Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-12-13
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  WINDY CITY TIMES

It's Back, Sweetie Darling!
An interview with Ab Fab creator/costar Jennifer Saunders
by Tony Peregrin
2001-11-07

This article shared 1118 times since Wed Nov 7, 2001
facebook twitter google +1 reddit email


Just a few hours before the American premiere party honoring the new season of Absolutely Fabulous on Comedy Central ( David Bowie, Tim Curry and Isaac Mizrahi are expected to attend ) , the show's creator and co-star, Jennifer Saunders, is lounging comfortably in a New York City hotel, sipping a decidedly non-Ab Fab beverage: Diet Coke. "I'm saving myself for this evening," she deadpans with a mischievous laugh.

One thing Saunders isn't saving or holding back any longer ( after a five-year hiatus ) , is her incomparable wit—as evidenced by the six all-new Ab Fab episodes featuring those outrageous trend-chasing, booze-swilling, chain-smoking, pill-popping fashion femme fatales, Edina Monsoon and Patsy Stone ( Joanna Lumley ) .

Fans of the show around the globe breathed a collective sigh of relief upon hearing the beloved BBC show was returning, but Saunders readily admits that breathing life into these characters five years later was more challenging than she expected.

"It was difficult getting back into the groove this time around, because we [ the actors ] have changed in many ways. Five years later, I found that I didn't have the desire to smoke as much, for example Last time, I was always desperate for a smoke and now I just can't be bothered to smoke. But these characters aren't tired or anything like that. I think that their worst vice now, more than ever, is selfishness. They don't think about anyone but themselves, and I love that!"

In the new season of Ab Fab, premiering on Comedy Central Nov. 12, look for Eddy and Pats to stumble and cavort their way in the 21st Century as Eddy expands her PR empire into the world of television production while Pats has been promoted to managing editor of her glossy magazine—espite her continuing over-indulgence in banned substances. Saffy is still trying to sever the umbilical cord and move away from home—this time by attaching herself to various New Labour committees and embarking on a new careers as a playwright, while Mother has taken up salsa dancing and e-mail shopping. And finally, look for Jane Horrocks to play two roles: the scatter-brained assistant Bubbles and a new character, Katy Grin, a saccharine-sweet TV host with a ruthless edge.

Other new season tidbits include: the revelation that "Edina" is a pretentious contraction of Ms. Monsoon's real name "Edwina"; a brand new, state-of-the-art kitchen featuring natural surfaces, an etched glass table and stainless steel accents; Eddy's discovery of her backyard garden ( she never knew she had one ) ; and Patsy's new-found obsession with "Parralox"—a drug designed to freeze wrinkles.

"I made the decision to resurrect the show while we were doing Mirrorball," says Saunders, referring to another BBC production. "The cast [ all from the Ab Fab show ] really enjoyed Mirrorball—but I didn't. I wasn't happy with it because it was trying so hard NOT to be Ab Fab. I felt like we cancelled out a lot of the funniest elements in that show because of that."

Saunders, who is married to Ade Edmondson and has three children Beattie, 15, Ella, 14, and Freya, 11, channels inspiration for the show from a variety of sources, but no, none of these characters are patterned after "real" people. "First of all, we film before a live audience, which is how we do every show and you play up much more, you show-off more, if you have a live audience. The actresses also improvise a lot doing rehearsals. Joanna will do anything. She often shocks me, and yes, she is as fearless as she looks! But I try to write down things we come up with during rehearsals, improvisations we end up not using or things the actresses say they want to do and I use that," says the 42-year-old actress, who reveals she often comes up with an episode's jokes before designing its plot line.

Saunders visibly bristles at the mention of the latest "Americanized" version of Ab Fab, this one to reportedly star Kirstie Allie as Eddy and ex-Mick Jagger flame, Jerry Hall, as Pats. "No one has the rights to do it," she says flatly. "I think that must have been an idea that came from somebody's agent," though she admits Roseanne did have her blessing for an Americanized version of the show. "Roseanne tried the American idea ... but because she wanted to be true to it, with all of the drinking and smoking and pill-popping, I don't think it would have worked as a network show. Besides you've already got great shows like Cybill, Sex &and the City and Will & Grace. Though I have to say I don't really like that Dharma & Greg show," she says, clearly amused with herself.

Saunders says there is virtually nothing and no one Ab Fab will avoid in terms of subject matter, though she admits to getting her fair share of negative letters. "There's always someone, somewhere with a pen," she says with a sigh. "Actually, Joanna will usually be the one to ask me on the set, 'Is this something you would really want to hear on television, if that were you?' Sometimes she's right, I think! Really, the only gag we could never pull off is filming a show at that ice hotel. We planned it and everything and then someone told me that it melted and that really pissed me off, I would have loved to have done that one!"

When the first new episode premiered in England earlier this fall, the hotly anticipated show drew impressive figures—7.5 million viewers. "I think gay people were important to the show's initial success, especially in America. It was a gay cult hit well before the mainstream got on to it. I love that gay men love the show, and of course they love it, because we have great taste! ( Pauses for a few seconds ) Gay men are always coming up to me and saying that [ the character ] Serge is gay, which I think is funny! He's a bit like Maris on Frasier, don't you think? It's like, will we ever really see him?"

With cryptic episode titles like, "Parralox," "Fish Farm," "Paris," "Donkey," "Small Opening" and "Menopause," fans can only begin to imagine what's in store for this Lucy-and-Ethel-on-crack duo.

But even before the first episode beams into the homes American viewers, die-hard fans are already asking for more. Will Saunders continue to take Eddy and Pats into the new millennium? She says she wants to, as long as she can continue to make them Absolutely Fabulous

AB FAB in review

Absolutely Fabulous ( BBC One ) : Gone, but not forgotten, Edina ( Jennifer Saunders ) and Patsy ( Joanna Lumley ) are back and as absolutely fabulous as ever. The British bombshells have returned to wreak havoc on their families, friends and followers. In the first episode, Edina is doing yoga on the kitchen floor while long-suffering daughter Saffy ( Julia Sawalha ) is preparing for a job interview that would mean she'd be able to move out of her mother's house.

Meanwhile, Eddy's mother, also known as Gran ( June Whitfield ) plants herself in front of Eddy's computer to check her "E"s, now that she's become a "silver surfer" on the web. Eddy's best friend and soul-mate would be singing the praises of the Botox-like injections she's received in her face, if she could only control her facial muscles.

We are reintroduced to Eddy's bubbly and babbling assistant Bubble ( Jane Horrocks ) and her new business partner Katy ( also played by Horrocks ) , and Twiggy ( whom Eddy tells that she is a "gay icon" to get her to appear on a talk show ) and Stephen Gately are among the celebrity guest stars.

You haven't lived until you've seen Eddy in painted-on Burberry's fashions. On a scale of 1 to 10: 7 ( on Comedy Central, beginning Nov. 12 )


This article shared 1118 times since Wed Nov 7, 2001
facebook twitter google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

WORLD Uganda items, HIV report, Mandela, Liechtenstein, foreign minister weds 2024-03-21
- It turned out that U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Senior LGBTQI+ Coordinator Jay Gilliam traveled to Uganda on Feb. 19-27, per The Washington Blade. He visited the capital of Kampala and the nearby city of ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Queer musicians, Marvel situation, Elliot Page, Nicole Kidman 2024-03-21
- Queer musician Joy Oladokun released the single "I Wished on the Moon," from Jack Antonoff's official soundtrack for the new Apple TV+ series The New Look, per a press release. The soundtrack, ...


Gay News

RuPaul finds 'Hidden Meanings' in new memoir 2024-03-18
- RuPaul Andre Charles made a rare Chicago appearance for a book tour on March 12 at The Vic Theatre, 3145 N. Sheffield Ave. Presented by National Public Radio station WBEZ 91.5 FM, the talk coincided with ...


Gay News

Oprah, Niecy Nash-Betts honored at GLAAD Media Awards 2024-03-15
- Oprah Winfrey and Niecy Nash-Betts were honored at the 35th Annual GLAAD Media Awards that took place in Los Angeles at The Beverly Hilton on March 14. Winfrey received the Vanguard Award, introduced by iconic Chicago ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Jinkx Monsoon, Xavier Dolan, 'Frida,' Lena Waithe, out singer 2024-03-08
- Two-time RuPaul's Drag Race winner Jinkx Monsoon is headed back to the New York stage, joining off-Broadway's Little Shop of Horrors as Audrey beginning April 2, according to Playbill. The casting makes Monsoon the first drag ...


Gay News

Queer Eye's Jai Rodriguez is set to slay at The Big Gay Cabaret 2024-03-05
- Out and proud performer Jai Rodriguez is set to play at The Big Gay Cabaret this March for three days. Presented by RuPaul Drag Racer Ginger Minj, this monthly series highlights the wide world of cabaret ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Queer actors, icons duet, Hunter Schafer, Oscars, Elizabeth Taylor 2024-03-01
- Queer actor Kal Penn is set to star in Trust Me, I'm a Doctor—a film that chronicles the final days of actress/model Anna Nicole Smith, whose overdose death in 2007 at age 39 sparked a tabloid ...


Gay News

SAG Awards honor Streisand, few LGBTQ+ actors 2024-02-25
- Queer entertainers made their mark—although not a major one—at the 2024 Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards, held Feb. 24 in Los Angeles. The event was live-streamed on Netflix for the first time. Indigenous and Two-Spirit actor ...


Gay News

THEATER Dot-Marie Jones talks Goodman production, 'Glee,' 'Bros' 2024-02-12
- Running through Feb. 18 at the the Goodman Theatre, the production Highway Patrol works with a script conceived entirely from Emmy-winning actor Dana Delany's (TV's China Beach) digital archive of hundreds of tweets and direct messages ...


Gay News

GLAAD finds missed chances for LGBTQ+ inclusion in Super Bowl ads 2024-02-12
--From a press release - Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024 — GLAAD is reacting to a lack of LGBTQ storytelling in ads that aired duringSuper Bowl LVIII on Feb. 11 and is reminding brands, corporations and advertising agencies why including the LGBTQ ...


Gay News

SAVOR 'The Bear,' new pizza lounge, Chicago Black Restaurant Week 2024-02-11
- "Bear" necessities: The third season of the Chicago-set series The Bear will debut in June, per Variety. FX chairman John Landgraf made the announcement during the network's presentation at the Television Critics Association's winter 2024 press ...


Gay News

Quantum Leap reboot springs into LGBTQ+ representation 2024-02-09
- Through the magic of television, Quantum Leap is once again jumping into the past to bounce back into the future—and in a recent episode, "The Family Trasure," non-binary artist and performer Wilder Yuri and writer Shakina ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Raven-Symone, women's sports, Wayne Brady, Jinkx Monsoon, British Vogue 2024-02-09
- In celebration of Black History Month, the LA LGBT Center announced that lesbian entertainer Raven-Symone will be presented with the Center's Bayard Rustin Award at its new event, Highly Favored, per a press release. She joins ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ JoJo Siwa, Tom Holland, Bowen Yang, Pet Shop Boys, Mariah Carey 2024-02-02
- In the wake of Nigel Lythgoe exiting So You Think You Can Dance, queer personality JoJo Siwa is returning to the series, per Deadline. Siwa, who was a judge on season 17 of the Fox show, will replace Lythgoe, who left ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Sundance items, Green Day, 'Wednesday,' Queerties, 'The Wiz' 2024-01-26
- At the Sundance Film Festival, Jodie Foster told Variety that the $1.4-billion success of Barbie helps confirm that Hollywood no longer views women directors as too much of a risk. She said, "With a big success ...


 


Copyright © 2024 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.

All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS







Sponsor


 



Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.