Absolutely Fabulous - AbFab turns 20! - DVD

Content: It's hard to believe but true: it's been over 20 years since Edina (Jennifer Saunders) and Patsy (Joanna Lumley) were unleashed on the public. Written by Saunders and her comedy partner Dawn French, Absolutely Fabulous, a sitcom about two very me-focused society ladies, didn't just make friends with its very politically incorrect tone, the characters' penchant for alcohol and drugs, and the very cynical exaggeration of clichéd stereotypes. But first and foremost, the comedy with its wonderfully irreverent tone and its two great leading ladies was able to generate a huge fan base worldwide, who even after the end of the series after five regular seasons and several specials can not get enough of the two ladies.

Reason enough for the creators to revive the series in 2011 and 2012 for the 20th anniversary again for three specials. Together with the specials Gay and White Box from 2002 and 2004, which are available in German for the first time, the anniversary episodes are now also released in Germany on a beautiful double DVD. It's true that age has left its mark on the ladies. But a few more wrinkles have not diminished their bite. Edina and Patsy are as wonderfully evil as ever, and their co-stars haven't changed at all in the years since they disappeared from the screen. And so the fan gets here once again almost 180 minutes AbFab at its best.

The series lives of course on the dialogues. And there the German synchronization, as good as it is, unfortunately can not keep up with the original. Admittedly, the German speakers have transported the ductus of the characters very well. Nevertheless, some of the wordplay was lost. A good example of this is the guest appearance of Nathan Lane in White Box, who in the English version speaks with a wonderfully over-the-top clichéd and condescending German accent. In the German version, on the other hand, he would be given a much more well-behaved Austrian dialect. It's still funny, no question, but just nowhere near as good as the original.

Absolutely Fabulous is already a very special series. The dramaturgical structure rarely adheres to classic sitcom rules and the characters, such as Edina's assistant Bubble, are completely overdrawn. Those who like it more dignified and conventional will often just scratch their heads in wonder and ask themselves why this series has such a cult status. But if you like it weird, politically incorrect and just plain Fabulous, you'll have a blast with this DVD.

And that's what the episodes are about:

Identity

In her passionate struggle for eternal youth, Patsy has actually forgotten how old she is. And succinctly discovers that she has no papers to find out her age. In her search for her own identity, she is of course assisted by friend Edina. Their daughter Saffy is released from prison and has to deal with her jailbird friend. Because seen in the light of freedom, this friendship loses quite a bit of luster. (Text: einsfestival)

Job

To impress her daughter Saffy, Edina unceremoniously makes herself the agent of the famous French actress Jeanne Durand. For once in her life, Durand wants to sing in front of an audience on a big stage. Edina goes all out and books the Royal Albert Hall. The exciting question is: Can the Durand actually sing? (Text: einsfestival)

Olympics

London 2012: Everyone is in Olympic fever, only Edina forgets that the Olympics are starting. But her interest is suddenly awakened when she gets the chance to meet her idol Stella McCartney. (Text: einsfestival)

Gay

Bo and Marshall appear on a flashy Christian TV show full of verve and zeal and come home to Patsy and Eddy completely inspired and praising God. The two have just squeezed out of their grandmother that Eddy's son Serge, whom they haven't seen in ages, is gay and living in New York. Only after much trouble and obstacles do they find him. Among other things, they have to pretend to be lesbians in New York and get married by crazy Goldie in order to get Serge's files. Finally, they meet him in a bookstore. Patsy and Eddy make friends with the stuffy Serge and his friend on a debauched night of partying. The four of them roam the gay bars and clubs of New York, surrendering to alcohol and drug excesses. Meanwhile, at home, Eddy's cranky daughter Saffy - sitting in a closet - has been inspired to write her book, enthusiastically reciting endless passages to Bo, who is terribly bored. She waits desperately for Marshall, whom she has sent on a self-awareness trip to the gay scene with an extremely powerful companion, and who narrowly escapes a homosexual adventure there. When party corpses Patsy and Eddy return from New York, life is finally restored. (Text: arte)

White Box

Edina's decision to have the kitchen redesigned quickly proves to be a disaster when her somewhat mentally unstable friend Bettina designs the whole thing as a sterile white box. Of course, help is needed immediately to transform this monstrosity into the ideal kitchen. With designer Kunz, Edina comes to the conclusion that she has seen her perfect kitchen before - only in a previous life. So without further ado, she decides to go back. But the kitchen isn't the ladies' only problem. For when Saffron returns from her wedding in Kenya and reveals to her mother that her husband is a polygamist, a heated argument ensues between mother and daughter - with unforeseen consequences...

Picture + Sound:The audiovisuals for the episodes are on par with what one might expect from a contemporary comedy series. The picture is clean, the colouring powerful and the sharpness perfectly satisfactory. And the stereo sound also fully serves its purpose, letting the amusing dialogue ring out very powerfully from the home theater speakers. The only minus point here is actually that the English soundtrack sounds a little more harmonious and not quite as centrally mixed as the German dub. Nevertheless, there is here an absolutely deserved: Good!

Extras: On the first DVD there is a small special to the AbFab torch relay (approx. 4:17 min.) and the clip from Sport Relief (approx. 7:16 min.). There is also a Making of (approx. 17:20 min.) worth seeing. The second disc has then still another audio commentary and outtakes to the Epsiode Gay to offer. Good!

Conclusion: Absolutely Fabulous celebrates its 20th birthday with a pretty double DVD. The cult comedy series returned to its fans in 2011 and 2012 for three anniversary specials after a lengthy hiatus. These three new episodes are now also available in Germany, in addition to the two specials Gay and White Box, which can be seen for the first time with German dubbing on DVD. Enriched with some nice extras this double DVD is a must-have for all AbFab fans and therefore also: Absolutely Recommendable!

Source: Sebastian Betzold / -Descriptions by arte/einsfestival/Sebastian Betzold