Bound in silver lamé like a fashionable day planner, the Absolutely Fabulous - Absolutely Everything nine-DVD collection serves as a perfect symbol for the characters Edina and Patsy, the funniest female team to hit television since Lucy and Ethel: it’s extravagant, shows status, and is not completely truthful.
Originating from a sketch by the comedy team French & Saunders called “Modern Mother and Daughter,” which is included as an extra, the hysterical Absolutely Fabulous took the world by storm when it first hit the air in 1992 with its outlandish, take-no-prisoners comedy, in particular because the main characters were presented in ways women had rarely been seen before. Not only were they funny, but Edina Monsoon (creator/writer Jennifer Saunders) and Patsy Stone (Joanna Lumley) were narcissistic, substance-abusing, trend-obsessed buffoons who made up for their habitual adolescence with wit that was savage and razor sharp.
The rest of the main cast includes Edina’s straight-laced daughter Saffy (Julia Sawalha) who is really the adult in the relationship even though she’s 16 when the series begins, Edina’s mother (June Whitfield), and Bubbles (Jane Horrocks) the dim-witted office assistant at Edina’s PR firm. All have to verbally spar with Edina and Patsy, especially Saffy who gets the worst of it from Patsy, who rarely, if ever, refers to Saffy by name, instead choosing “the bitch daughter” and “you little piece of dribble-piss,” likely because she is jealous that Saffy causes Edina to attempt to act like a grown-up, putting a stop to their fun. However, everyone gives as good as they get. One of the many times Edina is focused on her weight she says, “Inside of me, sweetie, inside of me, there’s a thin person screaming to get out.” To which her mother replies, “Just the one, dear?”
The adventures cover a broad spectrum, from a simple lunch for Edina’s 40th birthday party at her home that includes her two ex-husbands to a trip to Morocco where Patsy sells Saffy into slavery. The redesign of Edina’s kitchen after being set ablaze by Patsy’s cigarette becomes an international affair as the duo heads to New York City looking for just the right door knob. The one common thread is the many laughs they elicit.
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