Absolutely Fabulous – Series 1-5. Plus Extras (BBC/DVD/2011)
Depending on temperament, the grossly-original, OTT (over-the-top), decade-and-a-half old British sitcom retains its charms, if one is able to forgive or at least delicately overlook the excesses in drinking, drugging and smoking in which the two protagonists indulge.
Based on a terrific sketch by the über-talented writing team of Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders, the hugely-successful show took some risks in presenting a couple of middle-aged “fashionistas” – one of whom, Edina (Jennifer Saunders) is an editor at a top fashion magazine, and her best-friend, Patsy (Joanna Lumley) who does F.A. (Brit-speak for Fuck-All) for a living – manage to raise havoc, continuously acting-out as if they were still fifteen: imbibing entirely too much booze, smokes, pot, coke and whatever else they can sneak past customs, without taking responsibilities for their actions, etc. They can be a pain to watch sometimes, however amusingly it is presented.
Edina lives with her college-age daughter, Saffron (Julia Sawalha), the prim, frightfully-bright antidote to these infantile women. (On a side note, to watch the growth of this lovely actress from her early 20s to her late 30s in the terrific BBC four-season drama, FROM LARK RISE TO CANDLEFORD, is one of life’s small joys.) Edina’s ageing mother (June Whitfield) adds colorful background to the stories. Edina’s chief assistant at the magazine, the dotty Bubble (the extraordinarily talented Jane Horrocks), who is dim, non-crafty and a delight in spite of how she is written, along with a host of Brit comic sitcom actors really do add to the oddity that this show is and what is represents.
Covering Season 1-5, the show is a vast backdrop to the AB/FAB specials coming up, first in the UK, then here in the USA. The commentaries and bonuses are excellent – if nothing else these are talented and intelligent people – allowing us necessary and fascinating background/originating stories on the hugely successful television program.