Product Description

Edina and Patsy are back and devastatingly divine in this extra fabulous special, with a hilarious guest appearance by Nathan Lane! Edina has been bitten by the home makeover bug and wants to redecorate the kitchen. The trouble is, she's awfully fuzzy on the specifics. At wit's end, Eddy and Patsy shop for inspiration -- under threat from Saffy to make a decision -- but will they fail and have to resort to redecoration regression therapy?

DVD Features:
Featurette
Other

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #17290 in DVD
• Brand: WARNER HOME VIDEO
• Released on: 2007-10-16
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.66:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English, French
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 44 minutes

Amazon.com
For those who need a fix of feeling Absolutely Fabulous, a spot of luck: the 2004 AbFab special, White Box. Edina (Jennifer Saunders) and Patsy (Joanna Lumley) are vulgar, conceited, self-absorbed, and petty--and that's on a good day. Saunders' writing is still crackling, and the two stars give unapologetic debauched performances. The plot is minimal, revolving around Eddie's desire to remodel her kitchen, which goes hilariously awry, and the deadpan Julia Sawalha, who plays Eddie's daughter, Saffie, is again a tragic straightwoman. Edina, to Patsy, who's just entered the gutted "white box": "What do you think of the kitchen, Pats?" Patsy, slightly checked out: "I think it's fabulous." Saffie: "It isn't done yet." Edina: "No, sweetie, maybe she's right. Maybe this IS fabulous."

The regular supporting cast is on hand, as are several guest stars making cameos, including Laurie Metcalf as a charlatan past-life "regressor" and Nathan Lane as a campy decorator. The extras are also notable, including the original skit that launched Ab-Fab, and a great behind-the-scenes mini-doc hosted by Saunders. Champas, darlings? --A.T. Hurley

Customer Reviews

absolutely hilarious!
This ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS special originally aired during Christmas in 2004.

With Saffy (Julia Sawalha) in Africa getting married, Eddy (Jennifer Saunders) decides to renovate the kitchen...again. She calls in her old friends Bettina and Max (Miranda Richardson and Patrick Barber), but Bettina's concept of "white box" soon causes more trouble than Eddy wants. Meanwhile Patsy (Joanna Lumley) is in hospital for some "pay as you go" procedures. Adding to the chaos are Marshall and Bo (Christopher Ryan and Mo Gaffney), on the run from the authorities following their latest fraudulent television ministry.

Needless to say, by the time Saffy returns home, the kitchen is still in a shocking state. Convinced the answer lies in one of her myriad past lives, Eddy organises for a regression to find the kitchen of her dreams...

It's fun catching up with old characters Max and Bettina (previously seen in the "New Best Friend" episode from Season 2), plus there are some great cameo roles for Nathan Lane as an eccentric designer, and Laurie Metcalf ("Roseanne") as Eddy's psychic medium. Home design guru Sir Terence Conran also puts in a fleeting appearance. And don't forget the always-hilarious Mother (June Whitfield) and Bubble (Jane Horrocks).

It's been a long time in coming to DVD, but fans of AbFab are sure to love it!

The Ongoing Lives of Edina Monsoon, Patsy Stone & Edina's Daugher Saffy
The 2004 "Absolutely Fabulous" special entitled "White Box" was another hilarious look into the lives of the fictional characters created originally by Jennifer Saunders (who plays Edina Monsoon) and and Dawn French (who played the original Saffy, Edina's daughter, but that role was revamped & recast for the series with Julia Sawalha). "White Box" begins with Saffy planning a trip to Africa to marry the father of her child. Edina was supposed to go, but instead remains in London with her long-time friend Patsy Stone (Joanna Lumley). Against Saffy's wishes, Edina decides to yet again redecorate the house, starting with the kitchen. The result: a near-featureless white room thanks to the efforts of Edina's friends Bettina (Miranda Richardson) and Max (Patrick Barlow). Of course, Saffy is not at all happy at this latest change upon her return, but her disgust is temporarily thwarted when Bo (Mo Gaffney) and Marshall (Christopher Ryan) show up while hiding from the law due to their illegal money-collecting activities for their latest phony televangelist show in the states. Meanwhile, Patsy has undergone a partial surgery ("pay as you go") and is dripping profusely where ever she goes. This time, however, Saffy may do something a bit rash to change things for herself and her young daughter.

Other returning characters included Bubble (Jane Horrocks) and Edina's mother (June Whitfield). Guest stars included designer Terence Conran (as himself), Laurie Metcalf as a regression "expert" and Nathan Lane as a designer named Kunz. Overall, "White Box" was a very funny, earns a rating of 4 out of 5 stars and is highly recommended to any "Absolutely Fabulous" aficionado.

ABSOLUTELY ABYSMAL!
Please read & re-read all of the reviews for this item. Fans are clearly divided & you may have a hard time deciding for yourself. I have been a fan of this show since it began (as well as "French & Saunders" before AbFab even existed) & can still watch every episode as if it were new. Funny, funny, funny. It never gets old.

I have been waiting for this on DVD forever as I never got to see it on TV. The so-called "lost" episode of a favourite TV series I'd hoped for. "White Box", however, does *NOT* make for a "graceful bow" as a series finale & loses its appeal instantly after the first scene (with the goat & the unexpected Leo Sayer reference!), only when Bo & Marshall show up do we get a temporary reprieve. The remainder of the episode is watered-down, unfunny rehash of plots we've seen before in this show. Patsy is barely used in this episode, more or less just a "prop" of sorts the way it plays out & Saffy (rather, the actress portraying Saffy!) just looks like she's ready for the misery to end. Even guest star Nathan Lane failed to make me laugh, which is rare. AbFab guest stars are normally icing on the cake. And Laurie Metcalf...it's too sad for words. It's that same obnoxious, scatterbrained character she played on "Roseanne" for NO apparant reason. Cross-series rehash!!! By the time she showed up, I was ready to press "stop" on the DVD player...but watched the train wreck all the way to the end, praying it wouldn't end with such a whimper. Couldn't help but think how clever & charming "Cold Turkey" was & how it should have been where the series ended, if it had to end at all.

Have you ever heard of an artist fufilling a contractual obligation, like a book or an album they "have" to release to avoid breach of contract? That's what "White Box" feels like. No new ideas, no new spins and, as I said, no apparant reason for being on the TV screen. For the first time ever, I could see why it grated on some people's nerves for being so obnoxious. No new extras, even...just recycled bits from other DVD releases. It's just downright insulting to me, overall.

Jennifer Saunders has stated she in no way, shape or form wants to write these characters again & successfully killed my interest in future AbFab projects with this one episode. Perhaps that was her intention...we may never know. I am always willing to hope Jennifer Saunders changes her mind, but I am not going to hold my breath & will bury this DVD far away from anyone who loves "Absolutely Fabulous". I will continue to enjoy the remainder of the show as I always have.