Jennifer Saunders will begin scripting a feature version of her classic BBC series Absolutely Fabulous sometime next year, after she finishes work on the Spice Girls stage musical Viva Forever in London. Deadline reports that Ab Fab: The Movie will open with "Patsy and Edina waking up hungover in the empty drifting yacht of an oligarch in the middle of the ocean. Even worse, their cellphones can't get a signal." I'm torn -- I want to be excited that the movie's happening, but I can't shake the paralyzing sadness of Ab Fab's most recently aborted revival.
Roseanne famously tried to revive Absolutely Fabulous with Carrie Fisher and Barbara Carrera in an American version years ago, but I'm still lamenting the missed opportunity of Kristen Johnston and Kathryn Hahn as Eddy and Patsy in 2009's aborted stateside TV remake. Look at that beautiful potential. How can you not root for Kristen Johnston? We don't have many 6'0 character actresses with two Emmys left. Laurie Metcalf is not that tall. Furthermore, don't you sometimes stop and wonder why the U.S. can't make Ab Fab-y shows like Kath & Kim successful? Because Kath & Kim was funny, dammit. I saw Molly Shannon on Jimmy Kimmel Live recently, and she's funnier than the entire ABC lineup right now. For our fix of loopy women, we have to turn to lazy, humdrum sitcoms like 2 Broke Girls, which is pretty much a crime.
Oh well. Let's enjoy this Ab Fab reel and disappear into the past.
• Jennifer Saunders To Pen 'Absolutely Fabulous' Movie [Deadline]
