Clara’s Verdict
Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders have been making each other, and the rest of us, laugh for over forty years. Their chemistry is so thoroughly established at this point that it functions as a kind of shorthand: you know before they have said a word that what follows will involve warmth, digression, self-deprecation, genuine affection for each other, and a complete willingness to say the wrong thing at the wrong moment and find it funnier than anyone planned. Titting About Series 4 is four hours of that dynamic in the specific form of an Audible Original podcast, and it does exactly what the name suggests without embarrassment or apology.
I finished the Paranormal episode on a Tuesday morning and had to explain to a stranger in a coffee queue why I was laughing. The explanation involved Dawn French attempting to prove she has extrasensory perception by guessing what vegetable Jennifer has drawn, and Jennifer’s particular response to this experiment, and I could not reconstruct the comedy adequately without the original audio, which is the point. Some things cannot be paraphrased.
About the Audiobook
The fourth series comprises six episodes: Life Faff, Embarrassment, Showbiz, Paranormal, Highs and Lows, and Decades. The structure is loose by design. Dawn and Jennifer select a topic and then range across it freely, arriving at the most genuinely personal territory by circuitous and frequently hilarious routes. The Decades episode, extended as the series finale, covers their lives through each decade they have lived in, from falling over roller skating to accepting a BAFTA Fellowship purely for the access to free toilets. That final detail is characteristically French and Saunders: the truth of it is funnier than any invented joke would be.
The Embarrassment episode, which covers everything from reading aloud at school to farting during a massage to being too ashamed to ask for help after falling off a cliff, is possibly the most universally relatable content in the series. The Showbiz episode rewards listeners with some knowledge of the British comedy and entertainment world across the past four decades, but the personal anecdotes are accessible regardless. The Life Faff episode, which opens the series, establishes the register quickly and accurately: this is a conversation between two old friends who have stopped worrying about being impressive and are therefore much more interesting to spend time with than people who are still trying.
The Narration
Dawn French narrates in the sense that she is one half of the conversation throughout, alongside Jennifer Saunders. This is an Audible Original, conceived for the audio format rather than adapted from print, and the intimacy of the podcast format suits them perfectly. There is no distance between performer and listener here. The effect is genuinely like being in the room with two extremely funny women who have earned the right to ramble because every digression eventually leads somewhere worth going. The production by Listen Entertainment keeps the audio clean without being overproduced, which is exactly the right call for a format built on the illusion of natural conversation.
What Readers Say
With only two reviews at the time of writing, both giving five stars, the sample is too small for statistical weight, but the enthusiasm is unambiguous. One listener describes it as « like being in a room with your two girl chums, » noting that she listens on long car journeys because they make her laugh out loud and she can replay sections. That image of a solo car journey made companionable and cheerful by the presence of two familiar voices captures exactly what this series offers. The 5.0 rating, on however small a sample, is earned rather than inflated by a friendly algorithm.
A word about the series structure: this is Series 4, which means three prior series of Titting About are available on Audible for listeners who want more. New listeners could plausibly start anywhere, as each series is self-contained and the format does not depend on prior episodes. The fourth series is not a continuation of a story; it is another set of conversations between two people who have been talking this way for decades. The accessibility is unconditional. If you enjoy the tone of a single episode, the back catalogue is immediately available.
Who Should Listen?
For anyone who has loved French and Saunders across any of their projects, from the television sketch shows of the 1980s and 1990s to the solo memoirs and stand-up. This is particularly good for long journeys where the episodic structure means you can finish a complete unit at any given stop. Listeners who are new to French and Saunders could start here perfectly well; you do not need prior knowledge of their work to follow or enjoy it, though familiarity increases the reward considerably. The production contains strong language and adult content, as the publisher notes, so probably not for younger listeners despite the deceptively playful title.
