In 1991 when Brit comedienne DAWN FRENCH decided to take a break from performing her comedy partner JENNIFER SAUNDERS was left with nothing to do. However the BBC offered Saunders an opportunity to create her own TV series and thus Absolutely Fabulous was born changing the whole face of British siuation comedy.
The series was an unflinching satire on the excesses of PR’s which thought themselves more important than the Clients they represented. The series features Edina Monsoon (Saunders) a heavy-drinking, drug-abusing PR mogul who spends her time failing to lose weight and chasing bizarre fads in a desperate attempt to stay young and “hip”. Edina’s best friend is ex-model and magazine fashion director Patsy Stone, (ex Bond girl Joanna Lumley) whose drug abuse, alcohol consumption and desperate promiscuity far eclipse Edina’s. It was a time when comedy could take a swipe at society’s politically correct movement and get away with it.
One of the remarkable differences between British and American TV Comedies, is that the Brits always know when to call it a day. And even a major success like Ab Fab ran for just 3 seasons from 1992-1995 despite the fact it was ranked as the 17th greatest British television show of all time by the British Film Institute .
It immediate gained devoted cult status with gay audiences, which still today persists. There have been numerous tributes over the years, such as an Absolutely Fabulous drag show at Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, and the song “Absolutely Fabulous” by synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys.
There has always been constant pressure on Saunders to write more, and so a one-off-special Absolutely Fabulous: 20th Anniversary was broadcast on 25 December 2011 with the second episode being shown on 1 January 2012. The third and final special, aired on 23 July 2012, coincided with the 2012 Summer Olympics[9] in London then finally a film version of the series, Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie, was released to theatres in the summer of 2016.
Now the VERY good news is The Ab Fab girls are back for retrospective documentary. The one-off special, Absolutely Fabulous: Inside Out, will see Jennifer Saunders (Edina ‘Eddie’ Monsoon), Joanna Lumley (Patsy Stone), Julia Sawalha (Saffron ‘Saffy’ Monsoon) and Jane Horrocks (Bubble) take viewers on an exclusive trip down memory lane. It will reveal how the show was made, pay tribute to cast member June Whitfield (Mother) and celebrate its groundbreaking influence on female comedy.
As well as the four main cast members the special episode will feature some of the brilliant collection of stars who queued up to play cameos. Plus famous fans who share anecdotes, behind-the-scenes secrets and an array of archival best bits.
Absolutely Fabulous: Inside Out will air on Thursday 17th October at 9pm on UK Gold TV (if you not in the UK
you will need a VPN access it. 
Labels: 2024, Absolutely Fabulous, documentary, GOLD TV, Jennifer Saunders, Joanna Lumley, retrospective
