"Annoying" was the first thought to come to mind as I watched the first of six episodes, thankful that they were all under half an hour. Then I started to enjoy myself as I disregarded the shrill tone of Edina, played by Jennifer Saunders, the show's creator. At times I felt like slapping her in the face, and to my surprise and pleasure, Edina's studious daughter Saffron does just that. The only other thing that annoyed me was the laugh track; I understand that such things are hard to avoid, but it felt like someone was dictating my sense of humour to me, which I didn't appreciate. [Edit: Turns out this is actually a live studio audience, which entirely quells my displeasure :)] Then the enjoyment came, as Saffron's biting comments to her mother spewed forth as quickly as Patsy's lust for men. Patsy, Edina's best friend, fellow alcoholic and fashionista, is wonderful, with hair as high as a small watermelon, a cigarette hanging from her mouth half the time and dry humour to add to Edina's frantic half-shouting. She adds the insanely sane to this colourful and drunk series. I also enjoyed the horrible 90s fashion. I think I'll check out the next season, simply out of curiosity.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Wendy's "Films" of 2010 #25: Absolutely Fabulous, Season 1 (1992)
"Annoying" was the first thought to come to mind as I watched the first of six episodes, thankful that they were all under half an hour. Then I started to enjoy myself as I disregarded the shrill tone of Edina, played by Jennifer Saunders, the show's creator. At times I felt like slapping her in the face, and to my surprise and pleasure, Edina's studious daughter Saffron does just that. The only other thing that annoyed me was the laugh track; I understand that such things are hard to avoid, but it felt like someone was dictating my sense of humour to me, which I didn't appreciate. [Edit: Turns out this is actually a live studio audience, which entirely quells my displeasure :)] Then the enjoyment came, as Saffron's biting comments to her mother spewed forth as quickly as Patsy's lust for men. Patsy, Edina's best friend, fellow alcoholic and fashionista, is wonderful, with hair as high as a small watermelon, a cigarette hanging from her mouth half the time and dry humour to add to Edina's frantic half-shouting. She adds the insanely sane to this colourful and drunk series. I also enjoyed the horrible 90s fashion. I think I'll check out the next season, simply out of curiosity.
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3 comments:
It's not a laugh track, it's a studio audience laughing.
IMHO the second season is far better than the first...it's like they began to figure out what worked and what didn't work. Bubble and Gran come into their own.
That said, somehow Abfab doesn't seem as funny to me now as it did at the time...maybe I've become desensitized, sigh.
And seconding CJB: if you watch the behind-the-scenes and blooper stuff, it's apparent that there is a studio audience, not a laugh track.
Oh! I didn't realize it was a studio audience! I'll have to make a note of that.
Thanks :)
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