DVD Review: ‘Absolutely Fabulous: Absolutely All of It!’

Article first published as DVD Review: ‘Absolutely Fabulous: Absolutely All of It!’ on Blogcritics.

Absolutely Fabulous is an iconic British sitcom. The series centers on two hilarious ladies. Edina “Eddy” Monsoon (Jennifer Saunders) is a PR agent who wants desperately to keep up with the latest trends and seem young, which she does while abusing drugs and alcohol. Her best friend, magazine editor Patsy Stone (Joanna Lumley, Corpse Bride), is just as bad, not only enabling, but participating in Monsoon’s crazy schemes. Toss in Edina’s daughter, Saffron (Julia Sawalha, Lark Rise to Candleford), who provides balance as the sane one of the trio, acting more the parent than child, Edina’s own Mother (June Whitfield, Last of the Summer Wine), and Jane Horrocks (Fifi and the Flowertots) as Bubble, Eddy’s idiotic personal assistant, and you have Ab Fab.

The previously released “complete” set, called Absolutely Fabulous: Absolutely Everything collected all the episodes and specials up to that date, with some great bonus material thrown in. This was the ultimate way to package the entire series run into a nice neat package. Then, in 2013, the 20th anniversary of the show, Absolutely Fabulous came back with all new installments. This new, 10-disc, Absolutely Fabulous: Absolutely All of It! combines that old set with the new episodes, providing fans an updated complete collection.

In case you already possess the original set, the new DVD release, packaged in a stylish pink pocketbook and sturdy casing, has even more extras. There are fresh interviews with producer Jon Plowman, actress June Whitfield, a new Comic Relief special, introductions to the recent additions, and footage of the stars carrying the Olympic torch. So even for those that own earlier releases, there’s more to be had.

If you aren’t familiar with Absolutely Fabulous, here’s a little teaser to let you know what kind of stuff to expect from the legendary comedy.

Created in the early 1990s by Saunders and Dawn French, Absolutely Fabulous originally ran for three seasons. Series one finds Eddy drinking heavily and trying to lose weight without putting in any effort. She also adopts a baby, holidays in France, and “celebrates” her 40th birthday. In series two, Eddy faces being a tabloid sensation, the death of her father, and a trip to Morocco, as well as dealing with Patsy burning her kitchen and her husbands cutting off her alimony. The final series sees Saffron leave for college, and Patsy lose her magazine. Depressingly, the two friends must deal with serious change in their lives, which they aren’t thrilled about, and end up turning on each other, before reuniting in New York City.

After cancellation, the gang returned the following year in “The Last Shout,” in which Saffron heads for the altar, much to Eddy’s chagrin. When Eddy learns the would-be husband is rich, though, she changes her tune. That is, until God intervenes.

Five years later, Eddy and Patsy returned for a fourth series. They bemoan the loss of their rock idols and wish they were in Sex and the City. Edwina convinces Saffron to do a fashion show with her in Paris, and Saffron writes a play about her mother, which isn’t too flattering. Also, the ladies face menopause. This series is followed by another special, where Edina seeks her son in New York, and considers what it means to be gay.

In 2003, a fifth run begins with a pregnant Saffron returning from Africa. Eddy builds a panic room and runs into Minnie Driver (playing herself). Patsy and Edina go hunting, and Edina erases lost Beatles recordings and loses Saffron’s baby. This series is followed by three specials, which find Edina celebrating a family Christmas and remodeling her kitchen.

Then, in 2013, the latest three specials aired. “Identity” begins with Edina picking Saffy up from a two year stint in prison, an accidental circumstance that finally earns Saffy a bit of Patsy’s respect. Edina soon discovers that bringing Saffy home means getting involved in drug deals and deep debt (not Saffy’s). “Job” finds Saffy accusing Edina of not having done a hard day’s work in a very long time, despite her PR job. Edina and Patsy decide the solution to that is to impress Saffy with arranging a singing performance of her favorite actress, Jeanne Durand, at Royal Albert Hall. “Olympics” sees London hosting the 2012 sporting event. Edina decides she should be hospitable, opening her doors to a Hollywood star, Michael Douglas, to come visit and attend the games.

This is just a brief overview of the long-running show. Each episode is full of laughs, and occasionally heart, with the stories and characters staying relevant and entertaining. Perhaps it’s good so much time was taken off between batches, allowing the production time to rest up and think of something brilliant to return with. Perhaps more shows should follow the pattern.

Absolutely Fabulous: Absolutely All of It! is available now.

Absolutely Fabulous completes collection again

For those who bought the Absolutely Fabulous: Absolutely Everything DVD set last year, you might have been disappointed to learn that, while the descriptor was true at the time, there have since been more entries into the series, so you no longer have Absolutely Everything. With the recent release of the single disc DVD Absolutely Fabulous 20th Anniversary Specials, there is now an opportunity to correct that.

Absolutely Fabulous 20th Anniversary Specials is exactly what the title suggests. This DVD contains December's "Identity," January's "Job," and July's "Olympics." That's right, all three of the new episodes made this past year. Also present is "Ab Fab Does Sport Relief," a non-official episode presented last March. The sole special feature is "Behind the Scenes at Sport Relief."

Edina (Jennifer Saunders), Patsy (Joanna Lumley), and Saffron (Julia Sawalha) were first introduced in 1992. After five series and several specials, it appeared that their story might have been done. But after a seven year absence, it was time to bring them back out again.

"Identity" begins with Edina picking Saffy up from a two year stint in prison, an accidental circumstance that finally earns Saffy a bit of Patsy's respect. Life behind bars has not been kind, and Edina soon discovers that bringing Saffy home means getting involved in drug deals and deep debt (not Saffy's). Saffy's crazy friend Sarah (Naoko Mori), who may or may not have gotten better, in terms of mental health, also comes to visit, complicating matters. It's up to Edina and Patsy to get Saffy (and themselves) out of her mess, which they do with the style and humor fans have come to expect. Despite it's Christmas air-time, the holiday is absent from this special.

"Job" finds Saffy accusing Edina of not having done a hard day's work in a very long time, despite her PR job. She's not entirely wrong, as the episode is quick to point out. Edina and Patsy decide the solution to that is to impress Saffy with arranging a singing performance of her favorite actress, Jeanne Durand, at Royal Albert Hall. If only Durand could actually sing... Luckily, Bubble (Jane Horrocks) is nearby. Packed with celebrity cameos, "Job" may the least engaging, but the more ambitious, of the trio of new adventures.

Finally, "Olympics" sees London hosting the 2012 sporting event. Edina decides she should be hospitable, opening her doors to a Hollywood star, Michael Douglas, to come visit and attend the games. That might go OK, if Edina and her family, Saffy, Bubble, and Mother (June Whitfield) weren't still occupying the premises. And if other guests didn't arrive uninvited. And if Michael Douglas bothered to show up himself. And if Edina knew when the Olympics actually were.

There are a few nice surprises for long time fans of the show, but mostly the Absolutely Fabulous 20th Anniversary Specials just continue the zany, hilarious story of a bunch of kooky, beloved characters who don't know how to age gracefully. Are they as good as the original runs? Well, I'll leave that up for viewers to decide, as critics have been divided. But they are extremely entertaining half hours, and it's great to see the AbFab crew back in action!

Absolutely Fabulous doesn't seem as edgy as it once did. It sticks to the tone and heart it has always had, which is a bit more acceptable in today's society. But the nostalgia factor is high, especially as many of the supporting characters pop in for another appearance alongside the leads. It's a heartwarming revisit to a familiar world, and it does so while maintaining just about everything that made it so popular in the first place.

Their next stop? Theaters everywhere, as a feature film is in development. But until that time, go ahead and pick up the Absolutely Fabulous 20th Anniversary Specials if you'd like to complete your collection.

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Dr. Willoughby debuts on DVD for the first time tomorrow

     Dr. Willoughby is a six episode sitcom that ran on ITV in Britain just once in November and December of 1999. Having never before been rerun or released on VHS or DVD (at least, according to Wikipedia), Acorn Media's new DVD is the first chance anyone will get to see the show in more than a decade. Starring Absolutely Fabulous's Joanna Lumley, Dr. Willoughby is about the making of a soap opera, and follows the antics both on screen and off.

     Lumley shines both as Dr. Willoughby, a character that her character plays on the soap within a sitcom, and as Donna Sinclair, the actress who portrays the good doc. The two personalities are startlingly different. Willoughby is a brilliant, compassionate, confident, charming surgeon who can heal the sick. Sinclair is a conniving, manipulative, thieving, vain diva in the strain of many a stereotype. Yet Lumley, whose comedy chops are unquestionable, handles both with ease. It looks easy, swapping the two characters back and forth, but surely, it cannot be. Lumley, who has a soap background herself, may even be drawing on familiarity. However she captures the part, though, it's clear that she owns the series. Which makes it a shame it only ran for six episodes.

     The fault is in allowing anyone else to share the screen. Lumley is excellent, and carries the full weight of each episode on her own. Whenever she is not on screen, however, the production falters. It isn't that Dr. Willoughby is bad. It's just that Lumley is so good she outshines everything and everyone else. It's a series tailor made for her, but when focusing on the central character, the quality of the rest is dropped.

     Not that one should necessarily blame the supporting cast, who seem to do their best. Ralph Whatman (Brian Protheroe, Holby City, 55 Degrees North) is the male lead of Dr. Willoughby, a wannabe star who will not hesitate to take the spotlight from Sinclair if she falters in the slightest. He has other worries, though, such as being caught for not paying spousal maintenance, or even being left out of a script. Crystal Reynolds (Paula Bacon, Life After Birth) is the popular new actress, already getting more fan mail then anyone, which, of course, peaks Sinclair's jealousy. Emma Goodlife (Isobel Middleton, EastEnders) is the producer who would rather be anywhere else other than at her job, but finds herself overqualified for other opportunities, like say, working in a supermarket. Middleton is arguably the "best of the rest" in Dr. Willoughby, capturing a hilarious brand of neurotic.

     There are no special features in this Dr. Willoughby release. Then again, it's a series that got absolutely no attention since it first aired, and anyone who enjoys the show should just be grateful to get a copy at long last. It is presented in widescreen, which is curious, because it doesn't seem like ITV would have been doing widescreen sitcoms in 1999. It is unknown whether the top and bottom of the picture is cut to make this work, or it was originally filmed in widescreen and restored for this release. The sound is in stereo.

     It is hard not to recommend buying Dr. Willoughby, especially with Absolutely Fabulous returning. Fans of the latter series cannot get enough of Lumley, and this is the perfect opportunity to see her in another light. In that regard, Acorn Media picks the perfect time to dust off this old relic, and many will consider it a treasure brought to light.

     Dr. Willoughby goes on sale tomorrow, January 3rd.

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Absolutely Fabulous: Absolutely Everything great way to spend Christmas cash

     Absolutely Fabulous, often called Ab Fab for short, released Absolutely Everything in 2008, comprising all of the episodes and specials, as well as a wealth of bonus features. With new material only weeks away, it's time to look back at that awesome collection, and perhaps pick up a copy and watch it marathon-style, preparing for the return of two of the funniest ladies to ever grace the television.

     The story by now is familiar the world over. Edina "Eddy" Monsoon (Jennifer Saunders, French and Saunders) is a PR agent who wants desperately to keep up with the latest trends and seem young, which she does while abusing drugs and alcohol. Unfortunately (or fortunately, for viewers' sakes), her best friend, magazine editor Patsy Stone (Joanna Lumley, Corpse Bride), is just as bad, not only enabling, but participating in Monsoon's crazy schemes. Edina's daughter, Saffron (Julia Sawalha, Lark Rise to Candleford), provides balance, as the sane one of the trio, acting more the parent than child. Saffron does have a mother figure to rely on, in Edina's own Mother (June Whitfield, Last of the Summer Wine). Rounding out the cast is Jane Horrocks (Fifi and the Flowertots) as Bubble, Eddy's idiotic personal assisstant.

     Created in the early 1990s by Saunders and Dawn French, Absolutely Fabulous originally ran for three seasons. Series one finds Eddy drinking heavily and trying to lose weight without putting in any effort. Eddy also adopts a baby, holidays in France, and "celebrates" her 40th birthday. Series two finds Eddy facing being a tabloid sensation, the death of her father, and a trip to Morocco, as well as dealing with Patsy burning her kitchen and her husbands cutting off her alimony. The final series sees Saffron leave for college, and Patsy loose her magazine. Depressingly, the two friends must deal with serious change in their lives, which they aren't thrilled about, and end up turning on each other, before reuniting in New York City.

     Then some thought Absolutely Fabulous would end, as it faced cancellation. However, the following year, the two-part special, "The Last Shout," made it to air. Saffron heads for the altar, much to Eddy's chagrin. When Eddy learns the would-be husband is rich, though, she changes her tune. That is, until God intervenes, much as she might have with keeping the series going.

     It is five more long years before series four begins. But begin it does, as Eddy and Patsy find all new trouble to get into. They bemoan the loss of their rock idols, and wish they were in Sex and the City. Edwina convinces Saffron to do a fashion show with her in Paris, and Saffron writes a play about her mother, which isn't too flattering. Also, the ladies face menopause. This series is followed by another special, where Edina seeks her son in New York, and considers what it means to be gay.

     Series five comes to life in 2003, and begins with a pregnant Saffron returning from Africa. Eddy builds a panic room and runs into Minnie Driver (playing herself). Patsy and Edina go hunting, and Edina erases lost Beatles recordings and loses Saffron's baby. This series is followed by three specials, which find Edina celebrating a family Christmas and remodeling her kitchen.

     Each of these episodes and specials have their own great jokes. The characters do grow over time, but the core of who they are remains the same, making them layered, complex people, even when they appear goofy on the surface. Patsy and Eddy belong up there with the great female duos of all time, like Lucy and Ethel and Laverne and Shirley. Only better, because with all of the time off between fresh content, the series writers are able to come up with the best possible uses for their creation, and nothing is diluted by overuse. The fact that there are three brand new specials coming in January is a testament to how enduring this series is, and how much esteem fans hold it in.

     However, the enjoyment of Absolutely Fabulous: Absolutely Everything does not stop with the episodes themselves, as great as they are. There is a behind the scenes featurette, a clip show where Edina looks back upon her crazy life, and a handful of comedy sketches, including the one that predates the series, and which Absolutely Fabulous is based on. There are also photo galleries from the show, a look at Lumley's modeling days, and audio commentaries from Saunders and Jon Plowman, which give some real insight into their creative process. Many outtakes are included, and perhaps because of the immense humor the actors involved can channel, they tend to be much funnier than in most DVD sets.

     A real treat is the pilot episode of a series that never happened called Mirror Ball. In it, the main cast of Absolutely Fabulous play other characters, giving them a showcase for their range as performers. It's not as good as the main series, but it's a real treat to see everyone together in such a different light. It also makes one wish that Mirror Ball had been picked up, as it would have definitely been a nice companion show, though it was not a spin-off.

     In all, Absolutely Fabulous is well worth the price, currently $83.99 on amazon.com. There is a lot here, and it's a gem for any DVD collection. Pick up a copy today, and get ready for more laughs, coming soon!

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Article first published as DVD Review: Absolutely Fabulous: Absolutely Everything on Blogcritics.