Specials
1996 · 38 episodes · 18h 28m in all
Prior to the third series, a dramatized behind-the-scenes special was broadcast on 6 January 1995. The special was titled 'How to Be Absolutely Fabulous' and featured Jennifer Saunders as she enters the BBC studio in which the woman at reception is unaware of who Saunders is. Unable to convince the receptionist that she is in fact Edina for the series, Saunders, along with the camera crew runs up to the Absolutely Fabulous office, despite being refused access from the receptionist. Once in the office, Saunders talks about the origins of the series. The special features clips from the series. A second special, released in 1998 and titled 'Absolutely Fabulous: A Life' features Edina and her mother as she and a camera crew are filming the story of Edina's life in a documentary. The setting for the documentary is in the charity shop in which her mother works. Edina talks about her surroundings in the charity shop.
Episodes
1. The Last Shout: Part One
6 Nov 1996 · 43 min · 7.2/10
Saffy becomes engaged to her snooty new boyfriend, Paolo Carlo. Edina and Patsy go on a ski trip where the former has a near-death experience. Bo arrives, hiding from the Scientologists. And Mother goes to the airport to meet two old friends she hasn't seen in years.
2. The Last Shout: Part Two
7 Nov 1996 · 42 min · 7.0/10
Paolo's parents arrive, disapproving of Saffy... until Patsy realises that she knows Paulo's mother. Edina and Saffy plan the wedding and see it through — only to have it ruined at the last moment by Divine Intervention.
3. Absolutely Fabulous: A Life
28 Oct 1998 · 98 min
Moments From The Life of a Woman of Her Time. During the filming of her very own documentary, 'A Day in My Life', Eddie drops in on her mother who's working in a Help the Aged charity shop. There, she reminisces about the people and events which have made her what she is today.
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4. Mirrorball
22 Dec 2000 · 30 min
This is the pilot for what was intended to be a new sitcom called Mirrorball. Although written by Saunders, featuring all of the main AbFab cast members, as well as some of the supporting cast, the plot and characters in Mirrorball are different, despite many personality similarities to the AbFab characters. After this was filmed, Saunders was inspired to revive Absolutely Fabulous in 2001, and the Mirrorball series was never produced. The show centers around aging stage actresses Vivienne Krell (Saunders) and Jackie Riviera (Lumley), who live in vertically adjacent flats. The two are of questionable talent, and their careers seem to be at a standstill. During the course of the pilot, Vivienne has the opportunity to be cast in a new show but delivers a horrifying rendition of the standard 'Send in the Clowns', thanks in part to Jackie's off-kilter advice (Jackie shouts at her from off-stage to "Sparkle! SPARKLE!").
5. Gay
27 Dec 2002 · 54 min · 8.0/10
Patsy's off to New York's fashion week and drags Edina along for company. It doesn't take much persuasion, especially after Mother lets it slip that Serge is living there. The pair get into all sorts of mischief in New York, including a gay wedding, celebrity appearances, and fashion faux pas. Back home, Marshall and Bo run a crooked Evangelical network, Saffy studies people whilst in a cupboard, and Bubble desperately tries to be useful.
6. Cold Turkey
24 Dec 2003 · 35 min · 8.0/10
Edina spends her first Christmas at home, much to Saffy's chagrin, and goes all out for the festivities. John's preoccupied with Justin's sex life. Marshall and Bo arrive with their details of the infomercial they've been doing 'since the bottom fell out of the baby business'. Patsy, who detests Christmas, is happy when she collapses and gets to spend a few days on drugs in hospital... though it seems that her condition may be more dire than anyone realises.
7. White Box
25 Dec 2004 · 44 min · 7.3/10
Edina tries to bring her vision for a new kitchen to life. The trouble is, she's awfully fuzzy on the specifics on how the room should look. Her decorating woes are are compounded by the fact that her designer is emotionally unstable and Saffy completely disapproves of the remodel.
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9. Outtakes (Series 4)
Date TBA · 12 min
Outtakes from Series 4.
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10. Outtakes (Gay)
Date TBA · 3 min
Outtakes from the special 'Gay'.
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11. The Story of Absolutely Fabulous
2 Jan 2004 · 30 min
A definitive account of one of British comedy's most successful sitcoms. The programme answers burning questions such as: was Patsy once a man? Why was Joanna Lumley nearly put off taking the role of Patsy? Who was originally going to play Saffy? And what do Marisa Berensen, Jennifer Saunders and Lynne Franks all have in common? From how it came into being to how it manages to stay at the top of its game, this entertaining and engaging documentary follows the antics of the Ab Fab crew, namely Jennifer Saunders, Joanna Lumley, Julia Sawalha and June Whitfield. It also sheds light on some of comedy's most far-out characters. Featuring behind-the-scenes footage and drunken outtakes, The Story of Absolutely Fabulous is everything you need to know... and a little bit more.
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12. Outtakes (Series 1) - "ABSOLUTELY NOT"
Date TBA · 15 min
Outtakes from series 1.
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13. Outtakes (Series 2)
Date TBA · 14 min
Outtakes from series 2.
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14. Outtakes (Series 3) - "Absolutely Not"
Date TBA · 16 min
Outtakes from series 3.
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15. Absolutely Fabulous (Pet Shop Boys Video)
7 Feb 1994 · 30 min
Hilarious music video by the Pet Shop Boys featuring some of the most funny and memorable outtakes from Absolutely Fabulous.
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16. How to Be Absolutely Fabulous
6 Jan 1995 · 30 min
Special taking a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the first two series. Includes interviews with the cast and producers, telephone messages from Bette Midler, and Elizabeth Taylor and Neil Tennant conducting business with Roseanne regarding the botched American reboot.
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17. Outtakes (The Last Shout)
Date TBA · 30 min
Outtakes from the special 'The Last Shout'.
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18. Gorgeous Little Things
Date TBA · 30 min
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19. Modern Mother and Daughter
Date TBA · 8 min
The original French & Saunders sketch which inspired Absolutely Fabulous.
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20. Joanna Lumley Talks about Modeling
Date TBA · 30 min
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21. PR Office (French & Saunders)
Date TBA · 30 min
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22. Outtakes (Series 5)
Date TBA · 21 min
Outtakes from Ab Fab Series 5.
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25. Identity
11 Mar 2005 · 30 min
Edina collects Saffy from prison, where she served two years for (unknowingly) providing asylum seekers with forged passports. Saffy later invites former cellmate Baron to the house, unaware that Baron was once Patsy's drug dealer and Patsy still owes her £50,000. And now Baron refuses to leave until she's repaid.
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28. Job
25 Dec 2011 · 30 min
When Saffy berates Edina for being lazy and incompetent, Edina and Patsy decide to impress her by booking her favourite French film star, Jeanne Durand, to perform at the Royal Albert Hall. However, they're dismayed when Jeanne lip-syncs instead of singing live.
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29. Olympics
23 Jul 2012 · 30 min
Edina forgets that the Olympics are on, until it gets her closer to her idol.
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31. Joanna Lumley Interview Morning Show
Date TBA · 30 min
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32. Letterman comes to London - Ab Fab interview
Date TBA · 30 min
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33. Satan, Darling
29 Oct 1996 · 30 min
Absolutely Fabulous glam gals Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley (in character as Edina and Patsy) are among the few down-to-earth participants in Roseanne's outrageous Halloween outing. They're guests at an Upper West Side soirée, where new multimillionaires Roseanne and Jackie have gained entrée into New York society. But for grandmother-to-be Roseanne, a witches' coven soon comes into play — a la Rosemary's Baby — and bizarre happenings begin to involve a very pregnant Darlene.
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34. Interview Behind the Scenes - Jennifer and Joanna
Date TBA · 6 min
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35. Interview Behind the Scenes - June Whitfield
Date TBA · 4 min
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41. Interview Behind the Scenes - Producer Jon Plowman
Date TBA · 5 min
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46. Episode 46
30 Nov 2003 · 21 min
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47. Behind the Scenes - Sport Relief 2012
Date TBA · 30 min
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48. Jennifer Saunders & Cher on the Graham Norton Show
Date TBA · 30 min
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49. Jennifer Saunders & Joanna Lumley Look Back
Date TBA · 30 min
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50. Jennifer Saunders in Conversation with Clare Balding
Date TBA · 30 min
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51. Absolutely Fabulous - TV Bloopers (Series 1-5 and Gay)
4 Mar 2013 · 15 min · 8.0/10
Lots of bloopers
53. Joanna and Jennifer: Absolutely Champers
21 Dec 2017 · 25 min
In a special Christmas treat for BBC Two, Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Saunders reunite for a trip to the Champagne region of France to find out exactly how to put the bubbles into bubbly, from the annual harvest to the miles of underground cellars, while sharing stories of filming Ab Fab and reminiscing about their friendship.
54. Absolutely Fabulous: Inside Out
17 Oct 2024 · 87 min
Celebrate one of Britain’s most-loved comic creations as Jennifer Saunders, Dame Joanna Lumley, Julia Sawalha and Jane Horrocks reunite to share anecdotes and backstage secrets.
Absolutely Fabulous Specials: quick answers
How many episodes are in Absolutely Fabulous Specials?
Specials of Absolutely Fabulous has 38 episodes, about 18 hours in total.
When did Absolutely Fabulous Specials come out?
Specials premiered on 6 Nov 1996 and its finale airs 17 Oct 2024.
What is the best episode of Absolutely Fabulous Specials?
By viewer score, episode 5, “Gay”, at 8.0/10.