The series featuresEdina Monsoon, a heavy-drinking, drug-abusingPR mogulwho spends her time failing to lose weight and chasing bizarrefadsin a desperate attempt to stay young and "hip". Edina's best friend is ex-model and magazine fashion directorPatsy Stone, whose drug abuse, alcohol consumption and desperate promiscuity far eclipse Edina's. Edina is reliant upon the support of her daughter Saffron, a student and aspiring writer whose constant care of her immature mother has left her a bitter cynic. The series also starsJune Whitfieldin a supporting role as Edina's dotty, sarcastic, and often thieving mother who appears in nearly every episode.Jane Horrocksas Edina's utterly brainless personal assistant Bubble also features frequently.
The first three series ofAbsolutely Fabulouswere broadcast on theBBCfrom 1992 to 1995, followed by a series finale in the form of a two-part special entitledThe Last Shout,in 1996. In 2000, the show was ranked number 17 on the100 Greatest British Television Programmesby theBritish Film Institute. It was revived for two more series and two one-hour specials, airing from 2001 to 2004. Three new episodes, collectively titledAbsolutely Fabulous: 20th Anniversary, were released in 2011–2012. Twosketchesfor charity specials were also released, forComic Reliefin 2005, andSport Reliefin 2012.
A film continuation,Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie, was theatrically released in July 2016. On 29 November 2016, Saunders confirmed that she is "not doing anything more withAb Fab", as she wanted to focus on new projects.[1]In October 2023, it was confirmed that Saunders was in the process of creating a writing a spin-off toAbsolutely Fabulousin the film or series form, which has yet to be announced, with also the possibility of Lumley making an appearance. The first draft is expected to be completed by the end of 2023.[2]