Absolutely Fabulous

Ab Fab's best Olympic jokes

Tonight's new episode of Absolutely Fabulous has an Olympic theme - we preview some of the funniest moments.

This is the third episode of the promised new Ab Fab trio, though whether it's really the final 'final' hurrah remains to be seen. Saffy is back from Africa - in full indigenous dress - while Eddy and Patsy are panicking before the arrival of Michael Douglas. He is supposedly renting out their home during the Olympics, but instead they find themselves entertaining Douglas's sex-addicted golf caddy and his overbearing wife. Saffy's attempts to get the pair excited about the Games fail dismally - until invitations to a party at the main arena come their way. Predictable jokes about the horror of losing both one's edge and skin tone dominate, and Bubble's bewilderingly unfunny character still grates but, as in almost every episode, there's one great visual gag. Here, it's Patsy lighting her fag with the Olympic torch.

This latest of the specials seems more pantomime-like than ever: socially conscious Saffy is now wandering about in full African dress; the script is full of Olympics references (as are Bubble's surreal, high-concept outfits); and ugly sisters Edina and Patsy (Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley) once again set themselves up for a fall thanks to their desperate desire to party. Even at its cheesiest, though, Ab Fab is always raucous fun, while there are some game appearances from some Olympic heroes past and present.

Jennifer Saunders gave herself an Olympian challenge when she agreed to build an episode of her award-winning sitcom around London 2012.

She's managed it, though, with Absolutely Fabulous: Olympics (BBC1, 9.30pm).

Amid the Bolly, the bitching and the fags, her character Edina rents out her London home to a Hollywood A-lister for the Olympics.

However, no-one has told her that she is supposed to move out, along with her family and assistant Bubble (Jane Horrocks), To make matters worse, Edina's ex-husband and girlfriend turn up to stay for the Games.

There is some sports action - if you count Eddy and the fun-loving Patsy (Joanna Lumley) running
for glory in the Olympic stadium and managing to crash a celebrity reception attended by real-life Paralympics legend Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson.

Ab Fab - going for gold

As Eddy and Patsy take on the Olympics, Ellie Walker-Arnott looks back at her favourite Ab Fab episodes.

Absolutely Fabulous review: Over the line with a bang

Perhaps it's a bit of a tenuous link for Absolutely Fabulous to have an Olympic games special-elite athletics and the world that Edina and Patsy inhabit don't seem particularly well paired-but nevertheless, all things considering, it works surprisingly well. If this does indeed turn out to be the final episode of Absolutely Fabulous, then thankfully it's a good one.

Absolutely Fabulous: A unholy mess

This unholy mess was all agonising enough anyway, but seriously suffers in comparison with another Olympic-themed BBC comedy, Twenty Twelve, which airs 24 hours later. That show is prescient, subtle and satirical. This one used a sledgehammer yet still kept missing its target.

The Olympics is almost here and Michael Douglas is coming to rent Edina's house for the duration. Stella McCartney may not be taking her calls but Edina's desperately hoping a film star consort will get her into some happening clubs. Patsy's stress incontinence threatens to ruin things and Bubble is dreaming about sporting glory. Good news: Saunders's writing is right back on form. Includes cameos from McCartney, Kelly Holmes and Tanni Grey-Thompson.

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.

Ab Fab: Why this dated duo are out of the running

Ab Fab's Olympics special trails behind Twenty Twelve.