Jennifer Saunders Movies
Though occasional appearances in American feature films (Muppet Treasure Island, Shrek 2) and sitcoms (Roseanne) highlight her resumé, the hyperkinetic and overmodulated British comedian Jennifer Saunders is indelibly associated with two English series programs: the sketch comedy/variety show French & Saunders and the wild sitcom Absolutely Fabulous, which skewers mercilessly the decadent pretension of British haute couture.Born July 6, 1958, in Sleaford, Lincolnshire, England, to a father stationed in the RAF, Saunders, like many children of military families, acquired and honed a sharp sense of humor at a tender age, perhaps as a way to cope psychologically with being constantly shuttled from town to town. In the late '70s, Saunders enrolled as a student in London's Central School of Speech and Drama, where she met and befriended lifelong collaborator Dawn French while studying to become a drama teacher. French suggested that they respond to an advertisement placed in Stage magazine for aspiring comedians, and the success of that audition yielded a regular on-stage sketch-comedy gig at The Comic Strip Club -- alongside Peter Richardson, Rik Mayall, Nigel Planer, and many other established talents. As this list suggests, the preponderance of comedians at that time were male, which set French and Saunders apart from the pack and placed them in Britain's then-burgeoning "alternative comedy" niche. When the Comic Strip team graduated their skits to the eponymously titled BBC program The Comic Strip Presents... in 1982, French and Saunders moved with them; the original run of that program lasted until 1988, with four- and three-year revivals in 1990 and 1998, respectively.
Over the next several years, Saunders co-starred in a number of BBC television series comedies, including Happy Families (1985), Girls on Top (which placed her alongside the legendary Tracey Ullman and Ruby Wax), and -- in occasional cameos -- The Young Ones (1982). Then, in 1987, the BBC granted Saunders and French their own sketch comedy program, aptly titled French & Saunders. That program debuted in 1987 and not only broke untold ground for up-and-coming British comediennes but became a massive hit and ran indefinitely. The pair scripted episodes and starred in them.
A sketch in the third season of French & Saunders -- done by Saunders during French's brief sabbatical from the program -- inspired Saunders to create a character for a new series: that of the pill-popping, booze-swilling, outrageously vulgar '60s has-been-turned-PR mogul Edina Monsoon -- played by Saunders herself. Entitled Absolutely Fabulous (and done sans French), the program paired Monsoon with best friend Patsy Stone (Joanna Lumley), the inhabitant of a liquor store and a magazine editor. Episodes found Edina not only contending with the vicissitudes of a debauched lifestyle, but grappling her way through tumultuous relationships with her teenage daughter, Saffron (Julia Sawalha), and naïve mom, known only as Mother and Gran (June Whitfield). The program scored as a massive hit not only in Britain, but on American cable stations. Yet its run was surprisingly short given this popularity; it aired from 1992 to 1993, then resurfaced briefly in 1996, and came around for a third go between 2001 and 2003.
As mentioned, Saunders provided one of the voices in 2004's CG-animated Shrek 2 (that of the Fairy Godmother); she also voiced Miss Spink in directors Henry Selick and Michael Cachuela's stop-motion animated fantasy Coraline (2009).
Saunders is married to Adrian Edmondson, one of her former on-stage collaborators from the Comic Strip troupe. They have three daughters. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
- 1985
- R
In this romantic comedy that wobbles along on a shaky plot -- the first full-length feature of a Brit TV show -- Dennis (Adrian Edmondson) is on vacation with his mother when he invents a tall tale of his involvement with a drug cartel in order to impress a woman he likes. Sure enough, his story accidentally tallies with what the police already know, and before he can cry "wolf," Dennis is sent off to the coast with two undercover cops. One cop is a woman (Jennifer Saunders) and the other her former boyfriend (Harvey Duncan) -- but the woman has to pretend to be Dennis' lover. Then along comes a string of several unique policemen and a few real drug smugglers, one in drag, adding their eccentricity to the growing group of comic characters. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Adrian Edmondson, Jennifer Saunders, (more)
A restaurant worker (Lanah Pellay) is fired from a posh London eatery, so the man returns with a band of terrorists, who have their own ideas about how to run a restaurant, and they begin feeding new customers with old customers. Motorhead provides the music. ~ John Bush, Rovi
- Starring:
- Lanah Pellay, Nosher Powell, (more)
- 1987
Known primarily in America as the launch pad for Absolutely Fabulous, French & Saunders is actually a British TV comedy institution that has generated five series and numerous specials since it first appeared in 1987. The titular stars, Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders, met in the 1970s at London's Central School of Speech and Drama, where they both pursued teaching degrees. They eventually joined the Comic Strip, an improvisational live comedy troupe that included future Saunders spouse Adrian Edmondson. A series of Comic Strip films began appearing on BBC 4 in the early '80s; French and Saunders soon found themselves starring alongside Tracey Ullman and future "Ab Fab" script editor Ruby Wax in the 1984-1985 sitcom Girls on Top. By 1987, the duo had gained enough acclaim to write and star in their own program. French & Saunders was initially conceived as a send-up of a poorly run BBC variety show, but soon the duo's signature mixture of pop culture parody and meta-British humor took shape. Hilarious movie send-ups -- from Alien to Fellini, Silence of the Lambs to Merchant and Ivory -- ran alongside skits that gently poked fun at all aspects of English life: "page three girls," stiff upper lips, swinging-'60s hedonism, and London snobbery. The duo's brand of humor has been amply documented in a number of video collections, including French & Saunders: At the Movies, French & Saunders: Gentlemen Prefer, French & Saunders: Living in a Material World and French & Saunders: The Ingenue Years. In recent years, holiday specials have replaced regular episodes of the series; parodies of Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace and the making of Titanic proved especially popular. In addition to working with her partner, French has starred separately in the Vicar of Dibley and Murder Most Horrid; Saunders, of course, has written and starred in Absolutely Fabulous since its inception as a French & Saunders skit in the early '90s. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi
The white-hot British comedy team of Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders returns for five episodes of their classic UK television series, French & Saunders, in this box set. Contents include: Sports Report with Steve Rider!, Arts Review!, Bus-Stop Gynecology, Fat Men! and Burglary at School!. The celebrities who appear in this collection include Raw Sex (Simon Brint and Rowland Rivron), Lenny Henry, Robbie Coltrane and Adrian Edmondson. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
- 1991
Included are two episodes of the British TV comedy ("Exploding Politicians" and "How to Get Off with a Lady") which focuses on Sir Richard and Sir Adrian Dangerous (Adrian Edmondson, Rik Mayall). ~ John Bush, Rovi
- 1992
After struggling unsuccessfully to fit into a variety of unflattering outfits, Edina (Jennifer Saunders) tries to cook up yet another quick weight-loss plan, much to the annoyance of Saffy (Julia Sawalha), who points out that her mother eats, drinks, and smokes incessantly and takes no exercise, therefore guaranteeing a continued weight problem. The issue takes on a degree of urgency when Bubble (Jane Horrocks) reveals that Penny Casper-Morse (Alexandra Bastedo) -- a rail-thin old nemesis of Eddy's from the old days -- will arrive in a few days to talk about a possible business deal. Patsy (Joanna Lumley) advises emergency liposuction (with a bit of collagen injection for good measure), but a nightmare in which her body is vacuumed away to a wisp convinces Eddy that exercise is the real answer. However, after a workout session with Patsy's new beau, the fit and fabulous Georgy (Anthony Asbury), Eddy is ready to go under the knife -- especially when she learns that Penny will be arriving early. Originally broadcast on BBC 1 on November 19, 1992, Absolutely Fabulous: Fat marked series one, episode two of this popular Brit-com. June Whitfield makes her first non-flashback appearance as Mother/Gran, while Christopher Malcolm provides his first of many guest spots as Justin -- Edina's gay ex-husband and Saffy's father. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi
- 1992
Although she's trying to launch a new interior decorating venture, Eddy (Jennifer Saunders) decides to take a vacation in the French countryside with Patsy (Joanna Lumley). The pair become lost in Provence, then must suffer through their holiday in a second-class cottage, bored out of their minds. Unable to speak French -- or to find provisions in the nearby town -- they become convinced that the old Frenchman who keeps knocking on their door means no good. The terrified, hungry women soon summon Saffron (Julia Sawalha), who arrives with supplies and Bubble (Jane Horrocks) in tow. In the haze of long walks, table tennis, and cocktails, the dim-witted PA quickly forgets about the papers that Edina needs to sign in order to save her decorating scheme. When Bubble finally presents the papers to her employer, Edina loses it, rushing back to London just in time to get nabbed by customs for the suspicious white powder stashed in Patsy's purse. Originally broadcast on BBC 1 on November 26, 1992, Absolutely Fabulous: France marked series one, episode three of this popular Brit-com. Eddy and Pats would take several more holidays in subsequent installments, including Absolutely Fabulous: Morocco and Absolutely Fabulous: The Last Shout. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi
- 1992
On the morning of her 40th birthday, a sullen Edina Monsoon (Jennifer Saunders) resists daughter Saffron's every attempt to cheer her up. Lashing out monstrously at Saffy (Julia Sawalha), Eddy is disappointed to learn that instead of a star-studded surprise party, the girl has planned a quiet lunch with family members. Both of Eddy's ex-husbands will be there, but long-lost son Serge, of course, is busy in a Hawaiian volcano. After grudgingly accepting a pair of Christian Lacroix earrings and abusing Saffy to the point of domestic violence, Eddy retires sullenly to her room, where she remains even as the guests arrive. When sidekick Patsy Stone (Joanna Lumley) fails to return from a champagne-foraging mission, however, Eddy makes an accidental splash entrance into her own 'do. As she grows increasingly drunk and belligerent, Eddy insults her gay ex-husband, Justin (Christopher Malcolm); his lover, Oliver (Gary Beadle); her recovering alcoholic ex-husband, Marshall (Christopher Ryan); Bo (Mo Gaffney), his controlling, New Age girlfriend; and perennial targets Saffy and Mother (June Whitfield). Along the way, the party guests learn the long-hidden secret that Edina is receiving double alimony from her exes -- a revelation that will come back to haunt her during the second-series episode Absolutely Fabulous: Poor. In the meantime, Patsy and Eddy get down with the help of Justin's gift: a karaoke machine programmed with the most obvious '60s hits. Originally broadcast on BBC 1 on December 17, 1992, Absolutely Fabulous: Birthday marked series one, episode six of this popular Brit-com. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi
- 1992
In this satirical British sitcom, which became a cult hit on American cable, a grotesquely self-centered fashion victim chain-smokes, swills champagne, abuses drugs, munches caviar, terrorizes her daughter, and tries in vain to mingle with the beautiful people -- all in the company of her sleek, slutty, boozed-up best friend. Edina Monsoon (Jennifer Saunders) and Patsy Stone (Joanna Lumley) (aka Pats and Eddy) are '60s survivors and fashion-world wannabes; Pats works for magazines, while Eddy owns a PR firm whose biggest client is '60s has-been Lulu, of "To Sir With Love" fame. These women live in a cloud of self-delusion about the supposed glamour of their London lifestyle, forever attempting to claw their way past the velvet rope. Pats inhabits the attic of a liquor-store franchise, while Eddy lives in a well-to-do flat thanks to the double alimony from her two ex-husbands, a gay antiques dealer and a recovering alcoholic. When she's not being horrible to her dowdy, unflappable teenaged daughter, Saffron (Julia Sawalha), and her oblivious, tongue-in-cheek mother (June Whitfield), Eddy stages fashion shows, jets off to photo shoots, pays charlatans to put her in touch with her inner child, and tries every weight-loss cure known to man -- except curbing her decadent lifestyle. Thanks to its shrill satire, over-the-top costumes, outrageous excess, and all-around camp appeal, Absolutely Fabulous became a pop-culture phenomenon that spawned two Sesame Street characters, a slew of slang expressions ("Sweetie darling, I'm chanting as we speak"), and even a Pet Shop Boys charity single. The actual theme song, sung by Julie Driscoll and Adrian Edmondson, is a cover of "This Wheel's on Fire," a '60s obscurity written by Bob Dylan and the Band's Rick Danko.
"AbFab," as it's known, began its life as a sketch called "Modern Mother and Daughter" on the BBC comedy show French & Saunders. Although frequent Saunders collaborator Dawn French played the daughter part in the original sketch, she bowed out in favor of half-Jordanian, half-British actress Sawalha, a Press Gang vet who was closer to the character's age. Patsy -- played like a coked-up Dynasty caricature by former Bond girl and New Avengers star Lumley -- wasn't a part of the original sketch but quickly became a favorite of drag queens everywhere. In addition to cameos from celebrities such as Helena Bonham Carter and Naomi Campbell, AbFab includes frequent appearances by Little Voice star Jane Horrocks (as Eddy's airhead assistant, Bubble) and Nil by Mouth star Kathy Burke (as straight-talking magazine editor Magda). Although one BBC development executive's reaction to the pilot was, "I don't think women being drunk is funny," a beeb secretary handed out tapes in secret to her friends, and soon the buzz about the show became deafening. The first series premiered on BBC1 on November 12, 1992, but didn't make its American bow until July 1994, when Comedy Central began airing perpetual reruns of the show. Three six-episode series were broadcast in the U.K. in 1992, 1994, and 1995, followed by a two-part TV movie, Absolutely Fabulous: The Last Shout, in November 1996. In 2000, as Saunders was working on a new program called Mirrorball that reunited much of the AbFab cast, she decided to switch gears and revisit her best-known characters in a fourth AbFab series, which began airing on August 31, 2001. Co-funded by Comedy Central, the new series began its U.S. run a few months later, on November 12, 2001. Although Roseanne purchased the rights to develop an American version of the show in 1994, the first international adaptation of the program to see the light of day was the 2001 French film Absolument Fabuleux. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi
"AbFab," as it's known, began its life as a sketch called "Modern Mother and Daughter" on the BBC comedy show French & Saunders. Although frequent Saunders collaborator Dawn French played the daughter part in the original sketch, she bowed out in favor of half-Jordanian, half-British actress Sawalha, a Press Gang vet who was closer to the character's age. Patsy -- played like a coked-up Dynasty caricature by former Bond girl and New Avengers star Lumley -- wasn't a part of the original sketch but quickly became a favorite of drag queens everywhere. In addition to cameos from celebrities such as Helena Bonham Carter and Naomi Campbell, AbFab includes frequent appearances by Little Voice star Jane Horrocks (as Eddy's airhead assistant, Bubble) and Nil by Mouth star Kathy Burke (as straight-talking magazine editor Magda). Although one BBC development executive's reaction to the pilot was, "I don't think women being drunk is funny," a beeb secretary handed out tapes in secret to her friends, and soon the buzz about the show became deafening. The first series premiered on BBC1 on November 12, 1992, but didn't make its American bow until July 1994, when Comedy Central began airing perpetual reruns of the show. Three six-episode series were broadcast in the U.K. in 1992, 1994, and 1995, followed by a two-part TV movie, Absolutely Fabulous: The Last Shout, in November 1996. In 2000, as Saunders was working on a new program called Mirrorball that reunited much of the AbFab cast, she decided to switch gears and revisit her best-known characters in a fourth AbFab series, which began airing on August 31, 2001. Co-funded by Comedy Central, the new series began its U.S. run a few months later, on November 12, 2001. Although Roseanne purchased the rights to develop an American version of the show in 1994, the first international adaptation of the program to see the light of day was the 2001 French film Absolument Fabuleux. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jennifer Saunders, Joanna Lumley, (more)
- 1992
When Edina (Jennifer Saunders) takes up with her first boyfriend in ages, Patsy (Joanna Lumley) finds her role in her best friend's life suddenly reduced even though she's recently moved into the Monsoon household. Even worse, she actually has to show up at work for once -- to attend a meeting with fast-talking editor Magda (Kathy Burke); dim, ornamental staffers Catriona (Helen Lederer) and Fleur (Harriet Thorpe); and the ridiculously erudite gourmand Hamish (Adrian Edmondson). Suckered into giving a pair of fashion nobodies a makeover on a chat show hosted by unassuming everywoman Kathy (Dawn French), Pats makes a Faustian pact with Saffron (Julia Sawalha): If Saf and Gran (June Whitfield) will become her sartorial guinea pigs, she'll move back into her own flat and she won't try to destroy Eddy's new romance. Originally broadcast on BBC 1 on December 10, 1992, Absolutely Fabulous: Magazine marked series one, episode five of this popular Brit-com. French, who co-created the original sketch on which "AbFab" was based, appears as cheerful TV host Kathy. Acclaimed comedic and character actress Burke makes first of several appearances as the no-nonsense Magda. In a flashback sequence, Eleanor Bron also appears as Patsy's mother; Bron would appear again in Absolutely Fabulous: Birth. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi
- 1992
Saffron (Julia Sawalha) meets at home with her fellow students to plan a school report while her mother, Edina (Jennifer Saunders), floats upstairs in the new aquatic isolation tank she's ordered from Los Angeles. This being Edina, of course, she doesn't brave the iso tank alone; best pal Patsy Stone (Joanna Lumley) is also there, chain smoking as usual. After the gruesome twosome crash Saffy's study session to coo lasciviously at Danny (James Lance), an uncharacteristically cute new addition to the girl's nerdy social circle, Patsy heads off after the young lad. Edina then throws a typical tantrum in order to elicit an invitation to attend Saffy's presentation at the school. Threatening to adopt a Romanian baby if she doesn't get her way, Edina even goes so far as to phone her usually empty-headed personal assistant, Bubble (Jane Horrocks), who has become a crisp, efficient force of nature ever since meeting with an occupational hypnotist. When Bubble vanishes, leaving word that "the goods" from Romania are on their way, Eddy shrugs it off and heads for the school, which Saffy has graciously allowed her to visit. Whisked off for a school tour with the headmaster, Patsy and Eddy flash back to their own school days, when Eddy got Pats in trouble for getting it on with a male student named Tony (Tim Woodward). When the headmaster of Saffy's school turns out to be the very same Tony, the old flames get hot and heavy -- right in the classroom where Saffy is giving her presentation. Meanwhile, a woman from the adoption agency arrives, several dark-haired orphans in tow. But with all of this going on, who could that be floating in Eddy's isolation tank? Originally broadcast on BBC 1 on December 3, 1992, Absolutely Fabulous: Iso Tank marked series one, episode four of this popular Brit-com. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi
- 1992
In the inaugural episode of popular Brit-com Absolutely Fabulous, a drinking binge and a fashion event provide the framework in which to introduce several of the show's primary characters: slothful forty-ish PR exec Edina Monsoon (Jennifer Saunders); her caustic, no-nonsense daughter, Saffron (Julia Sawalha); her hard-drinking, coke-snorting, sexed-up best friend, Patsy Stone (Joanna Lumley); and Bubble (Jane Horrocks), her intellect-free personal assistant. As the show begins, Edina is nursing yet another hangover -- until she realizes that today's the day the firm she owns is throwing a great big fashion show. After trading barbs with Saffron (or "Saffy") and lunching with the chic, disdainful Patsy, Edina finally drags herself into the office for a few hours of frantic activity. Bubble reports that big draw Yasmin LeBon has dropped out of the runway ranks and that Princess Anne has replaced Princess Diana on the guest list. Vowing to get the frumpy, fashion-challenged royal into a designer gown if it's the last thing she does, "Eddy" rushes around at the last minute to fill her event with such B-list celebrities as Betty Boo and Danni Minogue. After the event, Eddy proceeds to get utterly smashed with her perennial partner in crime, Patsy, much to the disgust of an unsympathetic Saffy, who locks her mother out of the house. Absolutely Fabulous: Fashion was originally broadcast on BBC 1 on November 12, 1992. In a flashback sequence, the episode introduces Edina's mother, June (June Whitfield), who will become a regular guest-star in subsequent episodes. Several other characters and plot threads are introduced obliquely, including Eddy's relationships with her ex-husbands and her long-lost son, Serge. Absolutely Fabulous: Fashion also includes countless jokey references to minor British celebrities whose names may mystify American audiences. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi
- 1992
Edina (Jennifer Saunders) gets in an uproar over the impending visit of Max (Patrick Barlow) and Bettina (Miranda Richardson), a pair of impossibly hip old friends. Terrified that her cluttered house won't be up to snuff with these chic minimalists, she chucks things -- and people -- right and left. Pats (Joanna Lumley), feeling abandoned, sets off to find another lunch partner. She even turns up at her own office, hoping to find Magda but instead encountering Bubble (Jane Horrocks), who is there on loan from Eddy's office. Meanwhile, Eddy, dismayed to find that Bettina and Max have become the shrill, neurotic yuppie parents of a very ordinary newborn, escapes to an imaginary lunch date of her own. Pats and Eddy find themselves at the same hip London eatery, where each tries to impress the other with her dining companions; Eddy gloms onto '60s singer Lulu, while Pats forces herself into the company of Swedish actress Britt Ekland and outrageous fashion designer Zandra Rhodes. Back at the Monsoon house, Eddy still can't stand the company of the hysterical Bettina, so she retires to bed. Strangely enough, so does Max. Originally broadcast on BBC 1 on February 24, 1994, Absolutely Fabulous: New Best Friend marked series two, episode four of this popular Brit-com. Although Richardson, star of such films as The Crying Game, played a fictional character, Ekland, Lulu, and Rhodes all portrayed themselves. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi
- 1993
The third series of French & Saunders, which originally aired on the BBC in 1990, produced the various clips assembled as French & Saunders: Gentlemen Prefer French & Saunders. Gone With the Wind, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, The Exorcist, and Dangerous Liaisons provide fodder for Hollywood parodies, but much of the material focuses on original characters. Chat show hosts and pundits, cleaning ladies with attitude, women in prison -- Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders embody them all. Elsewhere, the duo aim their satiric sights at both the publishing and PR industries. Ladies' magazines and late-in-life hangers-on of Andy Warhol also get their due. There's also an opera documentary in which dueling divas belt out Kylie Minogue's "I Should Be So Lucky" and a feminine twist on the dirty-old-men characters who have been one of the show's staples from the beginning. "Modern Mother and Daughter," the sketch that provided the basis for Absolutely Fabulous, is included, with French originating the role that would be played by Julia Sawalha in the actual series. Sharp-eared viewers will catch a snippet of Inner City's Detroit techno classic "Good Life" in "Modern Mother"; sharp-eyed audiences, meanwhile, will notice that Eleanor Bron, who would go on to play Patsy's poetess mother in Absolutely Fabulous: Birth, appears as an over-the-top academic commentator in the Warhol segment. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders, (more)
- 1994
While Saffy Monsoon (Julia Sawalha) mourns the death of her grandfather, her mother, Edina (Jennifer Saunders), is too busy mourning the failure of her latest weight-loss program: a bizarre scheme in which she is slathered in mud and then mummified for several hours. Gran (June Whitfield) handles her husband's death with typical aplomb, but Eddy goes way over the edge as soon as she has time to ponder her own mortality. Filled with self-centered dread, she goes on an art shopping spree at a snooty gallery and then bristles as the guests at her father's wake mistake an expensive mobile for what it is: a set of coat hangers. Ex-husband Marshall (Christopher Ryan) and his new grief-counselor girlfriend, Sondra (Gwen Humble), try to cheer the family up, but when Sondra realizes there's a corpse in the house she completely freaks out. Eddy and Patsy (Joanna Lumley) freak out, too, getting rip-roaringly drunk as the rest of the funeral party proceeds to the cemetary. Waxing sentimental, Patsy begs Eddy to give her the house when she's gone, and Eddy agrees -- as long as Pats will accompany her to the graveyard. Unfortunately, neither woman is in any shape to navigate the rough boneyard terrain, and Mr. Monsoon's funeral ends much like any other family event: grotesquely. Originally broadcast on BBC 1 on February 3, 1994, Absolutely Fabulous: Death marked series two, episode two of this popular Brit-com. Llewella Gideon reprises her role as the wise-cracking West Indian nurse who originally appeared in the previous episode, Absolutely Fabulous: Hospital. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi
- 1994
After Patsy (Joanna Lumley) manages to incinerate the Monsoons' kitchen, she and Edina (Jennifer Saunders) take to hanging out in the living room. The only problem is that Saffy (Julia Sawalha) has a rare, though clandestine, date planned for that very room. As Eddy and her monstrous friend torture Saffy by staying put, Gran (June Whitfield) accidentally locks the three women in the living room on her way to the chemist's, leaving Saffy inconsolable and Pats and Eddy bored. Talk turns to sex as Edina tortures Saffy with questions, resorting to a Cosmopolitan sex quiz to elicit information from the girl. Saffy and Patsy fight bitterly, the gaunt fashion plate jealous of the privileges her young rival has enjoyed. In flashbacks, we see the births of all three characters -- including an over-the-top sequence in which Patsy's pretentious mother compares her daughter to a tumor and gives birth to the accompaniment of bad Beat poetry. Eventually, Gran returns home, freeing the trio from the displeasure of each other's forcible company. Originally broadcast on BBC 1 on March 10, 1994, Absolutely Fabulous: Birth marked series two, episode six of this popular Brit-com. Eleanor Bron, originally seen in Absolutely Fabulous: Magazine during series one, reprises her role as Patsy's mom. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi
- 1994
Saffron (Julia Sawalha) cautions her mother to economize in gentle preparation for the revelation by Edina's accountant that she's been cut off by both of her ex-husbands; as revealed in series one's Absolutely Fabulous: Birthday, Edina's been double-dipping, and Justin and Marshall aren't having it. Unaware that she's actually got plenty of investments to support herself and refusing to sell either one of her sham businesses -- the joke PR firm or the tax-shelter knick-knack shop -- Edina (Jennifer Saunders) opts instead for reducing her monthly expenses. Deprived of her daily deliveries from tony department store Harrods, she and Patsy (Joanna Lumley) attempt to mount a trip to the grocery store in the "economy" car that's replaced the limo -- a two-seat sports car. The results of this expedition include assault, battery, robbery, pubic drunkenness, traffic violations, a trip to court, and a course of public service. Originally broadcast on BBC 1 on March 3, 1994, Absolutely Fabulous: Poor marked series two, episode five of this popular Brit-com. Christopher Malcolm reprises his role as Eddy's gay ex-husband, Justin, in an appearance that includes a memorable joke about "going through the motions" of marriage. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi
- 1994
This collection of skits from the fourth series of French & Saunders lives up to its title. Although the comedic duo takes aim at British culture, BBC TV, pop stars, and the Middle Ages, most of the material focuses on Hollywood parody. Dawn French takes on a pair of box-office villains as she pokes fun at Anthony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs and Kathy Bates in Misery; partner Jennifer Saunders, meanwhile, essays the Jodie Foster and James Caan roles, respectively. French experiences the familiar progression from face-hugger to stomach-exploder in a send-up of Aliens that also features Kathy Burke standing in for Jenette Goldstein as Pvt. Vasquez. Thelma and Louise also gets the patented F&S treatment. Other sketches include faux music videos for the Mamas and the Papas, Guns N' Roses, and Shakespear's Sister; "Lucky Bitches," a parody of celebrity sisters Joan and Jackie Collins; and an elaborate re-creation of the historical soap House of Eliott, in which the show's original stars, Stella Gonet and Louise Lombard, appear. The DVD edition of French & Saunders: At the Movies also includes the duo's 1999 Christmas special French & Saunders: The Phantom Millennium, an elaborate parody of Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders, (more)
- 1994
Eddy (Jennifer Saunders) and Patsy (Joanna Lumley) head to Marrakesh to team up for a photo shoot. It seems Patsy's magazine is going to run a spread featuring Pop-Specs, a trashy little product represented by Eddy's PR firm. When Saffy (Julia Sawalha) tags along, she quickly learns her mum has little on her mind but buying dirt-cheap housewares and hitting the hookah as hard as she can. During a decadent party with Uncle Humphrey (John Wells) -- a dirty-old-man friend of Eddy and Patsy who wants to perform sexual perversions on Saffy -- the girl learns that for a brief time many years ago, Patsy was a little confused about her gender identity. The next day, after a dip in the pool, the ladies go shopping and get separated from Saffy in an outdoor bazaar. Without her guidance, Eddy and Pats end up stranded in the wrong part of town, but as usual, Saffy saves the day. Back at their resort, the women resume their decadence -- even Saffy, who ironically gets the most out of her trip to Morocco. Originally broadcast on BBC 1 on February 10, 1994, Absolutely Fabulous: Morocco marked series two, episode three of this popular Brit-com. The more over-the-top plot threads of episodes such as Absolutely Fabulous: Morocco divided fan opinion about the second series of "AbFab," with some viewers decrying the less naturalistic comedy and others embracing the show's new, more extreme brand of slapstick. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi
- 1994
After a dalliance with a government official, Patsy (Joanna Lumley) becomes embroiled in a tabloid sex scandal and is irate to see her true age reported nationally. "Borrowing" the Monsoon house for an interview with Hello magazine, she is disappointed to learn that photos for the spread won't be shot until the following week. However, when Edina (Jennifer Saunders) stubs her toe and enters the hospital for minor surgery, Pats takes the opportunity to accompany her and undergo a quick face peel. Finding the accommodations less than deluxe and ridiculed by a pair of wise-cracking nurses (Llewella Gideon and Orla Brady), Edina pops painkillers like candy and falls into a disturbing fugue in which her friends and family appear to her in the guise of British celebrities, from Helena Bonham-Carter to Germaine Greer -- both of whom have been the subject of ridicule on previous episodes. Awakening from her dreams to find that her surgery has already been completed, Eddy learns that her injuries were even more minor than they appeared; Patsy's face peel, however, doesn't generate quite such a happy outcome, nor does her debut in the pages of Hello. Originally broadcast on BBC 1 on January 27, 1994, Absolutely Fabulous: Hospital marked series two, episode one of this popular Brit-com. Suzi Quatro, Mandy Rice-Davies, Richard E. Grant, and Sylvia Anderson joined Bonham-Carter and Greer in the cast of cameo stars. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi
- 1995
Our heroines find themselves at a mutual crossroads as Saffy (Julia Sawalha) heads off to college, leaving Edina (Jennifer Saunders) alone, and Patsy (Joanna Lumley) loses her job when her magazine folds. Pats soon moves in with Eddy, but their lack of domestic common sense spoils their otherwise jolly neo-conjugal relationship. Things are looking up at the office for Eddy, though, as a high-powered New York PR agency wants to form a liaison. That and a complimentary bottle of champagne are all it takes to keep past-her-prime singer Lulu in the fold; nevertheless, a spiteful Eddy attempts to fire Bubble (Jane Horrocks), who after three seasons as a personal assistant still doesn't understand the phrase "fax machine." Back at the house, during an impromptu wake for the magazine, fast-talking former editor Magda (Kathy Burke) announces she's taking a job in New York -- and that she wants to bring Patsy with her; that leaves fellow fashion hangers-on Catriona (Helen Lederer) and Fleur (Harriet Thorpe) contemplating jobs at the perfume counter and/or Eddy's firm. Later, smoking a joint in the bathroom, Pats and Eddy mull over the big-time success that they've always craved and try to fight off their terror of being alone. Saffy arrives to inject her usual doses of common sense, but the episode ends with a standoff: Eddy and Pats go their separate ways, each trying to convince herself that she'll be more fabulous flying solo. Originally broadcast on BBC 1 on May 4, 1995, Absolutely Fabulous: Fear marked series three, episode five of this popular Brit-com. Although her voice appeared in the previous episode, Absolutely Fabulous: Jealous, "To Sir With Love" singer Lulu makes her second on-camera appearance as herself; she was previously mentioned in countless episodes and appeared in Absolutely Fabulous: New Best Friend. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi
- 1995
- R
When his professional career hits a lull, an actor attempts to revitalize his career by staging a production of Hamlet, directed by and starring himself. Director and star Kenneth Branagh would in fact release his own film version of Shakespeare's classic play a year later, but this comedy provides his fictional counterpart with far less in terms of production value. Lacking money and time, he recruits a rather motley group of drunks, incompetents, and oddballs, including a middle-aged female impersonator in the crucial role of Queen Gertrude. Given only three weeks of rehearsal, and an abandoned church in a remote town in the English countryside, this unlikely group nevertheless struggles valiantly to make theatrical magic. The film attempts to pay loving tribute to the madness that surrounds the staging of a play, with all of the backstage dramas, inevitable disasters, and unexpected triumphs, but the end result is often less amusing than it ought to be. The film was released in the United States under the title A Midwinter's Tale. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michael Maloney, Richard Briers, (more)
- 1995
Edina (Jennifer Saunders), Patsy (Joanna Lumley), Bubble (Jane Horrocks), Saffron (Julia Sawalha), and Mother (June Whitfield) prepare for their respective New Year's festivities; Eddy and Pats plan to hit a Frankie Knuckles party while the others settle in for a night in front of the telly. Amidst a visit from Eddy's ex, Justin (Christopher Malcolm), and his boyfriend, Oliver (Gary Beadle), another newcomer arrives: none other than Jackie (Kate O'Mara), the long-lost sister whose glamour, beauty, and appetite for drugs awe Patsy. Alternately catty and convivial, Jackie delights Justin and Oliver, insults Saffy and Eddy, and mystifies Patsy, who can't believe her sister doesn't want to party with her. Before long, ulterior motives surface, and Pats must face not only her sister's advanced age, but her own. Originally broadcast on BBC 1 on April 6, 1995, Absolutely Fabulous: Happy New Year marked series three, episode two of this popular Brit-com. Rebecca Front appears briefly as Cherysh, the third New Age-y girlfriend of Eddy's other ex, Marshall (Christopher Ryan), to be introduced into the "AbFab" universe. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi
- 1995
Edina (Jennifer Saunders) moves into a commune but chafes at the paternalistic attitudes of the charlatans who run it; she spends her time impatiently waiting for her turn with "the talking stick," dejected over her separation from best friend Patsy (Joanna Lumley). Pats, meanwhile, finds that her well-worn fashion-world aphorisms don't fly in straight-talking New York. Professional ally Magda (Kathy Burke) sympathizes but offers no help, leaving Pats to the tender mercies of fashion barracudas Candy (Ruby Wax), Gina (Suzanne Bertish), and Sante (Sean Chapman). After chance encounters with a trio of transvestites and with Bo (Mo Gaffney) -- the sometime girlfriend of Eddy's ex-husband, Marshall -- Pats wanders up to the rooftop of the magazine to smoke and think. Suddenly a helicopter flies by, a familiar face waving from the passenger seat, and soon the world doesn't seem so terrible anymore. After the closing credits, a 25-years-later epilogue then provides a glimpse into the future exploits of Pats, Eddy, Gran, and Saffy. Originally broadcast on BBC1 on May 11, 1995, Absolutely Fabulous: The End marked series three, episode six of this popular Brit-com. The next installment would be the 1996 two-part TV movie Absolutely Fabulous: The Last Shout; regular episodes would not appear again until series four in 2001. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi
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