"Absolutely Fabulous" (1992) TV series 1992-2004

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | unknown

Release Date:

24 July 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Sin is in, sweetie.

Plot:

Edina Monsoon and her best friend Patsy drive Eddie's sensible daughter, Saffron, up the wall with their...

Plot Keywords:

Best Friend | Social Commentary | London England | Cigarette Smoking | Promiscuous Mother

Awards:

7 wins & 14 nominations

Cast

Jennifer Saunders	...	Edina / ... (37 episodes, 1992-2005)
Joanna Lumley	...	Patsy / ... (37 episodes, 1992-2005)
Julia Sawalha	...	Saffron / ... (37 episodes, 1992-2005)
June Whitfield	...	Mrs. June 'Gran' 'Mother' Monsoon / ... (34 episodes, 1992-2005)
Jane Horrocks	...	Bubble / ... (30 episodes, 1992-2005)

Series Directed by
Bob Spiers		(23 episodes, 1992-2001)
Dewi Humphreys		(8 episodes, 2003)
Christine Gernon		(3 episodes, 2001)

Series Writing credits
Dawn French		(37 episodes, 1992-2005)
Jennifer Saunders		(37 episodes, 1992-2005)
Sue Perkins		(8 episodes, 2003)

Series Produced by
Jon Plowman	....	producer / executive producer (36 episodes, 1992-2004)
Jo Sargent	....	producer (10 episodes, 2002-2004)
Janice Thomas	....	assistant producer / producer (8 episodes, 1995-1996)
Jonathan Paul Llewellyn	....	producer (6 episodes, 2001)
Phil McIntyre	....	executive producer: Saunders & French productions (2 episodes, 1996)
Maureen Vincent	....	executive producer: Saunders & French productions (2 episodes, 1996)

Series Original Music by
Simon Brint		(36 episodes, 1992-2004)
Ben Lee-Delisle		(4 episodes, 2003)
Simon Wallace		(2 episodes, 1996)

Series Cinematography by
Keith Goddard		(6 episodes, 2001)
Peter Edwards		(4 episodes, 2003)
Andy Hollis		(unknown episodes)

Series Film Editing by
Chris Wadsworth		(35 episodes, 1992-2003)
Barry Osment		(5 episodes, 2003)

Series Casting by
Matthew Messinger		(1 episode, 2002)

Series Production Design by
Harry Banks		(24 episodes, 1995-2004)
Bryan Ellis		(12 episodes, 1992-1994)

Series Art Direction by
Jane Shepherd		(8 episodes, 2003)
Joanna King		(7 episodes, 2001-2004)

Series Costume Design by
Sarah Burns		(20 episodes, 1992-1996)
Rebecca Hale		(16 episodes, 2001-2004)
Mo Reitherman		(6 episodes, 2001)
Philip Lester		(2 episodes, 1992)
Jane Langdale		(2 episodes, 1994-1995)
Zoe Stevenson		(2 episodes, 2003)

Series Makeup Department
Jan Sewell	....	makeup designer / hair designer (32 episodes, 1992-2003)
Kate Benton	....	makeup designer / makeup designer: Morocco (2 episodes, 1994)
Catherine Wilkins	....	makeup designer (2 episodes, 1996)

Series Production Management
Francis Gilson	....	production manager (14 episodes, 2001-2003)
Gareth Carrivick	....	production manager (8 episodes, 1995-1996)
Janice Thomas	....	production manager (6 episodes, 1994)
John Adams	....	production manager (5 episodes, 1992)
John Gorringe	....	production manager (5 episodes, 1992)
John Penotti	....	production manager: New York (2 episodes, 1995)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Caroline Jeffries	....	first assistant director (6 episodes, 2001)
Andy Lumsden	....	first assistant director (4 episodes, 2003)

Series Art Department
Bob Warans	....	production buyer / properties buyer (36 episodes, 1992-2004)
Bernard Heyes	....	graphic designer (6 episodes, 1992)
Andy Carroll	....	graphic designer (6 episodes, 2001)
Andrew Smee	....	graphic designer (2 episodes, 1992-1994)

Series Sound Department
Laurie Taylor	....	sound / sound supervisor (20 episodes, 1994-2001)
Nick Roast	....	sound supervisor / sound (16 episodes, 1994-2003)
John Mooney	....	sound (15 episodes, 1992-2003)
Scott Talbott	....	sound (6 episodes, 1992)
John Taylor	....	sound recordist (6 episodes, 1994)
Bob Newton	....	location sound (6 episodes, 2001)
John Parry	....	sound recordist (5 episodes, 1992)
John Hooper	....	sound recordist / sound recordist: London (5 episodes, 1995)
Keith Silva	....	location sound (4 episodes, 2003)
Stuart Moser	....	sound recordist: New York / sound recordist (3 episodes, 1995)
Richard Merrick	....	sound: film (2 episodes, 1996)
Chris Shellard	....	deputy sound supervisor (unknown episodes)

Series Visual Effects by
Andy McVean	....	visual effects designer (3 episodes, 1992-2002)
Steve Lucas	....	visual effects designer (2 episodes, 1994)
Steve Bland	....	visual effects (2 episodes, 1996)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
John Vincent	....	camera supervisor (34 episodes, 1992-2004)
Graham Rimmington	....	lighting technician / lighting director (15 episodes, 1995-2002)
Mike Manning	....	lighting technician (10 episodes, 1992-1994)
Christopher Clayton	....	lighting director (7 episodes, 2003)
John Record	....	location camera / location camera: London / ... (6 episodes, 1995-1996)
Peter Ditch	....	location camera (6 episodes, 2001)
Mike Radford	....	location camera / camera operator: film camera (5 episodes, 1992)
Colin Waldeck	....	film camera (3 episodes, 1994)
Duncan Brown	....	lighting technician (2 episodes, 1994)
John Daly	....	location camera (2 episodes, 1994)
Richard Quinlan	....	director of photography: USA (2 episodes, 1995)
Peter Evans	....	camera operator: studio camera / camera supervisor (2 episodes, 1996)
Chris Hartley	....	film camera (2 episodes, 1996)

Series Casting Department
Liz England	....	casting advisor / original casting (20 episodes, 1992-1996)
Hayley Murt	....	casting advisor (2 episodes, 1996)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jane Langdale	....	costume assistant (2 episodes, 1996)

Series Editorial Department
Hilary Briegel	....	vision mixer (19 episodes, 1992-1996)
Barbara Hicks	....	vision mixer (9 episodes, 2003-2004)
Kathryn Randall	....	vision mixer (7 episodes, 1992-2001)

Series Other crew
Ruby Wax	....	script editor (36 episodes, 1992-2004)
Betty Jackson	....	title designer (21 episodes, 1994-2002)
Claire Bridgland	....	production executive (15 episodes, 2001-2003)
Caroline Caley	....	stage manager (15 episodes, 2001-2003)
Jackie Byrne	....	production accountant (14 episodes, 2001-2003)
Gareth Carrivick	....	assistant floor manager (12 episodes, 1992-1994)
John Latus	....	resource coordinator (11 episodes, 1992-1994)
Vivien Ackland-Snow	....	floor manager (9 episodes, 2002-2003)
Andrew Garnett	....	studio resources manager (9 episodes, 2002-2003)
Natalie Bailey	....	production team (8 episodes, 2003)
Bernadette Darnell	....	script supervisor (8 episodes, 2003)
Rebecca Kerley	....	production team (8 episodes, 2003)
Tina Brough	....	production assistant (6 episodes, 1994)
Alan Bright	....	resources manager (6 episodes, 1995-1996)
Rebecca Martin	....	production assistant (6 episodes, 1995)
Jemma Rodgers	....	assistant floor manager (6 episodes, 1995)
Caroline Summers	....	production secretary (6 episodes, 1995)
Claudia Cuffy	....	production secretary (6 episodes, 2001)
Ellie Gleave	....	script supervisor (6 episodes, 2001)
Kevin King	....	studio resource manager (6 episodes, 2001)
Jonathan Wicks	....	location manager / location manager: UK (6 episodes, 2001)
Kirsty Barr	....	production secretary (5 episodes, 1992)
Susie Bryant	....	production assistant (5 episodes, 1992)
Mike Morgan	....	floor manager (5 episodes, 2001)
Katie Collins	....	production secretary / script supervisor (4 episodes, 1994-2002)
David Lardner	....	location manager (4 episodes, 2003)
Ashley Lovell	....	production secretary (2 episodes, 1994)
Patrick Steel	....	resource manager / resources manager (2 episodes, 1995)
Stephen Abrahams	....	location manager (2 episodes, 1996)
Wendy Gray	....	production secretary (2 episodes, 1996)
Henrietta Hope	....	assistant floor manager (2 episodes, 1996)
Jessica Powell	....	production assistant (2 episodes, 1996)
Abigail Smart	....	assistant floor manager / production team (2 episodes, 2003-2004)

Series Thanks
Barry Weissler	....	thanks (1 episode, 2003)
Fran Weissler	....	thanks (1 episode, 2003)

Production Companies

• French & Saunders Productions
• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (as BBC) (for)
• Comedy Central (in association with) (2001)
• Oxygen Media (in association with) (2003)

Distributors

• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (1992-2004) (UK) (TV) (BBC1) (original airing)
• Polyband (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• UKTV Gold (199?) (UK) (TV) (repeats)
• Vrijzinnig Protestantse Radio Omroep (VPRO) (199?) (Netherlands) (TV)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD) (complete series)

Other Companies

• Access Bookings  accommodation
• Jump  title design

Also Known As:

Ab Fab (Australia) (short title)

Runtime:

30 min (24 episodes) | 45 min (2 episodes)

Country:

UK

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16 (season 5) | Singapore:PG | USA:TV-14 | Argentina:13 | New Zealand:M (seasons 1-4) | Greece:K-13 | Australia:M | UK:15 | Portugal:M/12 | Australia:PG (some episodes)

Filming Locations:

Holland Park, London, England, UK

Company:

French & Saunders Productions

Trivia:

The inspiration for casting Joanna Lumley as Patsy came from a sketch on "The Full Wax" (1991) in which Ruby Wax interviewed Joanna Lumley, where the actress (who had previously been seen as a prim and proper English rose) played herself as a drunk, cocaine addicted washed up has-been.

Quotes:

[Saffron is living "on campus" and Eddy tells her she wants her to move back home]
Saffie: Mum, what is the problem? I have my life and you have yours. This is what you wanted.
Eddie: I feel orphaned, you know.
Saffie: What is the matter? Has the deal fallen through?
Eddie: No the deal. Not the deal. Not that. It's just...
Saffie: What?
Eddie: Well, darling, you have just sort of abandoned me in this sort of wilderness of potential greatness and fabulousness, haven't you? All my walls have gone "flop", "flop"... I'm just like this kind of prisoner that's released... RELEASED PRISONER, darling, that is walking out into the squinting sun. I mean, you've cast me adrift with no oars.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Gilmore Girls: Run Away, Little Boy (#2.9)" (2001)

Soundtrack:

This Wheel's On Fire

I love AbFab!!!

AbFab is probably the best Britcom ever made. I Absolutely love it!!! Each episode was brilliantly written and hilariously funny. Jennifer Saunders demonstrated how brilliant she is at writing / performing without Dawn French and Joanna Lumley showed that she has great comic timing as well as a superb talent for dramatic roles.

As a true AbFab fan, I have bought all of the videos and, even though i know them off by heart, I still find them Absolutely hilarious.

As were many other people, I was completely heart broken when Jennifer Saunders revealed that she was ending the show in 1995. But since then, there has been a very funny American remake that I've had chance to see called "High Society", and I highly recommend it to any other AbFab fans.

Life simply hasn't been the same, for me without AbFab, but Jennifer Saunders has apparently confirmed rumors that there is a fourth series in the works...