Julia Sawalha

Review - Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie

In all, Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie is as hit and miss as the TV show was, once upon a time. Lumley shines, Saunders tries hard, but the thin story is against them from the start, as well as the feeling that we have seen all of this before.

Review: Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie

Joanna Lumley steals the show in the sitcom's fun, not quite fabulous big screen outing.

'Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie': film review

An endearing shambles, much like the original show.

Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie - wearing its yeas well

The plotting is lazy, but this big-screen reboot of the much-loved sitcom gets by thanks to its stars and to the endless goodwill cameos.

Jonathan Creek then and now

In the 17 year history of the programme, he has attracted many a love interest carelessly working his way through Caroline Quentin, Julia Sawalha, Sheridan Smith and now, as his wife no less, Sarah Alexander.

I don't wish to raise unnecessary alarm, but there was a rather strange development at BBC1 last Monday as the continuity guy introduced the Absolutely Fabulous Olympic special. Because these were his exact words: 'Next tonight, comedy gold as Eddie and Patsy get into the Olympic spirit.'

My initial concern here was that the BBC appeared to have caught a nasty case of 'reviewing our own show' disease, which medical sources suggest was first brought into this country by a Mr S Cowell, of London. Half an hour later.

If this is to be the last we see of their grotesque creations they will never be able to say with any degree of honesty that they went out on a high.

I had an even greater problem. Namely, how do I go about suing the national broadcaster for a flagrant breach of the Trades Descriptions Act?
Because this was not gold of any kind, least of all comedy. In fact, for the most part it wasn't comedy of any kind, either.

Yes, there was the odd wry Olympics observation, although nothing that could touch the satirical majesty of BBC2's brilliant Twenty Twelve. And yes, there was a very clever sight gag when Patsy held up Eddie's body contouring all-in-one.
But the rest of the jokes were so lame that on more than one occasion I swear I spotted Derek Redmond's dad rushing up to help them over the line.

They saved the worst one - a real stinker about Clare Balding which I cannot even bring myself to commit to print here - until near the end. (Presumably the thinking was that they would get away with it because most people would have switched off by then.)

Of course, it is Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley I feel most sorry for. If this is to be the last we see of their grotesque creations they will never be able to say with any degree of honesty that they went out on a high.
In Olympic terms, they never even got near the podium.

At best it had the feel of a tired and uninspired end-of-the-run panto. At worst it was like watching a low-rent drag act spewing out filth and innuendo in the vain hope of getting at least one laugh in a grotty East End pub.

Plus, it was in no way helped by the most irritatingly intrusive laughter track in history, which featured one spectacularly loud woman who sounded like a hyena on HRT being fed into a woodchipper.

On a more positive note, it will have provided a welcome boost to David Jason's ego. Because thanks to some of the physical comedy on show here, his performances in The Royal Bodyguard have now slipped to No 2 on this year's Most Toe-Curling TV Slapstick chart.
David can also boast that the BBC didn't hijack his show and fill it with sneaky and self-congratulatory plugs for their upcoming Jubilee coverage. Jennifer Saunders didn't get off so lightly.

First say (the criminally wasted Julia Sawalha) had a line about how much better the TV coverage of the Olympics is in Britain than in Africa. Then Gran (the genuinely wonderful June Whitfield) gave the BBC another premature pat on the back with this closing thought: 'I don't understand why anyone would actually want to be there when they can watch it in comfort on the good old Auntie Beeb.'

Just when you thought no more Olympics-themed programming could be squeezed into the schedules, the "sweedie darling" sitcom returns to give its own raucous spin on events. Edina Monsoon (Jennifer Saunders) feels past her sell-by date (rather like this show, cynics might suggest). Party invitations are no longer plopping onto her designer doormat and she can't even get into her favourite fashion stores anymore. Age has also caught up with best friend Patsy Stone (Joanna Lumley), the former glamour puss is reduced to wearing incontinence pads and cripplingly tight control underwear. For the duration of the Games, Eddy has rented out her house to a Hollywood A-lister and London 2012 is passing the pair by, until daughter Saffy (Julia Sawalha) returns home and exhorts them to embrace the Olympic spirit. Cue celebrity cameos from Dame Kelly Holmes, Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson and Stella McCartney, plus a sequence filmed inside the Olympic Stadium. This is the last of three 20th anniversary specials, the first two of which were shown over Christmas. It delivers the odd laugh but feels distinctly dated and should probably be laid to rest - at least until next year's mooted movie spin-off.

Julia Sawalha interview

Looking glam, sexy and far younger than her 43 years, Julia Sawalha is likeable and warm as she sits down to talk about the Absolutely Fabulous Olympics special...

Julia Sawalha interview

Saffy arrives back from her home in Africa to find Eddy and Patsy preparing (sort of...) for the 2012 Olympic Games... Julia Sawalha, who plays Saffy, tells TV Choice more.

The second of the festive specials resurrecting the badly behaved fashionistas. Edina Monsoon (Jennifer Saunders) still purports to be a top PR guru, but her client list is getting shorter by the day. To make matters worse, daughter Saffron (Julia Sawalha) despises her. So, when Eddie and Patsy (Joanna Lumley) meet a French film star whom Saffy adores, she's determined to sign her up, show she's still got it and claw back some family respect. The trouble is, the woman's talents aren't all that they seem. Keep the Bolly on ice, because the sitcom will be back with an Olympic-themed third instalment later this year.