French and Saunders broadcast on 9 March 1987 on BBC Two, with the first series consisting of six episodes. With its popularity and high ratings, a second series commenced on 4 March 1988, followed by a Christmas special in late 1988. The third, fourth and fifth series', which broadcast between 1990 and 1996, and all consisting each of seven episodes, relied heavily on movie parodies, and some music parodies, alongside their own material such as the sketch "Modern Day Mother and Daughter" which spawned Saunders' popular sitcom "Absolutely Fabulous" in 1992. Classic movies parodied include "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?", "The Exorcist",
Joanna Lumley Midler: One Night Only", a one-off ITV special. In 2015 she presented a three-part factual series for ITV called "Joanna Lumley's Trans-Siberian Adventure". The series saw Lumley travel 6400 miles from Hong Kong to Moscow, along the Trans-Siberian Railway. In September 2016, she presented "Joanna Lumley's Japan", a three-part documentary series for ITV and in July 2017, she presented "Joanna Lumley's India" for ITV. In 2018 she presented "Joanna Lumley's Silk Road Adventure", a four-part travelogue covering eight countries which were part of the ancient trade route. Lumley is also known for her support for Gurkhas, the exiled Tibetan people