Absolutely Fabulous (series 1)

Absolutely Fabulous (series 1)

Original UK DVD
Country of origin United Kingdom
No. of episodes 6
Release
Original network BBC Two
Original release November 12 (1992-11-12) – December 17, 1992 (1992-12-17)

The first series of Absolutely Fabulous, a BBC sitcom, was created and written by Jennifer Saunders who starred in the title role of Edina Monsoon, a heavy-drinking, smoking, and drug-abusing PR agent who has dedicated most of her life to looking "fabulous" and desperately attempts to stay young. Edina is known as 'Eddy' to her best friend, Patsy Stone (Joanna Lumley), a magazine editor who constantly takes advantage of Eddy by living the life of luxury in Eddy's extravagant home. Edina is a twice-divorced mother of two. Her eldest child, a son, Serge, left home many years before, to try and escape his mother's clutches. Her long-suffering daughter, Saffron "Saffy", whom Edina is reliant upon, is a Sixth form student and remains at home. The series also the includes Edina's sweet-natured-but-slightly-batty mother (June Whitfield), whom Eddy sees as an interfering burden, and Edina's dim-witted assistant Bubble (Jane Horrocks).

The series was conceived from the French and Saunders sketch 'Modern Mother and Daughter', originally written by Saunders and Dawn French. Saunders has stated that the character of Edina Monsoon was based upon Lynne Franks, a PR agent whom she had joined on holiday.

The first series premiered on BBC Two on 12 November 1992 and concluded on 17 December 1992. It consisted of six episodes.

Cast

Main

Cast Character
Jennifer Saunders Edina Monsoon
Joanna Lumley Patsy Stone
Julia Sawalha Saffron Monsoon
Jane Horrocks Bubble
June Whitfield Mother

Guest

Episodes

No.TitleRuntimeOriginal air dateProd.
code
1"Fashion"12 November 1992 (1992-11-12)29 minutesLLCC521X

Edina 'Eddy' Monsoon, wakes up with a hangover and to a guilt trip from her daughter, Saffron, whom Eddy had promised she would stop drinking. Saffron offers her mother no sympathy, despite it being the day of her big fashion show. Edina's best friend, Patricia 'Patsy' Stone, arrives to accompany her to work, after lunch and a trip to Harvey Nichols. By the time they arrive, the guest list is looking pretty bleak: instead of Princess Diana, Princess Anne is coming. Edina rallies to cajole and swindles several celebrities into attendance, turning the show into a rousing success. Following the reception, Patsy and Eddy stop by her office drunk and reminiscing on the past. When they arrive back at Eddy's house, Saffy slams the door in her face. The next morning Patsy and Eddy work together to trick Saffy into thinking Eddy is going to check into the Betty Ford Clinic.

Guest stars: Nickolas Grace (Jonny), Lucy Blair (Lou-Lou)
2"Fat"19 November 1992 (1992-11-19)27 minutesLLVQ731H

After realising that the majority of her clothes no longer fit her, Eddy decides that she needs to lose weight. Ignoring Saffy's advice about simply eating better and taking exercise, she phones her private doctor in an attempt to get some weight-loss pills. Unsuccessful, Patsy enters and suggests that plastic surgery is the best method. At the office, Bubble tells Eddy to her horror that Penny Caspar-Morse is coming to visit, a slim and glamorous model who used to be known as "The Stick" and tormented Eddy about her weight. Eddy tries to exercise, but with Penny coming to town in less than a week, she allows Patsy to schedule an appointment for some liposuction, to shrink Edina and make her lips bigger. After a disturbing nightmare about the procedure going horrifically wrong, Eddy goes off the idea and just decides to cover up as much of herself as she can with a large, long sweatshirt. Patsy enters and tells Eddy some good news: Penny is blind and won't know how much Eddy weighs. Later (after deciding to "Let bygones be bygones") Eddy drunkenly rants at Penny about how she ruined her life, and brags how successful and thin she has become, and grabs Penny's hands and places them on her waist showing how big she is.

Guest stars: Anthony Asbury (Georgy), Alexandra Bastedo (Penny Caspar-Morse), Russell Kilmister (Surgeon)
3"France"26 November 1992 (1992-11-26)28 minutesLLVQ732B

Eddy goes on holiday to a chateau in the south of France with Patsy, even though neither of them knows any French. After a boozy flight, they drive to the chateau only to discover that it's actually a rustic cottage. There's no food or wine, and a chainsmoking old Frenchman keeps stopping by but they can't understand his French, and they try to divert him. Saffy arrives a day or two later to rescue them; Bubble comes along because she's supposed to deliver an urgent message concerning Eddy's home decorating business, but she forgets all about it. Days pass: Eddy and Patsy get drunk at a local vintage but also try some quieter activities, such as watercolor painting and table tennis, which Patsy enjoys after she refreshes herself with a little cocaine. Bubble suddenly remembers the message and Eddy panics and rushes to get home. As they prepare to leave the cottage, the old Frenchman stops by and repeats his message to Bubble, who understands perfectly: They have been staying in the wrong place, and the staff have been expecting them in the chateau down the road. Later, British Customs detains the whole party when a bag containing white powder is found in Patsy's luggage, but they are freed with a warning when the powder turns out to be 'a perfectly harmless, innocent substance'. Patsy, instead of being relieved, is horrified because she realizes she actually enjoyed playing ping-pong.
Also appearing: Geoff McGivern (Customs Officer), Juliette Mole (Air Hostess), Robert Ripa (Old Frenchman)

Alternative title: A Week in Provence
4"Iso Tank"3 December 1992 (1992-12-03)27 minutesLLVQ733W

In the upstairs bathroom, Patsy helps Eddy break in her new isolation tank while Saffy, in the kitchen below, works on a presentation about DNA with several classmates, preparing for her Sixth Form College's Open Day. When Patsy and Eddy come downstairs, they hang around talking loudly for so long that Saffy asks her mother why she isn't at work. Eddy explains that her dimwitted secretary, Bubble, has emerged from an occupational hypnotism program mysteriously transformed into a willing helper who works with such dedication that there's nothing to do at the office any more. When Eddy eventually does go to work, she's proved correct: Bubble is dressed smartly and offers to sort out upcoming meetings while Eddy is reduced to reading a magazine. At home, feeling rejected and useless, Eddy takes a sudden interest in Saffy's DNA presentation and begs to be invited to the Open Day; Saffy, however, refuses point-blank. Eddy throws a tantrum, but it has no effect; she then threatens to adopt a Romanian baby. When Saffy calls her bluff, Eddy phones Bubble and instructs her to send over a selection of Romanian babies so she can pick one. She then leaves the room and frantically tries to cancel the deal, but it's already too late. Later, Saffy relents and tells Eddy she can come to the Open Day after all. The next day, during the presentation, a woman interrupts and asks for a Mrs. Edina Monsoon. Eddy walks out and returns holding a baby; then more and more babies are brought in until their wails drown everything out. Saffy screams furiously for her mother to leave. Eddy then wakes up in a panic, still in her iso tank, and realises it was just a dream.

Also appearing: Tricia Aileen (School Secretary), Sidney Cole (Teacher), Lisa Coleman (Joanna), Annabel Hampson (Headmistress), Melanie Jessop (Secretary), James Lance (Daniel), Paul Mark Elliott (Teacher), Adrian Ross-Magenty (James), Tim Woodward (Tony)
5"Birthday"10 December 1992 (1992-12-10)30 minutesLLVQ735J

It is Edina's 40th birthday. She isn't too pleased about it, either, and the surprise party Saffy has planned for her only makes her feel worse. Instead of a glamorous affair with fabulous guests and Japanese finger food, as she had hoped, her 40th birthday party turns out to be a family lunch, cooked by Saffy and served in the kitchen. The guest lists consists of: Eddy's two ex-husbands, Justin and Marshall with their new lovers, Bo and Oliver; Gran; Saffy; and Patsy. The birthday girl behaves very badly indeed, switching between self-pity and spite, and soon she provokes Oliver, her least favourite guest, into making an angry exit. Justin, Marshall, and Bo stoically remain, however, and while Eddy is upstairs getting stoned with Patsy they compare notes about their alimony payments and realise they've both been paying for Eddy's posh house. At the end, while Eddy and Patsy sing drunkenly with a new karaoke machine, Justin and Bo lay whispered plans to cut off Eddy's alimony.

Also appearing: Christopher Ryan (Marshall), Christopher Malcolm (Justin), Gary Beadle (Oliver), Mo Gaffney (Bo)
6"Magazine"17 December 1992 (1992-12-17)30 minutesLLVQ734P

Eddy returns home after spending the night with an old boyfriend and Patsy is not happy about it feeling that she has been put aside. As 'Executive Fashion Director' of a magazine, Patsy's rare appearance at her job requires a map to find her office. When her Editor, Magda tells her that she will host a fashion makeover on morning television Patsy comes to blows with her models, Patsy tries to persuade Saffron and her grandmother to be subject to a television makeover in their place. She uses the tale of her emotionally distant mother and the dreaded word 'please.' Saffron agrees but only if Patsy moves out of the house and allows Eddy to have a boyfriend. When appearing on the morning show Patsy suddenly gets anxious and can only reply with "Yeah cheers, thanks a lot," to all of the hosts questions. Despite this Patsy is impressed with her appearance after being offered the job as a weather girl. After convincing Eddy to break up with her boyfriend Saffron storms upstairs in a tantrum leaving a smirking Patsy realize that the story she told Saffron is actually true and she can no longer use it against her.

Also appearing: Eleanor Bron (Patsy's Mother), Dawn French (Kathy).

Awards

In 1993, the series was nominated for several awards.

BAFTA Awards

British Comedy Awards

Writers' Guild of Great Britain Awards

Release

Reception

Absolutely Fabulous received a mixed to positive critical reception during its early years. Tim Gray of Variety magazine said that "Absolutely Fabulous, British sitcom about a rich, self-absorbed, falling-down-drunk woman, is not as funny as it intends to be, but it is absolutely unique, absolutely rude and absolutely politically incorrect". He also said that "AbFab offers no sense of justice, which may give viewers the heebie-jeebies, since Americans like to believe that the wicked, even if they are amusing, will get punished. But the Characters are originals, and AbFab has the courage of its convictions, encouraging audiences to find humor in such recent comedic taboos as substance abuse or mistreated offspring."[1]

Episode IMDb rating TV.com rating
1.1 8.0/10 8.9/10
1.2 8.1/10 8.9/10
1.3 8.5/10 9.2/10
1.4 8.3/10 8.9/10
1.5 8.5/10 9.1/10
1.6 8.4/10 8.8/10

Home media

VHS

The first series of Absolutely Fabulous was released on VHS in the United Kingdom in two volumes; both of which containing three episodes per tape. These VHS tapes were released on 4 October 1993. The Complete Series 1 was released on VHS on 3 July 1995. The Complete Series 1 was again released as part of the Series 1-4 set and as an individual release on 25 November 2002.

DVD

Series 1 was made available in the United Kingdom on DVD format region 2 on 20 November 2000, and again as part of the Series 1-4 DVD set on 25 November 2002, The "Absolutely Everything" set (Series 1-5 & specials) on 15 November 2010, and most recently on the "Absolutely Everything: Definitive Edition" set (Series 1-5, specials & 20th Anniversary Specials) on 17 March 2014.

In North America, Series 1 was released several times on DVD region 1. It was initially released on 13 March 2001, with a re-issue on 13 September 2005. All subsequent releases following the initial release of Series 1 (apart from the re-issue) was release as part of DVD sets, with Series 1-3 released on 4 October 2005 and "Absolutely Everything" released on 28 May 2008.

In Australia, the first series debuted on DVD Region 4 on 3 October 2001. Australia was the first country to release "Absolutely Everything", although, not every episode was released within the set; it includes series 1-5 and the specials, excluding 'The Last Shout'. This set was released on 20 April 2006. "The Complete Collection" (every episode including 'The Last Shout') was made available on 5 April 2011.

References

  1. ↑ "Review: 'Absolutely Fabulous'". Variety.com. July 22, 1994. Retrieved October 16, 2014.

External links

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