saunders’ Ab Fab co-star Joanna Lumley. And the special will also feature what looks like a Gogglebox spoof, with French and Saunders dressing up as elderly pair Mary and Marina.

We can also expect a parody of drama The Handmaid’s Tale ahead. “There’s some ­Handmaid’s Tale in there,” Dawn French told The Times. “We had fun with some of the costumes.”

Christmas couldn't come sooner.

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300 Years of French and Saunders will air on Monday 25th December at 10:35pm on BBC1.

Authors

Thomas LingDigital editor, BBC Science Focus

Thomas is Digital editor at BBC Science Focus. Writing about everything from cosmology to anthropology, he specialises in the latest psychology, health and neuroscience discoveries. Thomas has a Masters degree (distinction) in Magazine Journalism from the University of Sheffield and has written for Men’s Health, Vice and Radio Times. He has been shortlisted as the New Digital Talent of the Year at the national magazine Professional Publishers Association (PPA) awards. Also working in academia, Thomas has lectured on the topic of journalism to undergraduate and postgraduate students at The University of Sheffield.

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