| Absolutely Fabulous | |
|---|---|
Title card (2011–present) |
|
| Format | Sitcom |
| Created by | Jennifer Saunders |
| Starring | Jennifer Saunders Joanna Lumley Julia Sawalha June Whitfield Jane Horrocks |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| No. of seasons | 5 |
| No. of episodes | 38 (List of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Camera setup | Video, film (on location, series 1–3); Multiple camera |
| Running time | 30–60 mins |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | BBC One, Comedy Central, Oxygen, BBC America, Logo |
| Picture format | 576i (4:3 SDTV) (1992–1996) 576i (16:9 SDTV) (2001–2005) 16:9 (1080i HDTV) (2011–) |
| Original run | Original run: 12 November 1992 – 7 November 1996 Second run: 31 August 2001 – 25 December 2004 Third run: 25 December 2011 – present |
| External links | |
| Website | |
Absolutely Fabulous, also known as Ab Fab, is a British sitcom created by Jennifer Saunders, based on an original idea by her and Dawn French, and written by Saunders, who plays the leading character.
It also stars Joanna Lumley and Julia Sawalha, along with June Whitfield and Jane Horrocks. The series features Saunders as Edina Monsoon, a heavy-drinking, drug-abusing PR agent who spends her time chasing bizarre fads in a desperate attempt to stay young and "hip." Edina is joined in her quest by magazine editor Patsy Stone, her best friend and enabler, whose drug abuse, alcohol consumption, and promiscuity far eclipse Edina's comparatively mild self-destructive behaviour.
Despite being a middle-aged, twice-divorced career woman, Edina is reliant upon the support of her daughter, Saffron, a secondary school pupil (and later university student) whose constant care for her mother has left her a bitter cynic.
The show has had an extended and sporadic life. The show initially ran for three series on the BBC between 1992 and 1995, followed by a series finale in the form of a two-part television movie named The Last Shout in 1996. Creator Jennifer Saunders revived the show in 2001 and it ran for an additional two series from 2001 to 2003, including three one-off hour-long specials; Gay, later retitled Absolutely Fabulous in New York for the United States, Cold Turkey, a Christmas special in 2003, White Box, aired in 2004, followed by a Comic Relief sketch broadcast in 2005.
In August 2011, Joanna Lumley confirmed the planned filming of three new episodes.[1] In 2011, plans for a 20th anniversary revival were welcomed in the Guardian, which applauded the show as "prophetic".[2] The first new special aired on 25 December with the second episode airing on 1 January 2012. The third, and final special is set to coincide with the 2012 London Olympics. A film version of the series is planned.[3]
Absolutely Fabulous is ranked as the 17th greatest British TV show of all time by the BFI. A scene from the show was included in the 100 Greatest TV Moments programme broadcast by Channel 4. In 1997, the pilot episode, "Fashion", was ranked number 47 on TV Guide's "100 Greatest Episodes of All Time" list.[4] In 2004 and 2007, the series was ranked number 24 and number 29 on TV Guide's Top Cult Shows Ever list.[5]
Contents |
Absolutely Fabulous grew from a French & Saunders sketch called "Modern Mother and Daughter" (from series 3 episode 6), which starred Jennifer Saunders as the mother (named 'Adrianna') and Dawn French as the daughter, already named Saffron. The sketch revolved around a middle-aged, single mother who acted like a teenager, and was reliant upon the emotional and financial support of her teenage daughter, who behaved like a middle-aged woman. It has no connection, other than the character's name, to the earlier film Eddie Monsoon: A Life?, a comedy play written by Saunders' husband Adrian Edmondson in 1984 for the TV series The Comic Strip Presents.... The name, "Edina Monsoon", is derived from Edmondson's name and "Eddy Monsoon" is a nickname of his.
According to an article published in The Times, the character of Edina was based on Lynne Franks.[6] Franks believed Saunders had observed her and her children in detail after joining them on a family holiday. Josh Howie, Franks' son, reported that his mother was upset because one of her best friends "had taken the piss out of her" in a TV show.[6] Although Ab Fab was produced by Saunders and French's production company, Dawn French only appeared on the show once, in a cameo in the first-series episode "Magazine".
Three new specials were announced to celebrate the shows 20th anniversary with the first special 'Surprising guests' airing on 25 December 2011. Jon Plowman, executive producer and original producer of the Absolutely Fabulous series, said: "Viewers have been fantastically loyal in their devotion to our show, so we're really thrilled to say that it's coming back for three new shows to celebrate our 20th anniversary. "All of the originals who are back together again are still truly absolutely fabulous and the new adventures of Edina, Patsy, Saffy, Bubble and Mother, plus a few surprising guests, will be a real treat for viewers." Jennifer Saunders announced in November 2011 that she has begun work on a film version of the series.[7]
Edina "Eddy" Monsoon and Patsy Stone are a pair of high-powered career women on the London fashion scene: Eddy runs her own PR firm, and Patsy holds a sinecure position at a top British fashion magazine. The two women use their considerable financial resources to indulge in a life revolving around alcohol, recreational drugs, and chasing the latest fads in an attempt to maintain their youth and recapture their glory days as mods in Swinging London. The partnership is largely driven by Patsy, who functions as both codependent and enabler to Eddy. Their lifestyle inevitably leads to a variety of personal crises, which are invariably taken care of by Eddy's young daughter, Saffron, whose constant abuse at the hands of Eddy and Patsy has left her a bitter, cynical teenager (and later twenty-something) who nonetheless continues to care for her mother out of a sense of unconditional love.
| Actor | Character | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Jennifer Saunders | Edina Monsoon | 1992– |
| Joanna Lumley | Patsy Stone | 1992– |
| Julia Sawalha | Saffron Monsoon | 1992– |
| June Whitfield | Mother | 1992– |
| Jane Horrocks | Bubble | 1992– |
| Naoko Mori | Sarah | 1992– |
| Christopher Malcolm | Justin | 1992– |
| Christopher Ryan | Marshall Turtle | 1992– |
| Mo Gaffney | Bo Turtle (née Crysalis) | 1992– |
| Helen Lederer | Catriona | 1992– |
| Harriet Thorpe | Fleur | 1992– |
| Gary Beadle | Oliver | 1992–1996 |
| Kathy Burke | Magda | 1992–1996 |
| Felix Dexter | John Johnstone | 2003 |
| Celia Imrie | Claudia Bing | 1995–2001 |
| Eleanor Bron | Patsy's Mother | 1992–2003 |
| Kate O'Mara | Jackie Stone | 1995–2003 |
| Josh Hamilton | Serge Turtle | 2002 |
Edwina Margaret Rose Monsoon, an only child, was born on 6 August 1951 in London. She later changed her name to Edina and is nearly always called Eddy; only her mother and ex-husband Justin call her Edwina. Edina is the owner of a successful metropolitan PR company. It seems that this stems partly from her being at the right places at the right times, and around the right people, from the late sixties to early eighties. In a few episodes, she actually demonstrates the creativity, organisational ability and shrewd business sense that have made her successful. She constantly dresses in the extremes of current high fashion and refurbishes her home to keep up with current trends. She is frequently immature, self-absorbed, and lacks self-control, and her daughter Saffy is forced to take on the parental role. She is also easily led by best friend Patsy. Several times throughout the series, she demonstrates genuine affection and concern for her daughter, although her good intentions sometimes lead to ridiculous extremes.
Eurydice Colette Clytemnestra Dido Bathsheba Rabelais Patricia Cocteau Stone, always called Patsy, or Pats, is the last of a string of children born to an aging bohemian mother in Paris. She and Eddy were childhood friends, and since her mother despised and neglected her -- regarding her more as a rival than a daughter -- she came to rely on the Monsoons for most of her food (though she has been seen eating only twice since 1973), shelter, and comfort. The first few years of her life were spent locked in a room, and the rest of her childhood was dismal by Patsy's own description, without friends, parties or presents. She claims to have blocked out everything before 1968, though occasionally memories come back to her in the form of flashbacks. She is an outrageous, nymphomaniacal, past-her-prime fashion model and "ex-Bond girl" (although Patsy's only actual "Bond" films were Bond Meets Black Emmanuelle, Boldfinger, and The Man with Thunder Balls, Joanna Lumley was a genuine Bond girl in On Her Majesty's Secret Service) who drinks and smokes a lot. She shares a codependent parasitic existence with her old schoolfriend Eddy. This relationship usually results in hilarious, albeit dysfunctional, behaviour and over-the-top conflicts. Patsy was born on 30 October, and although her actual age is never clearly divulged, she often states herself to be between 39 and 43. In one episode ("Cold Turkey") a nurse guesses that she is around 65 years old. Patsy also has a sister named Jackie, whom Eddy abhors and who twice tried to kill Patsy with drug overdoses. Jackie intimidates Patsy into stating that Patsy is the elder of the two and says, in the same episode, that she is 72, to which Patsy replies "My God, then how old does that make me?"
Patsy generally doesn't express a wide range of emotions, although she makes no secret of her absolute hatred of Saffy, despite asking for her advice on occasions, but sometimes reveals a more vulnerable side: in flashbacks to her bleak life with her mother, in her overeager admiration for the awful Jackie, and in those rare moments when Eddy temporarily withdraws her friendship. Unlike Eddy, she is usually conservatively, but stylishly dressed, and almost invariably wears her hair in a characteristic blonde beehive. She has a well-paying, do-nothing job as a fashion director for a fashion magazine, which she received after sleeping with the publisher. She then went on to work at "Jeremy's," an exclusive High Street fashion store with celebrity clients such as Minnie Driver. It is hinted that Patsy has been involved in some questionable activities, such as adult films; she uses her knowledge from that time to blackmail Saffron's prospective mother-in-law. At a party to launch a new Beatles track in the episode "Schmoozin," Patsy's appearance in the low-budget soft porn movie Booberella is shown to the guests, much to her embarrassment. When faced with a situation that someone else might find alarming or disconcerting, Patsy often responds with a cool "Right, cheers, thanks a lot." During the 1970s in Morocco, Patsy underwent a sex change and briefly lived as a man; but, as Eddy says, "It dropped off." In a later episode she becomes one of the few tourists to smuggle marijuana into Morocco. She is very promiscuous up until "The Last Shout," then begins to lose her power over men. In two episodes ("Door Handle" and "The Last Shout"), it is revealed that Patsy lives in the storeroom above Oddbins, a chain of UK liquor stores. She says that she has not eaten anything since 1973 (1974 in a later episode), having had a "stomach bypass" according to Eddy. She is shown in a flashback in the episode "Magazine" to be eating a plate of food. There are two other instances where she does eat: in the episode "New Year's Eve," she painfully chews and swallows a potato crisp, then is visibly shaken from having actually eaten something; and in the Christmas Special "Cold Turkey" she renders the entire assembly speechless by demurely asking for a small slice of turkey during Christmas lunch. Upon eating it she starts to choke.
Saffron Monsoon, Edina and Justin's daughter, was born on 17 March 1975 in London. In flashback sequences in the show, it appears that Edina intended to have Saffron adopted immediately after her birth, and according to Patsy, they tried to abandon her on many occasions. Although most people call her "Saffy", Eddy frequently refers to her as "sweetie", "darling", "sweetie-darling" – which, it is later revealed, became a habit after she forgot Saffy's name when she was very young. Patsy, on the other hand, generally calls her insulting names such as "bitch troll from Hell". As the ever-virtuous intellectual, Saffy is the perfect foil for Eddy and Patsy, enduring abuse from both, especially regarding sex. Many times Eddy and Patsy refer to her as being a virgin, and even she herself makes comments regarding it, but in it is suggested that she may no longer be one: in the episode Humphrey, a "dirty old man" hedonistic acquaintance of Ed and Pats, after rudely introducing himself to Saffron by fondling her, invites the young lady to allow him to spread a mixture of honey, yogurt and almonds over her body and allow "...a man old enough to be your father to lick it off." Of course she lets the suggestion pass. There is cause to wonder, though, because when the episode ends with Eddy and Patsy waking up from a three-day substance abuse binge needing to return home, mum notices a smell like yogurt and honey on her daughter and as they leave the good-looking young Moroccan room attendant gives Saffy a knowing wink. Little matter, however, as even after the trip to Morocco, Saffy is still defending herself by constantly criticising her mother and Patsy, remorselessly assuming the moral high ground and the voice of reason. However, her mother's neglectful ways, innumerable slights, and occasional outright cruelties have taken their toll, making her excessively serious and rather bitter.
Saffy is seen to defend her mother, especially from the controlling influence of Patsy. Saffy encourages her mother to have a boyfriend and an active sex life, something Patsy denies her (presumably for fear of losing the constant attention she craves). Saffy performs nearly all the domestic tasks (even for a brief period when she leaves home), due to her mother's complete inability to look after herself. Saffy was also the only one to grieve when her maternal grandfather died, in contrast to the complete indifference of her mother and grandmother.
She dresses modestly and almost always behaves responsibly; as a result, many unpleasant chores come her way, and she frequently must rescue Patsy and Eddy from sticky situations. Despite this, Patsy resents Saffy so intensely that she sold her into slavery whilst in Morocco. Her mother sometimes treats her affectionately, and in one episode, even defends her honour against a married-with-children university professor who deceitfully tries to seduce Saffy, by punching him in the face. Throughout, Edina longs for a more exotic, fashionable daughter, and frequently tells her so. Saffy, for her part, passionately wishes to belong to a more normal family, and is once arrested for spying on a random family for her "Observations Diary". Her older brother Serge ran away from home in desperation as a teenager and never calls or writes; nevertheless, he's Eddy's favourite child, even though she can no longer remember what he looks like.
In series 4, after completing her education, she writes a play about her life with her mother called Self-Raising Flower; she means the play to be tragic and is confused when the audience starts laughing. At one point, she becomes involved with New Labour, and says her role model is Cherie Blair. In series 5, when she returns home pregnant from a stint of humanitarian work in Uganda, Eddy has nightmares at the prospect of being a grandmother until she learns that Saffy's lover, John Johnson, is black, making the baby mixed race and, as such, a fabulous fashion accessory -– "the Chanel of babies!" Saffy later gives birth to a daughter and names her Jane; Eddy, however, persists in calling her "Lola".
At some point, Saffy became the legal owner of the house in which she and Eddy live; it had previously belonged to her father. In the episode "White Box", she at last liberates herself from her mother and Patsy by throwing them out but at some point, she is arrested for falsifying documents for asylum seekers attempting to relocate to Great Britain. She served two years before being released from prison, at which time she allowed her mum to continue to live in the house so long as she also allows her grandmother to stay there.
Serge Turtle is Edina's younger child (despite leaving home as a university student before the series started at which point Saffy was still at school) and only son, fathered by Marshall, Edina's second husband. Serge left home as a university student, and has never returned. He is much loved by Edina, and often used as an example to Saffy of what an ideal child should be in Edina's eyes. In the earlier series of the show, Serge is an unseen character whose whereabouts are referred to occasionally by Saffy, who is in contact with him.
In the 2002 special "Gay", Serge, played by Josh Hamilton, makes his first and only appearance, when Edina and Patsy take a trip to New York, where Edina plans to track down her son, who, she learns from her mother and Saffy, is gay. On their arrival in New York, Eddy and Patsy track down Serge to a New York bookstore and at first mistake his partner, a flamboyantly gay American named Martin, for Serge. Eddy is disappointed at first to find her son is actually a more reserved and bookish young man. However, she embraces her son, who finally reveals that he left because of his mother's overbearing attitude and because she burnt his beloved books due to a claimed allergy to books (Patsy says they did it because they were cold). After some tension, Serge agrees to accompany his mother around New York. The episode ends with a flashback, showing that Eddy adopted Martin as her son in New York.
Edina's mother, referred to as 'Mrs M' by Patsy and 'Gran' by Saffron, is a good-natured old woman. She is despised by her daughter Edina but much loved by her granddaughter. She has an ambiguous relationship with Edina and seems to regard her with indifference, giving all her motherly devotion to Saffy. In the earlier series, she is a valuable ally for Saffy in her struggle for domestic control, often mentioning embarrassing facts from Eddy's and Patsy's childhood.
Edina addresses her, usually indirectly, as "Old Woman", and only very rarely as "Mother". Edina's insults never seem to affect her; in fact, she usually manages to retaliate with a few hard-hitting but humorous insults of her own. Sometimes she recognises the eccentricities of Edina, Patsy, and visitors to the house. At times she even seems to see the dysfunctional qualities in Saffy.
In the first episode, she is apparently not in regular interaction with the other characters, appearing only in Edina's flashback to her teenage years. By the second episode, "Fat", she visits Edina's home to see Saffy. By the third episode, "France", when she meets Patsy there, it seems the two have not seen each other in many years ("Still blond then?", remarks Mother); here Patsy seems to resent her and apparently the feeling is mutual. After this it is apparent that like Patsy, Mother is a regular visitor to Edina's home, and that Patsy and Mother seem basically to like one another, despite the odd snide comment.
Later episodes reveal that Mother had been a sort of surrogate mother to Patsy, whose own mother neglected her; however, their relationship is ambiguous. Patsy shows her some respect, even helping her at times. Mother sometimes makes condescending remarks about Patsy, even in her presence, once telling Edina that "poor dear sad old Patsy" is not a suitable or reliable friend. Mother has occasionally confused a transvestite for Patsy.
When Mother's husband dies in the episode "Death", Edina infuriates Saffy by responding to the news with a blank stare and the question "Did he leave a will?". Mother doesn't seem to care much either, realising that she'll have a bit more room at her house. Oddly, in this episode, Mother states that she was married for "nearly forty years". It was established in series 1, episode 5, that Eddy turned 40, the implication thus being that Eddy was born before her parents were married.
Mother displays a kleptomaniacal streak at times, taking random items from Edina's household (mugs, ashtrays, clothing) and donating them to the charity shop she volunteers at. In series 4, episode 5, "Small Opening", she is seen to be stealing larger pieces of furniture and asks for Patsy's help to remove a wardrobe that has become "stuck on the stairs" that she is donating to Sheltered Housing.
In only one scene throughout the entire run of the show are she and Edina alone together, and it's an awkward experience for both of them. After series 3, her mental faculties begin to decline and she increasingly inhabits a strange world of her own.
Bubble is Eddy's personal assistant. The character speaks with a strong Lancashire accent, exhibits a daft fashion sense, and acts in an unintelligent, foolish manner. She is unable to remember the names of common objects or understand basic concepts. Bubble's function in the PR company is simply to flatter Edina's vanity by comparison.
Alongside her usual personality, Bubble demonstrates rare glimpses of intelligence, even special abilities. She is revealed to be fluent in French but also speaks in French-sounding gibberish. Bubble has the most eclectic fashion sense out of all the characters. Her outfits are frequently bizarre, overtly theatrical, and parodic of fashion.
At one point in the show, Bubble is made editor of Vogue magazine but it is unclear that she took up the position, eventually returning to Edina's company. Bubble resigns as Edina's PA on two further occasions: Edina dismisses Bubble for gross incompetence but Bubble sues—and wins—the right to keep her job. However, the details of her job are unspecified and she is demoted to Edina's maid. Bubble later abandons Edina when the PR company is on the verge of a takeover. Damon (played by Antony Cotton) replaced her as Edina's PA.
Bubble's lookalike cousin Katy Grin (also played by Horrocks) is a slick but aggressive and arrogant television presenter who speaks with standard Received Pronunciation. Katy Grin shows no real affection for any of the characters and gleefully issues bitchy backhanded compliments at the protagonists. She has an unnamed baby son born through artificial insemination from an anonymous father.
The creation of Katy Grin was due in part to Jane Horrocks' reluctance to reprise the role of Bubble as the show progressed, turning down the chance to appear in the 1996 special The Last Shout. When the series was revived, Horrocks urged Jennifer Saunders to replace Bubble with the character "Yitta Hilberstam", an Icelandic waitress Horrocks had played in Saunders' 2000 sitcom pilot, Mirrorball. Horrocks ultimately returned to Absolutely Fabulous when Saunders created Katy Grin for series 4.
Another character portrayed by Horrocks is the American character Lola. Lola worked with Bo and Marshall on their TV Ministry. The character appeared in the 2002 Special "Gay" and participated in Saunders' scathing parody of televangelism in the USA.
Sarah, played by Naoko Mori, is a quiet, shy, studious girl and Saffron's best friend since childhood. In the beginning of the series, she rarely drinks, but by series 4, Sarah carried a flask in her jacket, drinking even while working as the stagehand on Saffron's play. Sarah is Saffron's Patsy-figure in tempting Saffy to try drinking alcohol and teasing her about her romantic endeavours, real or imagined. Because of her timid demeanour, Sarah is often the subject of Edina's derision and physical abuse. Edina consistently refers to her as "Titicaca" and once set her pigtails on fire with a candle. This triggered Sarah to seek professional counselling, which seemed to drive her into a deeper state of imbalance. In the series 4 and 5, Sarah starts to unravel, becoming more and more unstable, and eventually takes to stalking Spice Girl Emma Bunton, another friend of Saffron's. At this point, Saffy realises Sarah needs more professional help and reports her to the police. In the 2011 Christmas Special, we see that Sarah has been sectioned due to hearing 'voices' and had been recently released.
Justin is Saffron's father and Edina's first ex-husband. He is gay and keeps an antique shop with his partner Oliver, a frequent guest in the earlier series. Justin tries hard to be the best father he can to Saffron and the two of them have what is probably the healthiest relationship on the show; however, he sometimes seems quite afraid of Edina, and it is never explained why he left the infant Saffy in her care. Justin and Edina put up with each other for Saffron's sake but are not always successful in carrying out this charade. At times Edina seems to be extremely bitter over the dissolution of their marriage, and she is also jealous of the warm relationship he shares with Saffy. Patsy and Justin have a variable relationship. They often act antagonistically toward each other, but other times seem to get along well. Oliver and Saffy are friends, even though he despises Patsy and loathes Edina. Justin is revealed to be Canadian and usually walks with a cane.
Marshall Turtle is Edina's second husband and father to Serge. Marshall is an unsuccessful movie producer in Hollywood who later begins pursuing other money-making schemes with his wife, Bo. Bo dominates him easily, and when he is with her he seems more like a young child than a husband. Early in the series, however, Marshall manifests a more masculine, adult persona when he appears with Sondra, a grief therapist, and Cherysh, a classic California airhead. Although Marshall is generally kind to Saffy, perhaps pitying her for having to live with Edina, he does comply with Bo's attempt to steal her baby to be sold through their own private adoption agency to Hollywood actors wishing to adopt. It was hinted later in the series that Marshall had some homosexual feelings.
Bo Turtle (née Chrysalis) is Marshall's wife throughout most of the series, although in series 1, she is one of several of Marshall's L.A. girlfriends. She is a loud and obnoxious American, but with warm and caring tendencies. However, on one occasion, she tried to steal Saffy's baby, but actually made away with the placenta. She is a nurse by training, but we see her in this role only once in the series when Patsy is living in New York. In the episode "Birthin'", Marshall reveals that Bo is currently a dental nurse, when she was trying to help Saffy deliver. She tends to have a drug and alcohol problem when she's experiencing hardships. Both Bo and Marshall experiment with different religious groups throughout the show, including Christianity, Judaism, and Scientology. Two of the series highlights for Bo involved her appearing on television; one was an infomercial where she was selling Staylene - "the non fat fat-eating product for the faith community"; and the other, in the special "White Box", saw Bo and Marshall running an evangelistic Christian channel, scamming viewers out of money, constantly shouting "praise him!"
Bettina and Max are the often-mentioned designer friends of Edina. Bettina is first mentioned in the original French and Saunders sketch "Modern Mother and Daughter", but the character described in the sketch did not carry over into the series. Bettina is the "Queen of Minimalism" and was friends with Edina when they were youngsters, much to Patsy's annoyance. She married Max, another designer. They first appeared in flashback in series 2's fourth episode, "New Best Friend", when Patsy was injured by an art installation in their minimalist home. This precedes a visit from the couple to Edina's home in the present time. The impending visit infuriates Patsy, leading to a serious falling out with Edina, who is trying desperately to prepare her home for the minimalist designers. However, upon arrival, the couple are completely disorganised, slovenly, distraught, and at odds with each other, mainly, it seems, thanks to the birth of their son, a baby with whom neither seems able to cope. Eddy has sex with Max while the baby monitor is on in the room, to hasten their departure.
The two reappear in the 2004 special "White Box", when Edina hires them to redesign her kitchen. Max is now gay and he and Bettina are divorced. Bettina is under heavy medication as a result of Eddy's interference in her marriage. There are several contradictions about these characters. In the series 1 episode "France", it is stated that Edina is in fact designing Bettina's kitchen as the first of her forays into interior design. In "White Box" it is stated that Bettina and Max's only child is a daughter, rather than a son. The daughter had herself voluntarily taken into the care of the local authority.
Two members of Patsy's family are seen in the course of the series. Her mother, an Absinthe-swilling, bohemian nymphomaniac (portrayed by Eleanor Bron), is seen in flashback in three episodes, and was said by Jackie to have given birth to numerous illegitimate children, with Jackie and Patsy being the last of them. This might technically make Jackie and Patsy half-sisters if they did indeed have different fathers, but it's not made clear that they did. Jackie, however, says "our father" in an episode, and claims he could have been any of the men in any of the baths in France. In the series 1 episode "Magazine", Patsy recalls the misery of her upbringing for Saffy's benefit, which ends with her mother dying in a retirement home. In the series 2 episode "Birth", Patsy again recalls her relationship with her mother, this time recalling the trauma of her birth. Another flashback sequence in the series 5 episode "Cold Turkey" explains Patsy's aversion to celebrating Christmas, thanks to her mother's hatred of the holiday.
Patsy's sister Jackie (played by Kate O'Mara) appears in two episodes. In the series 3 episode "Happy New Year", Jackie visits Patsy and Edina on New Year's Eve 1994, hoping to be able to stay for the long term at Edina's house. Patsy aids her in stealing money and jewelry from Edina, before Jackie returns to Paris to run her charity for unwanted cats. In the course of the episode, it is revealed that there are many other Stone siblings, but nobody knows how many, as their mother "was such a slut". Jackie also forces Patsy to claim that she is the older of the two, by burning her with a cigarette. Jackie admits to being 72 years old when she is alone with Patsy. Jackie later returns in the series 5 episode "Cold Turkey", when she is summoned to the hospital where Patsy is feared to be dying, apparently from the effects of a voodoo doll in Jackie's possession. In the hospital, the two sisters recall how Jackie stole the "only man Patsy ever loved". After forcing Patsy to leave her everything in her will, Jackie prepares to murder Patsy through a massive heroin overdose. However, it is Jackie who is discovered dead the next morning, the implication being that Patsy managed to turn the tables and that she in fact murdered Jackie.
Fleur, Catriona, and Magda are three recurring characters throughout the series. Fleur, Catriona, and Magda are played by Harriet Thorpe, Helen Lederer, and Kathy Burke respectively. Initially, the three appear in series one, episode six, "Magazine", as colleagues of Patsy's. Magda is the editor of the magazine where Patsy is Fashion Director, whereas Fleur and Catriona are either editors or directors of other departments—their roles never being specified. Fleur is obsessed with make-up, whereas Catriona just wants to feature her friends in the magazine at every opportunity. Magda speaks in headlines in a thick Cockney accent and rarely constructs a complete sentence, whereas Fleur and Catriona seem extremely dim.
All three reappear at the beginning of series two, in the first episode "Hospital", when they gather around Patsy's hospital bed, prior to her plastic surgery. When Patsy visits the magazine's office again in episode 4, "New Best Friend", Fleur and Catriona are present, discussing expensive beauty treatments that "don't get you anything", while Magda is only mentioned. In this episode, the office is populated by Hamish, the magazine's eloquent restaurant critic, played by Jennifer Saunders' husband, Adrian Edmondson; Carmen, a filthy-mouthed travel writer, played by Jo Brand; and Suzy, the layout artist who spends all her time playing video games, played by Meera Syal.
In the series 3 episode "Fear", the trio meet up in Edina's kitchen, after the magazine has closed. Magda is appointed the new editor of HQ magazine in New York, taking Patsy with her, and Edina offers Catriona the job of her PA, having fired Bubble. Fleur states she intends to fall back on her Revlon connections to find work. In the two-part special in 1996, "The Last Shout", Catriona is still working as Edina's PA, although this seems to be temporary while Bubble is away editing French Vogue. Fleur and Magda are both guests at Saffron's wedding, which is the last time Magda appears in the series. By series 4, it seems that Fleur and Catriona have now become friends with Edina and Katy Grin. In episode four, "Donkey", they are part of a regular dining group with Edina, Patsy, and Katy, and by the final episode of series 4, "Menopause", both are working for Edina in her TV production company. Catriona then joins "Menopausals Anonymous" and attends a meeting held in Edina's house. The two appear again in the special "Gay", having returned from London Fashion Week with Patsy. In series five, episode six, "Schmoozin'", Fleur and Catriona appear to be working at 'Jeremy's' with Patsy, and intend to complain to Jeremy about Patsy's behaviour. They rescind this when Patsy threatens to kill Fleur. The two reappeared again in the 2003 Christmas Special, "Cold Turkey" (aka "Drinkin'") when they visit Patsy in hospital.
Like Bubble, the two characters seem extremely dimwitted, but somehow manage to hold down jobs at various magazines or shops. Catriona often appears to be oblivious of any conversations taking place around her, and indeed when the magazine they all work for closes, it isn't until much later, back at Edina's house, that she grasps the news, having been "in the loo" when the closure was announced.
A rival played by Celia Imrie running a more successful PR agency (Bing, Bing, Bing & Bing) who seems to pick up Eddy's remaining clients. Claudia generally seems to have relatively unoriginal ideas and is probably less creative and talented than Edina - however, she often beats her by working hard. She manages to poach many of Edina's clients when Bubble accidentally leaks their information through an email. With Edina's PR company on the brink of collapse, she manages to dupe Claudia into purchasing a TV company - which has no programmes developed - and giving her back several high profile clients.
Absolutely Fabulous first aired on 12 November 1992 and ran for three series, until 4 May 1995, when the sixth episode of series 3 was billed as the last ever episode. However, the following year in November 1996, two specials called "The Last Shout" were broadcast and were also billed as the last ever episodes. Both 'last episodes' featured end sequences with flashes to the future. However, after writing Mirrorball, Jennifer Saunders decided she had more ideas,[8] leading to a fourth series, which premiered on 31 August 2001. A fifth series and three specials followed, the last of which aired on 11 March 2005. This was followed by a short special for Comic Relief. In July 2005, Saunders announced she would not be writing or playing Edina again, stating "The 6am calls to go to make-up and all the promotional work wear you down. I would like to write and direct—that would be my joy". However, in November 2010, Lumley revealed to Playbill Magazine that she had recently spoken to Saunders about the possibility of filming a new series.[1] Both Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Saunders reunited for the M&S Christmas advert in 2009 along with other stars such as Twiggy and Stephen Fry. Lumley narrates the advert starting with "Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without..." During their spot Saunders says "Stuffing" to which Lumley replies in the style of Patsy "Your Face!" before adding "Sweetie" one of the show's catchphrases.
On the 29 August 2011 it was announced that a further series of three programmes are being made to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the original production. The first of these, "Identity", was shown on Christmas Day 2011 and the second, "Job", was shown on New Year's Day 2012. The last will be shown close to the London 2012 Olympics and the story line will involve Edina and Patsy making their own contribution to that event. [9] The episodes will be jointly co-produced by Logo, and BBC America in the US.[10]
On 03 January 2012 following the success of the 20th Anniversary Specials, it has been rumoured that Saunders is set to write another Christmas special for 2012. The BBC are also urging her to write a sixth series for 2013.[11]
In 2011, prior to the release of the new episodes for 2011/2012, Jennifer Saunders announced that she would begin working on a script for a film of "Absolutely Fabulous" in 2012. The film will reportedly be made by BBC films and will begin with Edina and Patsy waking up on an oligarch's deserted yacht, drifting in the ocean. [12] Saunders has since revealed that the film will be set on the French Riviera. [13]
Many celebrities, mainly British or American, appeared in the series, most of them as themselves. They include:
The theme song for Absolutely Fabulous is "This Wheel's on Fire", written by Bob Dylan and Rick Danko and performed by Julie Driscoll and, Saunders' husband, Adrian Edmondson. The song was also sung by Marianne Faithfull and Marcella Detroit for the "Last Shout" special in 1996. This version does not appear on the new BBC Video DVD release. Hermine Demoriane sang a French version of the theme song over the closing credits of the episode "Paris". At the end of the episode "Birthday", Edina and Patsy sang the song together using a karaoke machine. More recently, it has been sung by Blondie lead singer Debbie Harry, who also guest-starred in the 2002 Christmas special "Gay". For series four, a line sung by David Bowie, "Ziggy played guitar", from the song "Ziggy Stardust" played at the end of each episode.
Due to copyright issues, the theme song is missing from many of the US Region 1 DVDs, being replaced by an instrumental version of the song. Also excised from the US DVD release is the musical number from Chicago performed by Horrocks, Gaffney, and Ryan, during a dream sequence in the series 5 episode "Birthin'".
In addition to the official theme song, in 1994, Pet Shop Boys recorded a song for Comic Relief using excerpts of dialogue from the series put to dance music. The single was not officially a Pet Shop Boys release: the artist was simply given as "Absolutely Fabulous". It peaked at number 6 in the UK Singles Chart in July 1994. The music video featured clips from the show and specially recorded footage of the Pet Shop Boys with Patsy and Edina.
In the United States, Absolutely Fabulous has been broadcast on Comedy Central, PBS, BBC America, Oxygen Network, and as of 2011, Logo, a gay-oriented channel.[14] In Canada, the programme has appeared on the BBC Canada, the CBC, and The Comedy Network. In Australia, all series were originally shown on the ABC, and on cable on UK.TV, and moved to The Comedy Channel in 2007. Repeats of the first three series were also shown on the Seven network. The ABC continues to show it sporadically and shows Christmas Specials and occasional repeats of series 5 episodes. ABC2 also shows repeats of the show. In New Zealand all five series were broadcast on TVNZ. In India, all five series, including the specials, have been shown on BBC Entertainment.
In Portugal, Ab Fab was shown in RTP2, and in Ireland, the series aired on RTÉ Two up until its final series. In Serbia, the first series was aired in 1998, through a network of local television stations. In 2004 the series was aired in its entirety on B92, while in the Czech Republic all episodes have been shown. In the Republic of Macedonia, all episodes have been shown a couple of times on Sitel. In the Netherlands and Flanders, the series is popular, still being regularly re-broadcast by the VPRO and Canvas (Belgium), respectively. In Sweden, all episodes were first broadcast by SVT, but reruns have later appeared on other channels. In Germany, it was broadcast by the Franco-German TV network arte and gay-oriented channel TIMM. In France, before it was rerun on terrestrial TV arte, it was successively premiered on Pay TV channel Canal +, cable channel Jimmy, and is now broadcast on France 4. In Finland, the series was broadcast by YLE TV1. In Estonia, the series was broadcast by ETV. In Brazil, it was aired on Multishow. In Poland, two series were broadcast by Wizja Jeden, later by TVP3, TVN7 and BBC Entertainment.
Absolutely Fabulous inspired a French feature film, called Absolument fabuleux, in 2001. It was written and directed by Gabriel Aghion, and starred Josiane Balasko as Eddy and Nathalie Baye as Patsy. Jennifer Saunders had a small cameo alongside Catherine Deneuve as a spectator at a fashion show. Amanda Lear was asked to play the part of Patsy but turned it down laughingly, saying she'd "already lived it".
A proposed American remake that would have starred Carrie Fisher and Barbara Carrera was put into motion by Roseanne Barr but never got off the ground. However, Barr did incorporate many elements of the show into the final series of her eponymous show Roseanne in which her character wins the lottery: Saunders and Lumley reprised their characters Edina and Patsy, and Mo Gaffney also appeared in the episode, but not as her character Bo.[8]
It was announced on 7 October 2008 that an American version of the series was in the works. The series was to be relocated to Los Angeles. Saturday Night Live writer Christine Zander worked on the new scripts and would have been executive producer along with Saunders and BBC Worldwide's Ian Moffitt. Sony Pictures Television, BBC Worldwide, and indie Tantamount were producing the new series for Fox, which greenlighted the pilot as a possible Fall 2009 entry[15][16] with Kathryn Hahn as Eddy and Kristen Johnston as Patsy.[17] In May 2009, Fox decided not to commission a full series.[18][19]
The stage for the kitchen in Ab Fab is now used as the stage for the shop in the British comedy, Miranda.
Mirrorball was a pilot set in the London theatre scene, starring the cast of Absolutely Fabulous as alternate characters. While writing and filming the show, Saunders was inspired to revive Absolutely Fabulous for a fourth series, which resulted in her abandoning Mirrorball. It was eventually aired as a television special, and is included as a special feature on the DVD of the fourth season.
Absolutely Fabulous was initially released on VHS in the UK by BBC Video ending with the 8-VHS box set series 1–4 in November 2002. All episodes were later released on DVD, including a five-DVD box set titled The Complete DVD Collection: Series 1–4 in 2002. All releases were distributed by BBC Video and 2 Entertain (after 2004) except for The Last Shout which was released by Vision Video Ltd. and Universal Studios.
In North America, all episodes have been released on DVD by BBC Video and Warner Home Video, including a complete collection named Absolutely Everything. The UK releases The Last Shout and Gay were released together in a collection called Absolutely Special in 2003. Another feature-length special White Box was released exclusively to the American market until it was eventually released in the United Kingdom on 15 November 2010 with its inclusion in the Absolutely Everything box set.
Other releases include Absolutely Not, a bloopers and outtakes collection, and Absolutely Fabulous: A Life, a mockumentary including 15 minutes of new material interspersed with clips from the series. Both were only released on VHS in the UK; the latter was also released as a special feature on the box set release Absolutely Everything in America.
In the UK, VHS releases were distributed by BBC Video (except The Last Shout which was released by Vision Video Ltd) and were manufactured until 2002.
| Year | Title | Release date | Release information | Running time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Series 1: Fashion / Fat / France | 4 October 1993 | Episodes 1–3 from Series 1 | 86:00 |
| 1993 | Series 1: Iso Tank / Birthday / Magazine | 4 October 1993 | Episodes 4–6 from Series 1 | 87:00 |
| 1994 | Series 2: Hospital / Death / Morocco | 19 October 1994 | Episodes 1–3 from Series 2 | 88:00 |
| 1994 | Series 2: New Best Friend / Poor / Birth | 19 October 1994 | Episodes 4–6 from Series 2 | 87:00 |
| 1995 | The Complete Series 1 | 3 July 1995 | Double VHS Collection containing all 6 episodes from Series 1 | 173:00 |
| 1995 | Series 3: Doorhandle / Happy New Year / Sex | 2 October 1995 | Episodes 1–3 from Series 3 | 86:00 |
| 1995 | Series 3: Jealous / Fear / The End | 2 October 1995 | Episodes 4–6 from Series 3 | 84:00 |
| 1995 | Series 1–3 | 30 October 1995 | 6 VHS Box Set containing all 18 episodes from Series 1—3 | 518:00 |
| 1996 | The Complete Series 2 | 3 June 1996 | Double VHS Collection containing all 6 episodes from Series 2 | 175:00 |
| 1996 | The Last Shout | 11 November 1996 | Final Episodes Special Parts 1 & 2 | 100:00 |
| 1997 | Absolutely Fabulous: Absolutely Not | 3 November 1997 | The Designer Balls-Up Collection: contains bloopers and outtakes | 58:00 |
| 1998 | Absolutely Fabulous: A Life | 2 November 1998 | Mockumentary with 15 minutes of new material with clips from the series | 78:00 |
| 2001 | The Complete Series 4 | 19 November 2001 | Single VHS tape containing all 6 episodes from Series 4 | 180:00 |
| 2002 | The Complete Series 3 | 25 November 2002 | Double VHS Collection containing all 6 episodes from Series 3 | 188:00 |
| 2001 | The Complete Series 2 | 25 November 2002 | Re-release Double VHS Collection - different packaging | 175:00 |
| 2002 | The Complete Series 1 | 25 November 2002 | Re-release Double VHS Collection - different packaging | 173:00 |
| 2002 | Series 1–4 | 25 November 2002 | 8-VHS Box Set containing all 16 episodes from Series 1–4 | 720:00 |
All episodes have now been released on DVD in the UK and US. "White Box" made its UK DVD debut on 15 November 2010, however, it still remains the only special episode not available to buy singularly in the UK. The North American release Absolutely Special has been released in the UK as two separate releases: The Last Shout and Gay. All releases in the UK were distributed by BBC Video except The Last Shout which was released by Vision Video Ltd.
| Year | Title | Release date | Release information | Special features | Running time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Series 1 | 20 November 2000 | Episodes 1–6 of Series 1 | 15 minutes of outtakes, photo gallery, the original French and Saunders sketch | 195:00 |
| 2000 | The Last Shout | 27 November 2000 | Parts 1 & 2 of the Special | Collection of classic moments, unbroadcastable outtakes | 104:00 |
| 2001 | Series 2 | 1 October 2001 | Episodes 1–6 of Series 2 | 15 minutes of outtakes, photo gallery | 176:00 |
| 2001 | Series 3 | 12 November 2001 | Episodes 1–6 of Series 3 | 15 minutes of outtakes, photo gallery | 176:00 |
| 2002 | Series 4 | 8 April 2002 | 2- Disc set including episodes 1–6 of Series 4 | pilot episode of Mirrorball (2000), commentary by Jennifer Saunders and Jon Plowman, 12 minutes of out-takes, behind the scenes interviews, photo gallery | 180:00 |
| 2002 | The Complete DVD Collection: Series 1–4 | 25 November 2002 | 5 DVD Box Set containing Series 1–4 | Mock-velvet packaging box with each series individually packaged inside, all special features are the same as series released | 720:00 |
| 2003 | Gay | 29 September 2003 | 2002 Feature Length Special | Outtakes, photo gallery | 45:00 |
| 2004 | Series 5 | 27 September 2004 | 2- Disc set including episodes 1–8 of Series 5 | Outtakes, photo gallery | 240:00 |
| 2010 | Absolutely Fabulous: Absolutely Everything | 15 November 2010 [20] | 10 Disc Complete Collection including Series 1–5, The Last Shout, Gay, White Box plus extras | How to Be Absolutely Fabulous: A behind-the-scenes look at Ab Fab, Absolutely Fabulous: A Life, Modern Mother and Daughter (the sketch that started it all by French and Saunders, Pilot episode of Mirrorball (2000), Joanna Lumley on Modeling, Rare outtakes, Photo galleries, Audio commentary on Series 4 by Jennifer Saunders and Jon Plowman |
In North America, every episode of the series has been released. All releases are distributed by BBC Video and Warner Home Video.
| Year | Title | Release date | Release information | Running time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Complete Series 1 | 13 March 2001 13 September 2005 (re-released) |
Episodes 1–6 of Series 1 | 180:00 |
| 2001 | Complete Series 2 | 13 March 2001 13 September 2005 (re-released) |
Episodes 1–6 of Series 2 | 180:00 |
| 2001 | Complete Series 3 | 13 March 2001 13 September 2005 (re-released) |
Episodes 1–6 of Series 3 | 180:00 |
| 2002 | Complete Series 4 | 5 February 2002 13 September 2005 (re-released) |
2-disc set including Episodes 1–6 of Series 4 | 240:00 |
| 2003 | Absolutely Fabulous: Absolutely Special | 30 September 2003 13 September 2005 (re-released) |
contains the two TV specials: The Last Shout and Absolutely Fabulous in New York (known in the UK as Gay) | 150:00 |
| 2005 | Complete Series 5 | 13 September 2005 | 2-disc set including Episodes 1–8 of Series 5 | 240:00 |
| 2005 | Complete Series 1–3 | 4 October 2005 | 3-disc set contains all 18 episodes from series 1–3 | 540:00 |
| 2007 | White Box | 16 October 2007 | 2004 Christmas Special | 44:00 |
| 2008 | Absolutely Fabulous: Absolutely Everything | 27 May 2008 | 9-disc Complete Collection including Series 1–5, Absolutely Special, White Box plus extras: How to Be Absolutely Fabulous: A behind-the-scenes look at Ab Fab, Absolutely Fabulous: A Life, Modern Mother and Daughter (the sketch that started it all by French and Saunders, Before AbFab: two French & Saunders sketches, Pilot episode of Mirrorball (2000), Joanna Lumley on Modeling, Rare outtakes, Photo galleries, Audio commentary on Series 4 by Jennifer Saunders and Jon Plowman | 1186:00 |
| Year | Title | Release date | Release information | Special features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Series 1 | 3 October 2001 | Episodes 1–6 of Series 1 | 15 minutes of outtakes, photo gallery |
| 2002 | Series 2 | 28 February 2002 | Episodes 1–6 of Series 2 | 15 minutes of outtakes, photo gallery |
| 2002 | Series 3 | 1 July 2002 | Episodes 1–6 of Series 3 | 15 minutes of outtakes, photo gallery |
| 2002 | The Last Shout | 20 July 2002 | Parts 1 & 2 of the special length feature | Classic moments, outtakes |
| 2002 | Series 4 | 8 August 2002 | Episodes 1–6 of Series 4 | 15 minutes of outtakes, photo gallery |
| 2004 | Series 5 (plus Feature Length Special Gay) | 8 April 2004 | 3-disc set including episodes 1–8 of Series 5 and special Gay | Outtakes, photo gallery |
| 2005 | White Box | 2 November 2005 | 2004 Christmas Special | How to Be Absolutely Fabulous outtakes, behind the scenes footage, celebrity voice messages on Edina's answering machine |
| 2006 | Absolutely Everything | 20 April 2006 | 9-disc set contains Series 1–5, Gay and White Box (does not contain The Last Shout) | 2½ hours of special features |
| 2011 | Absolutely Fabulous: Complete Collection | 5 April 2011[21] | 10-disc complete collection including Series 1–5, The Last Shout, Gay, White Box plus extras | All the special features of the Absolutely Everything UK DVD release; also in the same packaging. |