Gold Channel to Spotlight Absolutely Fabulous

A reflective look at the fashion-focused show Absolutely Fabulous, entitled Absolutely Fabulous: Inside Out, is set to debut on the comedy channel Gold later this year.

The 120-minute UKTV original is produced by Expectation and will see Jennifer Saunders, Joanna Lumley, Julia Sawalha and Jane Horrocks reunite for the first time since 2016. It will also pay tribute to Dame June Whitfield and celebrate the show’s influence on female comedy.

Saunders, creator and writer, said, “I loved making Ab Fab, but I can’t remember a great deal, so much of this retrospective is a revelation to me. Thank you Gold for this kind and helpful program.”

Lumley added, “It was a fabulous wander down memory lane by actresses who only have the faintest grip on reality. Really thrilling and, I hope, vastly entertaining. I loved every second.”

Kirsty Hanson, senior commissioning editor at UKTV, said, “Absolutely Fabulous captured the imagination of a whole generation of viewers and helped break the mould for female-led comedy TV forever. Fans of the show are in for a real treat with Jennifer, Joanna, Julia and Jane reuniting for what promises to be the comedy event of the year.”

Gerald Casey, channel director for Gold, commented, “Absolutely Fabulous is a viewer favourite and is as relevant and radical today as it was over thirty years ago. We’re so excited to give fans the opportunity to celebrate this much-loved series and hear anecdotes from the wonderful cast and crew as they return to the world of Patsy and Edina.”

Owen Braben, series producer for Expectation, said, “It’s such a rare and precious treat to be able to invite viewers back into the world that Jennifer created and tell the definitive story of Absolutely Fabulous. We’ll celebrate all of the most beloved Ab Fab moments and hear the behind-the-scenes gossip from the cast and crew as they reveal how they brought the show to our screens.”

Jon Plowman, executive producer for Expectation, stated, “It’s extraordinary that something that began 30 years ago is still finding an audience today. We must be doing something right…or wrong. Perhaps the secret of our success was the amount of champagne consumed on set before lunch.”

Ben Wicks, creative director for entertainment at Expectation, added, “We’re overjoyed to make a show with Jennifer and Joanna that rejoices in all that was wonderful about Ab Fab—the most riotously funny show which satirized the era like nothing else whilst taking home more BAFTAs than Bolly in the process. Also it somehow predicted the future: Now the whole nation’s parents are drunken embarrassments to their sober and politically enlightened Gen Z kids.”