Product Description

Jennifer Saunders, Joanna Lumley, June Whitfield and Julia Sawalha star in the award-winning TV comedy series that defined the early 90s. Enjoy Eddie and Patsy's hilarious escapades with this great box set and crack open the Bolly!

All eighteen episodes from the first, second and third series.

DVD Features:
Featurette
Outtakes
Photo gallery

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #40574 in DVD
• Released on: 2001-03-13
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Box set, Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 4
• Running time: 700 minutes

Amazon.com essential video
"Inside of me there's a thin woman trying to get out," complains the ever-suffering Edina. "Are you sure it's just the one, dear?" asks her mother.

When anyone raves about Sex and the City, you need only to remind her that the Brits did it first--and better--with the creation of the brave say-anything show about sex, drugs, and the battle of the bulge. Absolutely Fabulous is a groundbreaking, off-the-wall comedy from the early 1990s, which began with a skit from The French and Saunders Show, about a moral, uptight daughter and her extremely loose mother. Ab Fab has taken this to the extreme. Edina (Jennifer Saunders) is the queen of excess. Her clothes are outrageous, her attempts at weight loss comical, and her efforts at motherhood (her daughter, Saffron--played to perfection by Julia Sawalha--is a practical-minded, reliable teenager) are uneven at best. Eddy's best friend is Patsy, a promiscuous Ivana Trump look-alike who always has a cigarette between her lips, a drink in her hand, and a fine-looking man (or boy) in her bed. The entire show lasted for three seasons, and all are included in this set. From organizing an orgy to a brush with poverty to the death of Eddy's father, nothing--and we mean nothing--is sacred in this show. Without a doubt, Ab Fab is one of the greatest television satires created, although keep in mind that it's strictly for adults. --Jenny Brown

Additional Features
Each of the first three discs in the four-disc set features a season of the show, complete with outtakes and a photo gallery (which proves slightly frustrating, as you are unable to skip around the photos--they are shown only in order). The fourth disc has the majority of the extra features: How to Be Absolutely Fabulous, a delightful behind-the-scenes look at the show; Ab Fab Moments, a retrospective of the entire series; Modern Mother and Daughter, the brilliant original skit from French and Saunders with Dawn French in the role of Saffy; picture galleries of the stars and guest celebrities; and a map of all the places Eddy and Patsy visited on the show. --Jenny Brown

Customer Reviews

Give in to temptation... okay, I'll say sweetie here...
I have to admit, I held out on purchasing this for a long time b/c I thought it wasn't going to be worth the money. I mean, let's face it, it's a wee bit pricey & if you're like me, you have seen them all many times over on Comedy Central or BBC America. However, I gave in to temptation one day & finally bought it...& I couldn't be happier!

First off, it's got all the episodes from the first 3 original series (not counting the 4th series that aired in 2001, & the 5th series that aired in 2003 on the WE channel, but they're available separately & I recommend you pick them up, too). This 4-disc set contains each series compiled on its own disc with extra features, as well as a disc of bonus material. Series 1: Fashion; Fat; France; Iso Tank; Birthday; & Magazine. Series 2: Hospital; Death; Morocco; New Best Friend; Poor; & Birth. Series 3: Doorhandle; Happy New Year; Sex; Jealousy; Fear; & The End. Each of these discs includes 15 minutes of hilarious outtakes- they are really great. It also contains still photo galleries set to music, as well as trailers for other BBC DVDs & BBC America commercials. But the outtakes really make it worthwhile.

The bonus disc includes the "How To Be Ab Fab" documentary that was shown on Comedy Central many times, as well as a compilation of the series' greatest moments hosted by Jennifer Saunders & June Whitfield ("Ab Fab Moments"). The "Modern Mother & Daughter" skit from French & Saunders is also included (the skit that spawned Ab Fab), as well as cool pages about the cast, guest stars, & my favorite- a guide to the real life locations featured in Ab Fab (London, New York, etc).

For all you technical fans, the DVD looks & sounds really great. The picture transfer is excellent- clear, pristine picture on a full screen. It's much better than watching it on television- honestly. The packaging is great, too.

But perhaps the best thing about watching Ab Fab on DVD? It's not edited for content. True, even though it appeared on cable, Comedy Central had to edit out a few choice words (the BBC, as well as all other European television stations, are a little more lenient than American stations), all of which naturally appear on the DVD. It's not a huge deal, & I'm a mature guy, but for you hardcore purists, this is the only way to go! It just makes it a little more enjoyable.

I hope this has convinced you if are on the fence about this purchase. Trust me; if you're even considering it then you will definitely love it. I actually a casual fan when I purchased the DVD set on an impulse buy, but watching it on DVD has made it much, much more enjoyable. Now I ADORE Ab Fab!

Don't forget to get the 4th & 5th series on double-disc sets, as well as the two Ab Fab specials, put onto one disc!

One of the BEST DVD sets EVER!
First off, let me address some of the other reviews by stating that the reason why "The Last Shout" doesn't appear on this box set is because a different company released it on video, and the rights were not available for this collection. ANYWAY- this box set does not disappoint AT ALL. The picture is so clear and pristine; you can tell a lot of work went into making these DVD's look great. Each DVD features outtakes (scenes that didn't make it into episodes) and bloopers, which are great to view. The fourth DVD contains the "How To Be Absolutely Fabulous" (which was never available on laserdisc, I used to own the laserdisc box sets of these episodes.)... it just does not get better or funnier than this! You will scream with laughter over the exploits of Edina and Patsy!! This is the BEST and funniest British comedy ever!!!

Sweetie Dahling..... This is a Must Have DVD Set!
Finally, a DVD collection of Ab Fab... oh how many VHS tapes of this series I have worn out. This is the best format conversion from VHS to DVD that I have ever seen. The picture quality is superb and the color and sound is far superior to the VHS copies I own. The menu's are great, you get hillarious outtakes of each series on all three DVD's and the bonus DVD is worth the price of the entire set. I especially enjoyed the "How to be Absolutely Fabulous" which is hosted by Jennifer Saunders (looking simply ravishing I might add) and her riotous look at behind the scenes and sneek peeks into the BBC Studio where this all began. I have been wanting this series on DVD since I first heard of DVD format because this comedy is timeless... you will enjoy it over and over no matter what year it was produced. If I can say one thing let me say this... if you are considering buying even just one or two of the Ab Fab series DVD's... Please buy this 4 DVD complete collection, it is worth every penny. Not only that, once you watch one you will want to see every single episode and you'll still be left wanting more..dahling! So order this set and when it arrives put on your best lacroix, grab a bottle of Stoli, light a fag and sit back for some side splitting laughter.