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So Saffy’s been in prison, but has coped without “fiddly diddly”. Bubble knows how to twitter, and can give you a very accurate summary of the Royal Wedding just in case you missed it. Mrs M has now taken to a life of crime via Antiques Roadshow and Flog It, and, courtesy of the marvellous June Whitfield, doesn’t look a day older than she did 20 years ago. As for Eddy and Patsy, one’s hooked on The Killing and the other faces us up to the fact that that she needs to use her pension for drug money. Oh, AbFab, it’s absolutely fabulous to have you back.
It certainly seems that the studio audience felt that way too, as they clapped whenever there was so much as a change of shot. Most of the time, however, I was clapping with them. Coming 7 years after the last episode (a Christmas special featuring none other than Miranda Hart before we had any idea who she was), and almost 20 years after the very first episode, this new, decidedly un-Christmassy Christmas special felt as fresh as a daisy.
When programmes get to that stage where everyone’s wheeled out for a few anniversary outings, they often just rely on recycling old material with an added nod and a wink. While there was certainly some nodding and winking going on, it didn’t jar or induce groans; instead, it was subtly done, and very much felt like a loving gesture to loyal fans. And these nods and winks by no means dominated the episode, with Jennifer Saunders relishing the opportunity to mock everything that’s changed in the last 7 years, with a handy kitchen gathering requiring Eddy and Pats to fill Saffy in on everything that she’d missed while being the prison’s top cat. My personal favourite was: “There’s a new disease called the Kardashians.” Oh, and Eddy’s exasperated cry of “I don’t know who these people are!” while flicking through a glossy ‘celebrity’ magazine.
I could spend the rest of this article quoting from that scene alone, and then I could just move on to the rest of the episode, as that too was bursting at the seams with cutting quips and hilarious moments. Particular stand-outs were Eddy’s attempts at Danish (brutally dismissed by Sarah Lund – back in her old jumper!), the other Sarah’s ever-increasing madness (oh Naoko Mori, how I miss you from Torchwood), and anything featuring Bubble.
Better yet, it wasn’t even a case of the whole being less than the sum of its parts; sticking to a 30 minute run time definitely benefitted this, as Saunders left out any breathing, unfunny space in favour of a jam-packed episode that confidently reintroduced us to our favourite characters, provided spot-on social commentary, and gave us a brand new, very funny story, which also gave Joanna Lumley a chance to shine even more than usual.
They say that things mature with age but, thankfully, AbFab is sillier than ever. Now go out and twitter to everyone you know and tell them not to miss the next special on New Year’s Day! If ever there was a reason to crack open the celebratory bolly, then AbFab is surely it.
Absolutely Fabulous returns New Year's Day 9.40pm BBC1.
Completely agree it was brilliant, and as always Bubble made the episode!
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