Sweetie darlings... it's time to pour some champers, grab your best Gaultier and get ready for three decades of fabulous!
The nation's favourite comedy channel, Gold, takes a reflective look at Absolutely Fabulous, one of Britain's most-loved comic creations set in the glamourous world of fashion PR in the 90s, with a brand-new one-off, Absolutely Fabulous: Inside Out (1x 120'). The UKTV Original retrospective is produced by Expectation and will air later this year.
The star-studded retrospective will see Jennifer Saunders (Edina "Eddie" Monsoon), Joanna Lumley (Patsy Stone), Julia Sawalha (Saffron "Saffy" Monsoon) and Jane Horrocks (Bubble) reunite for the first time since 2016. Viewers will be taken on an exclusive rampage down memory lane to reveal how the show was made, pay tribute to much-missed castmember Dame June Whitfield (Mother) and celebrate its ground-breaking influence on female comedy.
A host of fellow Absolutely Fabulous stars will be joined by celebrity cameos and famous fans to share unheard anecdotes, exclusive backstage secrets and personal reflections amongst a glittering array of archive's best bits: from original scripts to high-fashion costumes, to never-before-seen moments from the rehearsal room that will bring viewers behind the scenes to see how the magic of Ab Fab was made.
Jennifer Saunders, creator and writer, who played Edina said, I loved making Ab Fab but I can't remember a great deal, so much of this retrospective is a revelation to me. Thank you Gold for this kind and helpful programme.
Joanna Lumley, who played Patsy, added, It was a fabulous wander down memory lane by actresses who only have the faintest grip on reality. Really thrilling, and I hope vastly entertaining. I loved every second.
Absolutely Fabulous: Inside Out is commissioned for UKTV by Kirsty Hanson, senior commissioning editor, ordered by Gerald Casey, channel director for Gold and Hilary Rosen, director of commissioning. Series producer is Owen Braben. Jon Plowman and Ben Wicks are executive producers, the director is Simon Loyd, and it was developed by Amy Dallmeyer, Director of Development, Entertainment for Expectation.
Kirsty Hanson said: "Absolutely Fabulous captured the imagination of a whole generation of viewers and helped break the mould for female-led comedy TV forever. Fans of the show are in for a real treat with Jennifer, Joanna, Julia and Jane reuniting for what promises to be the comedy event of the year."
Gerald Casey added: "Absolutely Fabulous is a viewer favourite and is as relevant and radical today as it was over thirty years ago. We're so excited to give fans the opportunity to celebrate this much-loved series and hear anecdotes from the wonderful cast and crew as they return to the world of Patsy and Edina."
Owen Braben, Series Producer for Expectation, said: "It's such a rare and precious treat to be able to invite viewers back into the world that Jennifer created, and tell the definitive story of Absolutely Fabulous. We'll celebrate all of the most beloved Ab Fab moments, and hear the behind-the-scenes gossip from the cast and crew, as they reveal how they brought the show to our screens."
Jon Plowman, Executive Producer for Expectation, said: "It's extraordinary that something that began 30 years ago is still finding an audience today. We must be doing something right... or wrong. Perhaps the secret of our success was the amount of champagne consumed on set before lunch."
Ben Wicks, Creative Director, Entertainment for Expectation added: "We're overjoyed to make a show with Jennifer and Joanna that rejoices in all that was wonderful about Ab Fab - the most riotously funny show which satirised the era like nothing else whilst taking home more BAFTAs than Bolly in the process. Also it somehow predicted the future: now the whole nation's parents are drunken embarrassments to their sober and politically enlightened Gen Z kids."
Absolutely Fabulous: Inside Out will air on Gold later this year.
For more information, please contact:
Charlotte Scott, Head of Consumer Communications, UKTV
About Gold
Dedicated to celebrating the best of British comedy, Gold is the nation's favourite comedy channel. Classic British comedy series loved by all the family sit comfortably alongside new UKTV Original scripted comedies crafted by some of the nation's finest comedic minds, such as Dad's Army: The Lost Episodes, Blood Actually: A Murder They Hope Mystery, The Cockfields and Sandylands. Meanwhile Gold's unscripted series reunite the stars and partnerships of the nation's best-loved shows to get to the heart of what makes them so evergreen - from passion projects such as French & Saunders: Funny Women, Billy Connolly Does..., Ricky and Ralf's Very Northern Road Trip and Alison and Larry: Billericay To Barry to the retrospective likes of Blackadder: The Lost Pilot, The Royle Family: Down The Back of the Sofa, Dinnerladies diaries and The Fast Show: Just A Load of Blooming Catchphrases.
Gold is the perfect tonic to make you laugh whatever the time of day.
About UKTV
UKTV has been at the forefront of branded television for over 30 years, entertaining the nation with programmes they love. Its leading brands - Dave, Gold, W, Drama, Alibi, Eden and Yesterday - span comedy, entertainment, natural history, factual and drama, and are delivered to audiences through UKTV Play, Freeview, Sky, Virgin Media, BT, TalkTalk, YouView, Freesat and Amazon Fire. The broadcaster is a significant investor in British creativity and is committed to working with new and established writers, directors and programme-makers. UKTV is part of BBC Studios, the UK's most-awarded production company, a world-class distributor with international branded services, and a commercial subsidiary of the world's leading public service broadcaster, the BBC.
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About Expectation
Expectation launched in February 2017 as a multi-genre, independent production company covering both scripted and non-scripted programming. Led by Peter Fincham and Tim Hincks, Expectation has built an enviable reputation for creating new drama, factual drama, factual, comedy and entertainment programming as well as breaking new and diverse talent and winning multiple awards for its shows. Among these shows are Clarkson's Farm, The Grand Tour and Backstage with Katherine Ryan for Prime Video, The Big Narstie Show (with Dice Productions), The Lateish Show with Mo Gilligan (with Momo G), Steph's Packed Lunch (in partnership with Can Can Productions) and I Literally Just Told You for Channel 4, In With A Shout for ITV, Unforgivable for Dave, This is MY House, the forthcoming Home To Roost documenting The Osbournes' return to the UK for BBC One and the critically acclaimed Katherine Ryan: Parental Guidance for W. In scripted programming, the team have produced the multi-award-winning series: Alma's Not Normal for BBC Two, In My Skin for BBC Three and BBC Wales, as well as dark comedy drama Guilt (with Happy Tramp) for BBC Two and BBC Scotland. They have also produced two series and a special of international hit, Intelligence for Sky Comedy and The Change, created, written by, and starring the multi award-winning stand-up comedian, actor, and writer Bridget Christie for Channel 4, along with crime drama The Chelsea Detective for Acorn TV and the forthcoming psychological thriller series Malice (a co-production with Tailspin Films) starring David Duchovny, Jack Whitehall and Carice van Houten for Prime Video. Expectation is part of the BBC Studios portfolio of minority invested indie production partners.