Absolutely Fabulous is a British sitcom, created and written by, and starring Jennifer Saunders, with Joanna Lumley, Julia Sawalha, Jane Horrocks, and June Whitfield. It was produced by Saunders & French Productions and BBC Productions, and initially broadcast a successful first series on BBC Two, before moving to BBC One. The series originated from a sketch featured on French and Saunders, which led to a four-year run from 1992 to 1996, followed by a revival from 2001 to 2004, and then a brief return from 2011 to 2012.

During the course of the programme, 39 episodes of Absolutely Fabulous aired, including seven specials over five series, between 12 November 1992 and 23 July 2012.

Series overview

Series
SeriesEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast airedNetwork
1612 November 1992 (1992-11-12)17 December 1992 (1992-12-17)BBC Two
2627 January 1994 (1994-01-27)10 March 1994 (1994-03-10)BBC One
3630 March 1995 (1995-03-30)11 May 1995 (1995-05-11)
Specials6 November 1996 (1996-11-06)7 November 1996 (1996-11-07)
4631 August 2001 (2001-08-31)5 October 2001 (2001-10-05)
Special27 December 2002 (2002-12-27)
5817 October 2003 (2003-10-17)24 December 2003 (2003-12-24)
Special25 December 2004 (2004-12-25)
20th Anniversary25 December 2011 (2011-12-25)23 July 2012 (2012-07-23)

Episode list

Series 1 (1992)

No.
overall		No. in
series		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code
11"Fashion"Bob SpiersJennifer Saunders12 November 1992 (1992-11-12)LLCC521X
22"Fat"Bob SpiersJennifer Saunders19 November 1992 (1992-11-19)LLVQ731H
33"France"[lower-alpha 1]Bob SpiersJennifer Saunders26 November 1992 (1992-11-26)LLVQ732B
44"Iso Tank"Bob SpiersJennifer Saunders3 December 1992 (1992-12-03)LLVQ733W
55"Birthday"Bob SpiersJennifer Saunders17 December 1992 (1992-12-17)LLVQ735J
66"Magazine"Bob SpiersJennifer Saunders10 December 1992 (1992-12-10)LLVQ734P

Series 2 (1994)

No.
overall		No. in
series		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code
71"Hospital"Bob SpiersJennifer Saunders27 January 1994 (1994-01-27)LLVS602K
82"Death"Bob SpiersJennifer Saunders3 February 1994 (1994-02-03)LLVS606L
93"Morocco"Bob SpiersJennifer Saunders10 February 1994 (1994-02-10)LLVS605S
104"New Best Friend"Bob SpiersJennifer Saunders24 February 1994 (1994-02-24)LLVS604Y
115"Poor"Bob SpiersJennifer Saunders3 March 1994 (1994-03-03)LLVS601R
126"Birth"Bob SpiersJennifer Saunders10 March 1994 (1994-03-10)LLVS603E

Series 3 (1995)

No.
overall		No. in
series		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
131"Door Handle"Bob SpiersJennifer Saunders30 March 1995 (1995-03-30)
142"Happy New Year"Bob SpiersJennifer Saunders6 April 1995 (1995-04-06)
153"Sex"Bob SpiersJennifer Saunders20 April 1995 (1995-04-20)
164"Jealous"Bob SpiersJennifer Saunders27 April 1995 (1995-04-27)
175"Fear"Bob SpiersJennifer Saunders4 May 1995 (1995-05-04)
186"The End"Bob SpiersJennifer Saunders11 May 1995 (1995-05-11)
Specials
19S"The Last Shout,
Parts 1 & 2"		Bob SpiersJennifer Saunders6 November 1996 (1996-11-06)
20S7 November 1996 (1996-11-07)

Series 4 (2001)

No.
overall		No. in
series		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateUK viewers
(millions)
211"Parralox"Bob SpiersJennifer Saunders31 August 2001 (2001-08-31)8.28[2]
222"Fish Farm"Christine GernonJennifer Saunders7 September 2001 (2001-09-07)7.59[2]
233"Paris"Bob SpiersJennifer Saunders14 September 2001 (2001-09-14)7.47[2]
244"Donkey"Bob SpiersJennifer Saunders21 September 2001 (2001-09-21)7.34[2]
255"Small Opening"Christine GernonJennifer Saunders28 September 2001 (2001-09-28)7.44[2]
266"Menopause"Christine GernonJennifer Saunders5 October 2001 (2001-10-05)6.64[2]
Special
27S"Gay"Tristram ShapeeroJennifer Saunders27 December 2002 (2002-12-27)8.68[2]

Series 5 (2003)

No.
overall		No. in
series		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateUK viewers
(millions)
281"Cleanin'"Dewi HumphreysJennifer Saunders17 October 2003 (2003-10-17)7.69[2]
292"Book Clubbin'"Dewi HumphreysJennifer Saunders24 October 2003 (2003-10-24)7.87[2]
303"Panickin'"Dewi HumphreysJennifer Saunders31 October 2003 (2003-10-31)6.15[2]
314"Huntin', Shootin' & Fishin'"Dewi HumphreysJennifer Saunders7 November 2003 (2003-11-07)7.02[2]
325"Birthin'"Dewi HumphreysJennifer Saunders14 November 2003 (2003-11-14)7.19[2]
336"Schmoozin'"Dewi HumphreysJennifer Saunders28 November 2003 (2003-11-28)5.22[2]
347"Exploitin'"Dewi HumphreysJennifer Saunders5 December 2003 (2003-12-05)5.86[2]
358"Cold Turkey"[lower-alpha 2]Dewi HumphreysJennifer Saunders24 December 2003 (2003-12-24)6.91[2]
Special
36S"White Box"Ed ByeJennifer Saunders25 December 2004 (2004-12-25)6.34[2]

20th Anniversary specials (2011–12)

No.
overall		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateUK viewers
(millions)
37"Identity"Mandie FletcherJennifer Saunders25 December 2011 (2011-12-25)9.07[5]
38"Job"Mandie FletcherJennifer Saunders1 January 2012 (2012-01-01)7.97[6]
39"Olympics"Mandie FletcherJennifer Saunders23 July 2012 (2012-07-23)[7][8]6.38[6]

Other media

Prior to the third series, a dramatized behind-the-scenes special was broadcast on 6 January 1995. The special was titled 'How to Be Absolutely Fabulous' and featured Jennifer Saunders as she enters the BBC studio in which the woman at reception is unaware of who Saunders is. Unable to convince the receptionist that she is in fact Edina for the series, Saunders, along with the camera crew runs up to the Absolutely Fabulous office, despite being refused access from the receptionist. Once in the office, Saunders talks about the origins of the series. The special features clips from the series.[9]

A second special, released in 1998 and titled 'Absolutely Fabulous: A Life' features Edina and her mother as she and a camera crew are filming the story of Edina's life in a documentary. The setting for the documentary is in the charity shop in which her mother works. Edina talks about her surroundings in the charity shop, a setting that she is unaccustomed to and certainly is not to her taste. She also reminisces about her life. The special features clips from the series.[10]

A behind-the-scenes special documentary, "The Story of Absolutely Fabulous", was broadcast on 2 January 2004. The special gives a definitive account of the history of the series.[11]

Charity specials

A Comic Relief sketch was broadcast on 11 March 2005 which sees Edina and Patsy reluctantly accompany Emma Bunton to the taping of Comic Relief at the BBC Television Centre. Inside, a member of the production staff can't find Emma's name on the list of presenters, prompting Edina to suggest they check again under Queen Noor or Lulu. Emma and Edina bicker in a dressing room when Edina insists that the point of Emma's participation should be to gain greater exposure for herself. Edina urges Emma to lobby director and Comic Relief founder Richard Curtis for a role in one of his films. When Richard visits the dressing room to apologise for Emma having been left off the list, Edina and Patsy fail to recognise him and ask him to fetch Richard straightaway. Emma angrily writes a cheque to the charity and storms off. When the production staffer returns to collect Emma (now scheduled to appear after Graham Norton), Edina and Patsy first conceal (in the dressing room) and then loudly acknowledge (on-stage, live, during the Comic Relief special) Emma's departure. Patsy is struck by stage fright while Edina attempts a song. Once Patsy wets herself, both are quickly shooed from the stage by a horrified Graham. Guest stars include Emma Bunton, Richard Curtis, Graham Norton and Miranda Hart.[12]

A Sport Relief special was broadcast on 23 March 2012 and follows Edina as she is busy training for a Sport Relief charity function with Emma Bunton with disastrous results while Patsy fills in for her downstairs in a meeting with Stella McCartney. Patsy ends up taking the credit for Edina's idea to feature Kate Moss and David Gandy in the magazine, but the only condition is that Patsy must not let Edina anywhere near the shoot. In the gym upstairs, Edina boxes with David Haye and she and Emma end up fighting. Emma punches Edina who ends up getting wheeled through the hotel bar on a stretcher. Guest stars include Llewella Gideon, Kate Moss, Stella McCartney, Emma Bunton, David Gandy, Colin Jackson, Linford Christie and David Haye.[13]

Notes

  1. ↑ Alternatively titled "A Week in Provence".[1]
  2. ↑ Alternatively titled "Drinkin'".[3][4]

References

  1. ↑ "Absolutely Fabulous". gold.uktv.co.uk. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 "Weekly top 30 programmes on TV sets (July 1998 – Sept 2018)". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  3. ↑ "Absolutely Fabulous – Episode Guide Drinkin". BBC. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
  4. ↑ "Absolutely Fabulous Series 5 – Cold Turkey". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
  5. ↑ "The Ratings Thread (Part 29) - Page 112".
  6. 1 2 "Weekly top 30 programmes on TV sets (July 1998 – Sept 2018) | BARB".
  7. ↑ "Absolutely Fabulous: Olympics". BBC Media Center. 12 July 2012. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
  8. ↑ "'Absolutely Fabulous' Joanna Lumley teases Olympic special – video". Digital Spy. 15 May 2012. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
  9. ↑ "How to Be Absolutely Fabulous". IMDb. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  10. ↑ "Absolutely Fabulous: A Life". IMDb. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  11. ↑ "The Story of Absolutely Fabulous". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  12. ↑ "Absolutely Fabulous for Children in Need (2005)". YouTube. 18 November 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  13. ↑ "Absolutely Fabulous for Sport Relief". YouTube. 24 March 2013. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
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