Customer Reviews

Absolutely Fabulous: Complete Series 4

5 star:		(36)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Although all six episodes in this series are good, only three are really exceptional and will go down in "AbFab" history as classics. They are: "Paris" (the girls go on a vacation to Paris- Edina and Saffy actually bond, if you can believe that! It's very touching, almost!); "Small Openings" (Saffy writes a "Mommie Dearest"-esque play that Edina and Pats initially object to, but then later become friends with the people that play them! Patsy, incidentally, is played by a man!); and "Menopause" (Patsy's bones become very brittle and start breaking. Edina and Saffy's reactions when Patsy gives herself a shot of pain medication is BRILLIANTLY HILARIOUS!).

Lots of extras here: the "Mirrorball" special that features all of the main "AbFab" actors in different roles (not as funny as "AbFab" but still well worth your time); great commentary from Jennifer Saunders; photo gallery; outtakes/bloopers, etc. My only complaint, and it's minor, is that the "Who's Who Guide to the stars of AbFab" is a bit hard to read. It looks like handwriting on a piece of graph paper- and even on my gigantic television, it was a bit hard to make all of the writing out. They should have just used a font that was easier to read.

The DVD's come packaged in a plastic case, unlike the last set that came in a cardboard case. The plastic is a lot better and durable than the cardboard, so this is good! The design elements of the case are the same as the last set (it's just a different color), so at least the two sets basically match when they sit on a shelf together. It's so annoying when things in a series aren't designed likewise, so it's nice to see that Warner Bros./BBC Video did this correctly!

Oddity: all of the extras appear on both DVD's. This is not a complaint, I just thought it was sort of strange that they are repeated within the same set.

And no... "The Last Shout" does not appear on this DVD set. The rights to that are owned by a different company, hence the reason why that's not out on DVD yet.

Edina, Patsy, and Saffy are just as fab as ever! Hopefully there will be another series of episodes soon!

After an absence of several years, those ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS doyennes of disgrace, Edina and Patsy, return in a 4th series featuring 6 hilarious episodes.

"Parralox" - Fame at last! Eddy (Jennifer Saunders) is going to appear on "Richard and Judy" with Twiggy. Patsy (Joanna Lumley) has just the thing to get rid of all those pesky facial wrinkles...

"Fish Farm" - Eddy toys with the idea of playing Lady Chatterley with her dishy new gardener...

"Paris" - Eddy and Patsy drag Saffy (Julia Sawalha) along for a fashion-shoot in Paris. Could some mother-daughter bonding be on the cards?...

"Donkey" - A time of change for Eddy and Pats. Eddy discovers a lone muscle in her arm whilst in the middle of a detox, and Patsy decides a new hairstyle is a must...

"Small Opening" - Saffy has written a play all about her traumatic childhood called "Self-Raising Flower". Eddy is fuming. She's sure it'll make "Mommie Dearest" look like "Winnie the Pooh"...

"Menopause" - Patsy's bones are becoming brittle, so Saffy makes some enquiries and organises a Menopausals Anonymous meeting to be held at the house...

Extra features: "Mirrorball" pilot episode, cast interviews, audio commentary with Jennifer Saunders, photo gallery.

If you're a fan of the original three seasons of ABFAB like me then this fourth season might feel like a bit of a let down. It seems that all the characters have been changed in slight ways that somehow messes with the magic formula created originally. Saffy seems a bit more aggressive, Edina more cruel, patsy more alive and Gran more ditzy than ever. edina seems to have been beaten down and is ready to do things that she never wouls've dreamed of doing in the first series (dieting) and Patsy has lost that far off, dazed drugged out aspect and is now playing a dominatrix, trying to be a model and other such asprations. It makes for some funny situations, but it's doesn't quite feel like ABFAB. In no way are these shows bad, just not as fabulous as the originals.

The DVD itself has terrific production qualities. The picture is widescreen and colors are bright and crisp. The menus are easy to navigate and there is pleny of bonus mterial. OF that bonus material, "Mirror Ball" is the best. It's a pilot for a series Jennifer Saunders was working on that features all the actors of ABFAB, but in different roles and in a different setting. it's quite fun to see them doing different charactes for a change. Too bad it never got picked up. My only qualm with the DVD is that the text on the character bio screen (as well as a few others), is terribly hard to read. This is a consistant problem with DVDs and why the makers of these things don't realise that we actually might want to read what they've put so much time and effort into is beyond me.

For die hards, this set can't be missed, but people who are new to the show should check out the original three seasons first. Remember that sin is in darling.

I couldnt think of a better title. lol.

Anyway, I don't know why people don't like this season. I actually think it's the best season. It has some of the best episodes. The first three seasons were great, but I still like the fourth better. I bought this DVD mainly because it had a lot of cool extras (this is the only series I own of Ab Fab).

Here's an episode overview:
1)Parralox- Patsy gets parralox and pressures Edina into getting it as well so she'll look good on TV when she goes on Richard and Judy with Twiggy. Saffy tries to get a New Labor job. It's not one of my favorite episodes, but it's got some great parts (I don't understand the whole exchange between Candy and that other girl in the club, even after watching it with the commentary.) Anyway, pretty good episode. 8/10

2)Fish Farm- This isn't one of my favorite episodes, but it does have some good gags in it. Edina finally goes on a date again with a supposed wealthy person, but a shocking (to them) secret is revealed. 7/10

3)Paris- Patsy begins her modeling career again for a special photo shoot of young and old models as well as a mother and daughter shoot. Saffy, Edina, and Bubble join Patsy on her way to Paris. The relationship between Edina and Saffy begins to blossom, but Edina's idea of sight seeing does something that causes a riff between them again. A hilarious episode. 9/10

4)Donkey- A Sex and the City-type episode. It begins with a usual dinner with Edina and her friends and Edina is told that she's too fat. Determined to be the fast racehorse and not the donkey, she engages in an exercise program and gives up booze. But sometimes things don't always work out. Absolutely hilarious episode. 10/10

5)Small Opening- Saffy's written a play about her life and Edina is horrified at what kind of play Saffy's written, and just HOW fat is the actress playing her? This is definitely one of the best episodes in the whole show's history. I love this episode and I'm so glad that I have the chance to watch it whenever I want to now. 10/10

6)Menopause- I'm just gonna write what's on the back of the DVD because I don't know how to describe this fantastic epiosde. Womb prayers echo all around the house as Eddy and Patsy join Menopausals Anonymous. While Edina rails against the group hugs, a new, altogether fluffier Patsy is about to emerge...
I absolutely love this episode. With a peek into the future life of Edina and Patsy as old women, another great episode from Series 4. 10/10

EXTRAS: Commentary by Jen Saunders and Jon Plowman on all 6 episodes (hilarious); Mirrorball special featuring the original cast in different characters (Jane Horrocks is HILARIOUS in this); Outtakes; Photo Gallery; a Who's Who guide to the cast, the celebrity guests, and the various references made throughout Series 4; two sketches from French and Saunders that started the whole show of Ab Fab ("Modern Mother and Daughter" and "Woman's World", hilarious stuff); and a clip from 1967 with Joanna Lumley talking about modeling (a very interesting clip)

All in all, one of the best DVD packages I've seen. The episodes are great, the extras are awesome, so get this DVD!

I love that Jennifer Saunders decided to bring back Eds and Pats- but I wish she had kept most of these scripts as warm-ups. They don't quite jell, although they do get better as the season goes on. I do like that the the relationship between Saffy and "Titticaca" has started to mirror Eddie and Pats in a delightfully twisted way, and there are some great cameos from Fleur, Bo, and the various ex-husbands. But some of the jokes fall really flat- it seems at best disingenuous (and at worst, dysmorphic) for someone as pretty as Ms. Saunders to keep referring to herself as fat and ugly; a lot of the Saffron jokes are not really as funny now that Julia Sawahla has gained weight, and the jokes about Patsy are not as funny now that Joanna Lumley has started to look a bit old. (but that could be me)

There will be at least two more seasons coming, so I would see if A) they scripts improve, and B) if they release a boxed set. But if you have not gotten the original boxed set of the first three seasons, by all means get the deal that Amazon is offering; the set of the 1st three seasons is a gem, and the inclusion of "Mirrorball" on this disc, and getting basically for free, is too great to pass up.

After an absence of five years from our televisions, Jennifer Saunders brought her internationally famous, multiple-award winning British sitcom, Absolutely Fabulous, back to millions of loyal viewers. The show was instantly welcomed back by the BBC, who broadcast the entire six episodes in late 2001. The ratings weren't as high as earlier series where 12 million tuned in regularly, but still enough to be considered a tremendous success in the UK. Series 4 is noticeably not as funny as the first three series, but still funny enough to be considered Ab Fab classics.

Series 4 opens with the rather disappointing "Parralox." Eddy is due to appear on Richard and Judy in a few days, and she's ecstatic. If only she could get rid of all those wrinkles on her face - Patsy has just the thing in illegal injections! As the first episode of this new series, this episode doesn't seem to have a point and never really gets to its objective before it ends, resulting in a rather lifeless episode. This said, the episode does have some great bits with guest stars including Michael Greco, Stephen Gately and Richard and Judy, but it isn't up to the quality standards such as the Series 2 opener, "Hospital." The next episode is the brilliant "Fish Farm." Eddy and Patsy arrive home from a Marilyn Manson concert in their mosher gear. These first few minutes have some hilarious gags, which are some of the best in the show's history. Also, Eddy discovers she has a garden attached to her house and Saffy wants it re-designed. Expect Eddy trying desperately to impress the sexy gardener, but going too far, resulting in disastrous consequences such as inflatable bras!

"Paris" is another classic episode. Eddy and Patsy are due in Paris for a fashion-shoot, to which Saffy hesitantly agrees to attend. While Patsy struggles to figure out how to pose for pictures in the modern world, Eddy takes Saffy sight-seeing around Paris. But just how long will Saffy survive when she agrees to do things her mother's way in Paris? Especially when they take a trip to the top of the Eiffel Tower! In the great episode "Donkey," Eddy is desperate to lose weight to impress her friends. She goes on a strict diet routine, and discovers she has a muscle in her arm! She's doing great and looks rather stunning on her final night out. She's really impressed with herself, until she makes the remark that she looks like Sarah Jessica Parker! Her friends giggle and respond with "You're still too fat!" The episode is also done in a Sex And The City style, in which the main character (Eddy) narrates the daily events of the other characters much like Carrie Bradshaw in the hit US sitcom.

"Small Opening" is another one of my favourite episodes of this series. Saffy is producing a play about her life with her mother and Patsy, which she doesn't want her mum to know about. Eddy finds out by mistake through a phone call which she mistakes from her son Serge but is actually a scene from Saffy's play, so she calls the police. Patsy is frantic trying to hide all her drugs as the police arrive, with some hilarious scenes. Eddy is furious with her. Despite Edina's fury, the play goes ahead. Reluctantly, Eddy and Patsy turn up at the play and surprisingly find themselves enjoying it when they remember all the real-life quotes they said to Saffy years ago! The final episode, "Menopause," is very good, but not the best one in this series. Womb prayers echo all around the house as Eddy and Patsy join Menopausals Anonymous! While Eddy detests this new group, Saffy has horrifying new visions of Patsy as a traditional housewife. These scenes are excellent and the episode finishes with what Eddy and Patsy will be like in decades time!

OVERALL GRADE: 10/10

Series 4 contains some great DVD extras, such as commentary by Jennifer Saunders and the Producer, Jon Plowman. Also included are 12 minutes of Out-Takes, Photo Gallery, Scene Selection, Behind The Scenes Interviews and the full pilot episode of Mirrorball, the Absolutely Fabulous spin-off which was transmitted on December 22nd 2000. All in all, Series 4 is essential for all you Ab Fab fantics out there, and with guest stars such as Ruby Wax, Marianne Faithfull, Anita Pallenberg, Dale Winton and many others, is another brilliant series from Jennifer Saunders!

Absolutely Fabulous returned in late 2001 with a fourth season, five years after The Last Shout (1996) special had aired which was ultimately intended to conclude the series once and for all. However in 2000 the cast of Absolutely Fabulous were reunited in a one-off comedy special, Mirrorball which had won rave reviews and was not a bit unlike Absolutely Fabulous in its tone. Having each enjoyed working together again, Jennifer Saunders decided it was time to put pen to paper and began writing a fourth series of this unbeatable sitcom that won countless awards during its run in the 1990's.

The fourth season opens a little disappointingly with Paralox. Edina is due to appear on a British morning television show with the pretentious celebrity, Katie who is played fantastically by the astoundingly multi-talented, Jane Horrocks (who also plays Bubble in the series, the blatantly incompetent P.A to Eddy). Feeling as though shes looking old she hesitantly turns to her vile best friend, Pats who comes up with the hideous idea of using paralox to try and make her look younger. Joanna Lumley reprises the role of Patsy with a vengeance and is equally hilarious in her characterisation as she always was. This episode is lacking something though and the punchy and witty one-liners don't roll along quite as thick and fast as they once had. Times had changed and evidently so had the progamme with Jennifer Saunders clearly having adopted a more diverse approach to her writing in an effort to keep up with the ever changing times and trends of the day.

Fish Farm, sees the series enter full swing again and there are even points in this episode which harks back to the good old days of the series. Edina discovers a dishy, aristocratic gardner who she (through a comic misunderstanding) presumes is worth a fortune and so reluctantly sets out to seduce him at the persistent urge of her scavanging, selfish best friend, Pats. There are some hilarious moments here and the dialogue rides along like a roller coster with all the jokes perfectly timed and delivered deliciously from the stars of the series.

Paris is self explanitory as the gang heads off there for a photo shoot Patsy is assigned to work on as an ageing model whilst Eddy and her poor, put upon daughter, Saffy (Juila Sawahala) begin to finally bond as mother and daughter... that is until they reach the top of the eiffel tower and Eddy shrewdly tricks Saffy into exposing her breasts for all to see in an effort to be "more with the times darling" as her mother says. Classic stuff!

Donkey is slow moving and is one of the weaker episodes in the series where Eddy desperately trys to conjure up a new, fit healthy lifestyle of exercise and eating the right food in a bid to boost her self confidence and become slim. Ideas seemed to be wearing thin as this subject had been touched on before numerous times in the origanal three series but in its favour does hold enough laughs to see it through.

Small Opening is of good value where Eddys daughter, Saffy takes the play she'd written about her life, which largely draws on her complex relationship with her mother to the stage and Eddy is not in the least bit happy.... until she goes to see the play herself and ends up striking up a friendship with the actors much to Saffys dismay.

Finally the series ends on a high with the hilarious, Menopause where Patsy and Eddy join the laughably titled, Menopausals anonymous. American comedienne Ruby Wax guest stars in this episode and was involved in the series constantly having been a script editor through each season. The ending which shows Patsy and Eddy as old women is classic stuff and will undoubtedly have you in stitches.

Despite a few patchy moments, series 4 of this masterpiece comedy is another rollercoster ride of fun, games and laughs and makes for essential viewing with all the actors glowing in their parts.

A fantastic attirbute t this series is that is has been going for over ten years, and in BRistish Comedy, this is a true feat!
The jokes have worn a little thin, and Saffy seems to have become some kind of paranoid shadow of herself - however the episode where she writes her own play - which steals jokes from previous series episodes is hysterial, particualry as Patsy is played by a drag queen! The series is a must for all fans. The big plus is that it introduces new ideas for series five - which I am lucky enough to be watching in the UK at the moment. Series 5 is back to the roots and is far funnier than any of the other series put together. Eddie is about to be a Granny! The best jokes are here, and the most funniest visual gags make the next series the one to own and watch over and over again. But you need series four and the Christmas special "Gay" to make sense of the new direction the characters take. Hats off to you guys for turning what could have been a national disaster into one of the funniest comedy moments of 2004!!!

After over 5 years after its last episode the Internationally acclaimed, award-winning British sitcom returned in late 2001 with its fourth season. Times had changed and quite clearly so had the programme. In an effort to keep with the ever-changing times and contemporary trends, Jennifer Saunders seems to have slightly adapted a more diverse approach to her writing. Though the fast, witty dialogue consistently flows, there are flaws in some of these episodes albeit only minors ones but don't capture the pace and magic of the origanal 3 seasons. Still there are more things to recommend it and fans of the series will surley be satisfied. Edina (Jennifer Saunders) and Joanna Lumley are as vile as ever, though Edina's self-obsessed dieting plan seems a little out of character and even as though ideas were wearing a little thin. But the cast carry this off with finesse regardless and both Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumleys timing is stil impeccable though the punchlines don't come quite as thick and fast as they once did. The first episode of the series, Paralox seems a little lost and not quite sure of which direction its trying to head but things pick up from here on with Fish farm where Edina hires a gardener who she thinks is a rich aristocrat and so sets about seducing him. There is a hark back to the good old days of the origanal series with some masterful comic playing by Saunders and Lumley whilst Paris is where Patsy gets involved in a magazine photoshoot and Edina and Saffy (Joanna Sawalha) begin actually bonding as mother and daughter (until the amusing climax). Donkey sees Edina frantically trying to take a detox and this is perharps one of the weaker episodes in this season whilst Small Opening sees saffy take her play about Edinas life onto the stage. The last episode is consistently amusing where Patsy and Eddy join Menopausals anonymous. The ending is another look into the future of Eddy and Patsy where they are hilariously seen as old women whihis distinctley reminiscent to the last episode of the third season in 1995. Still it remains amusing as does this series on the whole even though not eclipsing the first three seasons. Jane Horrocks turns up playing a pretentious daytime television presenter and June Whitfield as Edina's batty mother who is even more dizzier this time. Also included on this DVD is the television special, Mirror Ball starring the same cast and distinctley has the feel of an Absolutly Fabulous episode. A well comprised DVD with some interesting extra features included as the bonus. Highly recommended and a classic comic gem!

After a hiatus, the Ab Fab team wanted to do something. What came out of this was an pilot called Mirrorball. But then they decided that they had not finished with their Ab Fab characters. They decided to make six more episodes.

Disc 1:
Parralox - This is their take off on the Botox rage. Patsy has found a more potent version of Botox called Parralox and has had injections. Edina is to appear on AM TV and Patsy thinks that she should get some injections to make her look better on TV. In a drunken state Patsy injects Edina to their usual disastrous results.

Fish Farm - Saffy is having the back garden redone and has hired a young cute landscape architect (Crispan Bonham Carter). It turns out that he is younger brother of an old friend of the girls and he has the hots for Edina. Edina sees marrying him and moving to his family's country estate.

Paris - The gang goes over to Paris for a fashion shoot. Edina and Saffy for a mother daughter piece and Patsy for a former model shoot. But Saffy wants to see Paris forces Edina to see her Paris. But this of course doesn't work out and Saffy gives in to her mother and finds a way to bond with her by seeing Edina's Paris. This is one of the best episodes of the series.

Donkey - Edina goes on a diet to slim herself when at a dinner party, the girls say she uses her fat to be a crutch. This is another great episode with great style and unexpected depth.

Disc 2:
Small Opening - Saffy's play gets produced at a small West End theatre. But everyone is hiding the fact that it is an autobiographical play.

Menopause - This is a another final episode for the series. Patsy is suffering from low bone density because at "42" she has gone through menopause. Therefore, Saffy sets up a Menopause Anonymous meeting at the house. Edina's business is once again going under do to a blunder by Bubble. This episode has another hilarious visit by Mo Gaffney.

DVD EXTRAS -
Episode Commentary by Jennifer Saunders and producer Jon Plowman

Disc 2 -
Who's Who - Cast Bios, Again

Let's Get Celebritied Up - Bios on the guest cast

Absolutely Confused - For those that are impaired on anything British including who the Spice Girls are, this will clarify things like who the Prime Minister of Britain is.

Before Ab Fab - Two French and Saunders sketches. The first is about two editors putting together a frivolous women's magazine. The second is a take off of Silence of the Lambs with Jennifer as Clarisse and Dawn as Hannibal.

Joanna Lumley Talks About Modeling - A two minute interview Joanna did when she was a model in the early sixties.

Mirrorball Special - Well the cast is back together but this time they are struggling actors and singers. Vivienne (Jennifer) has had one role in the last five years and that was for a commercial. Her daughter, Freda (Julia) is currently rehearsing Hedda Gabbler. Jackie (Joanna) is Vivienne's best friend and a faded disco diva looking for a comeback. Vivienne has a chance for the lead in the musical version of Angela's Ashes and let's see how the girls screw it up. Also appearing is Jane Horrocks as a Swedish bar maid who is also auditioning for the show and June Whitfield as Dora Vermouth a faded actress who has been touring with the same show for fifty years going from the star to the star's mother to interesting old lady. This is only mildly funny and you can see why the next year they decided to do Ab Fab 4.

Outtakes - 12 minutes of outtakes that make you realize how complex this show really is for the actors.