UK, USA, 12 November 1992-23 July 2012
5 series plus 5 specials, 39 episodes, average 30m
video, colour, 4:3, 16:9
stereo, English
A British television sitcom with some fantasy episodes created by Jennifer Saunders.
Premise
The trials and tribulations of two middle-aged “60s girls” who never grew up. Edina (Eddie) runs a PR company while her best friend Patsy has some sort of vaguely defined role at a fashion magazine. As they blunder their way through a world of trendy fads, bitchy colleagues and copious substance abuse, a note of sanity is brought to their lives by Eddie’s long suffering -and terribly sensible – daughter Saffy. Several episodes included fantasy elements.
Episodes
Note: Genre episodes are listed in bold. Other episodes are listed for reference.
Series One
Fashion (12 November 1992)
Fat (19 November 1992)
France (26 November 1992)
Iso Tank (3 December 1992)
Birthday (10 December 1992)
Magazine (17 December 1992)
Series Two
Hospital (27 January 1994)
Death (3 February 1994)
Morocco (3 February 1994)
New Best Friend (25 February 1994)
Poor (3 March 1994)
Birth (10 March 1994)
Special
How to be Absolutely Fabulous (6 January 1995)
Series Three
Door Handle (30 March 1995)
Happy New Year (6 April 1995)
Sex (20 April 1995)
Jealous (27 April 1995)
Fear (4 May 1995)
The End (11 May 1995)
Specials
The Last Shout Part 1 (6 November 1996)
The Last Shout Part 2 (7 November 1996)
Series Four
Parallox (31 August 2001)
Fish Farm (7 September 2001)
Paris (21 September 2001)
Donkey (28 September 2001)
Small Opening (5 October 2001)
Menopause (12 October 2001)
Special
Gay (27 December 2002)
Series Five
Cleanin’ (17 October 2003)
Book Clubbin’ (24 October 2003)
Panickin’ (31 October 2003)
Huntin’ Shootin’ & Fishin’ (7 November 2003)
Birthin’ (14 November 2003)
Schmoozin’ (28 November 2003)
Exploitin’ (5 December 2003)
Specials
Cold Turkey (24 December 2003)
The Story of Absolutely Fabulous (2 January 2004)
White Box (25 December 2004)
Identity (25 December 2011)
Job (1 January 2012)
Olympics (23 July 2012)
Alternative Titles
Absolument fabuleux – France
Helt hysteriskt – Sweden
Pusszantlak, drágám! – Hungary
Todella upeeta – Finland
Links
Extracts included in
Seriously Funny: An Argument for Comedy (1996)
Laughter in the House: The Story of British Sitcom (1999)
The 100 Greatest TV Moments (1999)
See also
French and Saunders (1987-2009)
References
Periodicals
- Entertainment Weekly no.624 (9 November 2001) pp.21-22 – article (Lush afterlife by Jessica Shaw)
Books
- The Guinness Television Encyclopedia by Jeff Evans (ed.) p.7 – short article
- Radio Times Guide to TV Comedy by Mark Lewisohn pp.17-18 – credits, review
