'' (popularly referred to as "Ab Fab") is a British sitcom written by , a comedy play written by Saunders's husband
Adrian Edmondson for the TV series ''
The Comic Strip Presents... ''. (The name Eddie Monsoon is derived from Edmondson's name and is a nickname of his.)
With its frank depictions of drug and alcohol abuse and irresponsible, irreverent and frequently illegal behaviour, the series gained a large and loyal following as well as attracting censure from various groups, despite its outrageous depictions.
The characters played by Lumley (Patsy) and Saunders (Eddie) became popular subjects for emulation by female impersonators and
Halloween revellers. While the programme was widely popular in Britain and gained noteworthy attention in the United States, where it was broadcast by the
Comedy Central network (and, from 2003, by the
Oxygen Network ), it has found a particularly strong following among
Gay men in both of these countries as well as in Australia and Canada, where the show has been broadcast by the
Australian Broadcasting Corporation and the
CBC and
Comedy Network respectively. ''Ab Fab'' first aired in Canada in 1994 on the CBC.
As of July 2005, Saunders has announced she will not be writing or playing Edina, 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." It seems therefore likely that the show's fifth season will be its last.
and
Joanna Lumley are cover girls in this
1992 edition of
Radio Times magazine, promoting the series' debut on
BBC2 .]]
Edina Monsoon (Saunders) and Patsy Stone (Lumley) are two immature, prosperous but preposterous substance-abusing fashion and fad-obsessed Londoners who value fame and style (and controlled substances) over substance. Saffron (
Julia Sawalha ), Edina's teenage daughter, provides the persistently dour voice of Monsoon and Stone's
Superego .
Edina owns a public relations firm whose only steady client is fading 1960s pop singer
Lulu , who is barely hanging on by a thread. (In later years, this switched to model
Twiggy and former
Spice Girl Emma Bunton .) Though flailing desperately in her business, Edina is desperate to give off the aura of success, wealth and fabulousness (even as her outrageously mismatched and poorly-fitted wardrobe belies this) while she collects hefty alimony payments from her two ex-husbands. Her secretary Bubble, a charming disaster, can't remember what a television is called but can speak several foreign languages.
Meanwhile, cohort Patsy, although always stylishly dressed (unlike Edina) portrays an outrageous, sexually charged, past-her-prime fashion model who shares a
Codependent parasitic existence with Edina and who has a well-paying, do-nothing job with a fashion magazine, which she keeps only because she is sleeping with the publisher. This relationship usually results in hilarious, albeit dysfunctional behaviours, and over-the-top conflicts with all characters who happen to interact with Patsy.
Edina's daughter Saffron is depicted as the straitlaced, long suffering milquetoast intellectual who endures bombastic abuse and immature snideness from both main characters, especially with regards to sexuality. But in this series, being the voice of reason only adds to the hilarity of the outrageous relationships of the characters.
The show circles around Edina's constant struggle to achieve fame and success amidst the disapproval of her daughter and the constant presence of her doddering, senile elderly mother. Throughout Patsy is at her side encouraging the behaviours that are constantly causing her conflict. Also in and out of her life are her first husband Justin, who is also Saffron's father (along with his lover, Oliver), and her other ex-husband Marshall, with his scheming
New-Age California wife Bo. Marshall is the father of Eddy's son, Serge, who is only seen in one episode.
Much of the comedy of the show is physical, usually derived from Edina and Patsy's drunken states and over the top substance abuse.
A recurring gag found new ways for Edina to fall headfirst out of automobiles, windows, or down her kitchen stairs at least once every season. Episodes also found the pair travelling to locations like New York, Paris and Morocco, usually with complaining daughter in tow.
Written by:
Jennifer Saunders
Directed by:
Bob Spiers
Produced by:
Jon Plowman
5 seasons, and several one-off specials
Broadcast (in the U.K.): 1992-1996; 2001-2003
TV Channel:
BBC2 /
BBC1
BBC Television
- Edina is allegedly based on Lynne Franks .
- At least two "final episodes" were made with the characters older and not much wiser, but the series returned due to popular demand.
- There have been two "spin-offs" of the show. One, called "Mirrorball," found the same cast placed in a totally different plot and setting, playing new characters. The pilot was sold. However, as the first season was being planned, Jennifer Saunders decided to do a new season of Absolutely Fabulous. The second, as of yet untitled (though the rumour is it may be called The Bo Show), is a spin-off based around the character of Bo, played by Mo Gaffney .
- In a list of the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes drawn up by the British Film Institute in 2000, voted for by industry professionals, ''Absolutely Fabulous'' was placed 17th.
- The theme song is called "This Wheel's on Fire" written by Bob Dylan and Richard Manuel and performed in this instance by Julie Driscoll and Adrian Edmonson .
- Pet Shop Boys recorded the 1994 Comic Relief single using excepts of dialogue from the series put to dance music. The music video featured clips from the show and specially recorded footage of the Pet Shop Boys with Patsy and Edina.
- The name of the main character, Edina Monsoon, is a play on the surname of Jennifer Saunders ' husband, Adrian Edmonson . Eddie Monsoon was created by Adrian Edmondson in 1984 as an idea for The Comic Strip .
- Patsy's full name, bestowed on her by a hippie mother played by Eleanor Bron , is Eurydice Colette Clytemnestra Dido Bathsheba Rabelais Patricia Cocteau Stone.
- The names of all 5 main cast members start with the letter J
- Jennifer Saunders - Edwina Margaret Rose Monsoon ("Edina", "Eddy")
- Joanna Lumley - Eurydice Clytemnestra Dido Bathsheba Rabelais Patricia Cocteau Stone ("Patsy Stone", "Pats"), Edina's best friend
- Julia Sawalha - Saffron Monsoon ("Saffy"), Edina's daughter
- June Whitfield - June Monsoon ("Mother" or "Gran"), Edina's mother
- Jane Horrocks - Bubble, Edina's assistant; celebrity personality Katy Grin
The following all appeared as themselves in the series:
See:
- A proposed American remake that would have starred Carrie Fisher 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 season of her eponymous show '' Roseanne '' in which Roseanne wins the lottery, including the hiring of Saunders and Lumley to reprise their ''Absolutely Fabulous'' characters Edina and Patsy in one episode.
- '' High Society '' (1995) was an American sitcom about a divorced mother who owned a publishing house that pressed her best friend's romance novels. They let an old college girlfriend who was pregnant and struggling move in with them.
- '' Mirrorball '' was a show written by Saunders that featured a completely different plot and set of characters, but starred all of the main cast of AbFab. It is not technically a remake or a spin-off, but it is the only time in British T.V. history two identical casts were used in two totally different shows. Only the pilot episode was produced and aired, but it was not popular enough to continue filming episodes. That pilot is included as a bonus on a set of AbFab DVDs.
