Absolutely Fabulous: Series 5

Edina and Patsy's agenda consists of book clubs with London's top glitterati, weekends in the country a la Madonna and Guy, and intimate gatherings with Elton on the piano. But when Saffy returns from a few months as an aid worker, Edina's heady world is turned upside down by her startling news. Babies and Bollinger don't mix, after all...or do they?

"Does LaCroix make baby clothes?"

Includes the episodes: Cleanin', Book Clubbin', Panickin', Huntin' Shootin' & Fishin', Birthin', Schmoozin', Exploitin', Cold Turkey

Cleanin’ - Saffy returns, having been away for several months. Edina has been coping on her own but, without Saffy's watchful eye, work has fallen low on her list of priorities and the house has seen tidier days – after all there is just so much shopping to do. Edina has let her new work as a CPR (Celebrity PR) slip behind. She is still doing work for Katy Grin who’s launching her book My Days in Iraq.

Patsy is still managing Jeremy’s – a new concept fashion store - but wants Eddy to get her work as a celebrity stylist. Bubble is still Eddy’s PA (or CPR PA).

Edina receives a visit at her home office from one of her big clients, Emma Bunton. Emma is not happy with Eddy as she hasn’t been doing enough PR for her. Edina makes some suggestions of possibilites in celebrity programmes that don’t appeal to Emma. Eddy implies that Emma’s clean image is giving her nothing to work with.

There is a sudden realisation that Saffy is due back that day... they have to get the house cleaned before she arrives. Mother, Bubble, Patsy and Edina are set to work cleaning under the whip of Emma Bunton. It is clear that Patsy, Edina and Bubble have never cleaned before.

Saffy arrives back to the house looking fat; she reveals to Edina that she is pregnant.

Book Clubbin’ - Eddie is absolutely horrified about Saffy’s pregnancy and starts having nightmares about becoming a grandmother. This is compounded by a visit from the midwife who delights in taunting Eddie, while Mother is having difficulty remembering why Saffy is fat.

Patsy and Eddie turn their attention to more important things – their celebrity book club, a must for the season. Mariella Frostrup has promised to bring her celebrity friends and Plum, their influential Health journalist friend, guarantees to update them on all the latest health regimes.

Meanwhile, Saffy invites John, the father of her child, over to the house, and attempts to tell him the big news. His appearance is of great interest to Eddie – he’s an African student and Saffy is going to have a mixed race baby.

Panickin’ - Patsy is at Jeremy’s shop that she manages. She sees a customer that she doesn’t think belongs there, but it turns out to be Minnie Driver who has come to get Patsy’s expertise as a stylist.

At Edina’s house, Patsy has booked an appointment with a doctor for some collagen injections and a pedicure. Minnie shows no interest in the injections, so Patsy has them herself while Minnie receives Bubble’s candid opinion as she tries on some clothes.

Eddie has had a panic room installed so that she can watch what’s going on in the house via the security monitors. Patsy accidentally locks them in and they can’t get out. Their panic levels shoot through the ceiling when they realise they have left Minnie in the inefficient hands of Bubble. Saffy comes home, unaware that they are watching her Big Brother style as she wanders around the house.

Hours pass, then a buzzer goes off and they are released. Some outfits are missing; Edina and Patsy blame Bubble but to prove it they return to the panic room to watch CCTV footage of the previous hours. The culprit is Minnie, who exits the house wearing 10 outfits.

Hunting’ Shootin’ & Fishin’ - Edina is handling the PR for Prince Charles’s organic Duchy flower essence oaten cheese biscuits. Thinking she may be invited to Balmoral for Christmas, she decides she needs to brush up on her high society skills. Patsy has an old friend with an estate near Sandringham and is hosting a weekend house party of hunting, shooting and fishing. He invites Patsy and Edina to stay at the Lodge and tells them that the servants will be there for them.

Expecting a scenario straight from Gosford Park, they go fully equipped with a selection of Ralph Lauren 1930s-style country fashion. Patsy even brings her own guns. At the Lodge, the butler and ghilly inform them the only things they can shoot are rabbits, squirrels and rats. Everything else is out of season, even fox hunting, and if they want to fish they have to put them back.

But Eddie and Patsy are townfolk, and their attempts at fishing and horse-riding are a disaster. So they get rid of the ghilly and decide to go shooting by themselves. They bag a few birds and a couple of rabbits and some other animals they can’t identify, planning to take them back to London to eat. But when they wake up the next day, all the ‘dead’ creatures have come back to life and are everywhere.

When the ghilly arrives, they are so anxious to get rid of her that they pay no heed to her message: a special visitor will be calling on them later that day.

Birthin’ - Whilst Saffy is preparing her home birth kit, Patsy is getting prepared to host the prestigious Global Style and Elegance Awards at the Albert Hall alongside West End Chicago star Katy Grin. Bo and Marshall turn up under the pretence of offering support for Saffy’s pregnancy. They are now involved in a Christian adoption agency for Hollywood celebrities.

Amidst all the chat, Saffy and Patsy both try to launch themselves up the stairs at the same time. Suddenly Patsy dramatically slips over. Saffy’s waters have broken. Patsy can’t go out, not because Saffy is about to give birth, but because her beautiful suit (made from silkworm saliva) is now covered in baby fluids.

Whilst Mother attempts to save Patsy’s outfit, Saffy remains very calm as contractions start. Edina runs around making preparations (getting the atmosphere right by lighting candles, etc), Justin and John try to fix the heating and causing a power cut, and the very drunk Bo and Marshall try to convince Saffy to give up her baby for adoption.

Later that evening, Patsy is drowning her sorrows about missing her chance to host the awards. while Bo is drunkenly dreaming of appearing alongside Katie Grin in the musical Chicago, Patsy and Marshall hatch a plot to steal Saffy’s baby, which Edina is busy delivering upstairs.

Schmoozin’ - Saffy has never met Pete and is looking forward to seeing him. But Edina doesn’t want her to meet him. Though he is quite nice and they get on really well and he understands her, he is not quite exciting enough for Edina to show off.

Pete takes Patsy and Edina to Abbey Road Studios to view the engineering of the tapes. Patsy is jealous that he takes up too much of Edina’s attention. He shows Edina some instruments that would have been there for the Beatles at the time of the original recording. Then he heads off to a meeting, leaving Edina and Patsy in the studio. They drink a little, smoke a little and decide to try their hand at singing.

Later that evening the house party is in full swing. Elton John is at the piano, there are music executives everywhere. The moment comes to play the tapes, but they are not quite what anyone was expecting...

Exploitin’ - Eddie is getting frustrated with the baby’s crying and there are toys everywhere, taking over her house. However it all seems worthwhile when Patsy books the baby for her first modelling job – a photo shoot at the zoo with Jean Paul Gaultier.

The only problem is getting the baby past Saffy and out of the house, as she doesn’t trust either of them with her daughter. Their cunning plan pays off and they arrive at the photo shoot, but will baby Jane survive a day at the zoo with Patsy and Eddie?

Cold Turkey - It is Christmas Eve and Edina’s first Christmas at home for a long time. She’s making an effort – decorations, presents, etc – especially for the baby. Usually Patsy and Edina go on holidays at this time of year, and she has left it to the last moment to tell Patsy she won’t be going.

All the relations are around and Edina has far too many presents. Patsy collapses, stricken with depressing memories of her childhood at Christmas with a Pagan mother. Edina goes with her to the hospital, but is anxious to get home and continue with preparations – until the doctors tell her that it is serious and that she should call Patsy’s next of kin – Jackie.

While Bo and Marshall (now involved in promoting Staylene a new weightloss product), John, Saffy, Mother, Justin, and baby Jane are busy celebrating Christmas, in hospital Patsy is visited by her colleagues, Fleur and Catriona, who are just in time to revive her during their visit.

Her sister Jackie also arrives, anxious to sort out their differences. She wants to inherit Patsy’s money and has no scruples about hurrying on Patsy’s death. Edina and Saffy arrive at the hospital, to be told by a nurse that Miss Stone has died. Is this the end of a perfect partnership?

Edina Monsoon	---	Jennifer Saunders
Patsy Stone	---	Joanna Lumley
Saffron Monsoon	---	Julia Sawalha
Mother Monsoon	---	June Whitfield
Bubble	---	Jane Horrocks
Catriona	---	Helen Lederer
Fleur	---	Harriet Thorpe
Sarah	---	Naoko Mori
Bo	---	Mo Gaffney

Written by Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders
Produced by Jon Plowman, Jo Sergeant, Jonathan Paul-Llewellyn
Directed by Bob Spiers, Dewi Humphreys, Christine Gernon

International Emmy Awards ®
1994 - Best Popular Arts Programme (Joint Winner with Red Dwarf)
1993 - Best Popular Arts Programme (Joint Winner with Drop the Dead Donkey)
BAFTA® Awards
1994 - Best Comedy Performance - Joanna Lumley
1992 - Best Comedy (Programme or Series)
1992 - Best Light Entertainment Performance - Joanna Lumley
British Comedy Awards®
1993 - Top Television Comedy Actress - Joanna Lumley
1993 - Top Television Comedy Personality - Joanna Lumley
1993 - Best New Television Comedy

“Sidesplittingly funny from start to finish.”- Observer

“There was some terrific writing here, not least Edina's wonderful diatribe against the mother-loving Baby Spice (now her bossy client). Jennifer Saunders has exaggerated the grotesqueness of her characters, and, from their 1980s vantage point, she is running riot through contemporary issues. Saffy returned pregnant after being a human shield in Iraq, and the injection of new themes has given a whole new lease of life to the relationships. The performances were top notch throughout.”- Daily Telegraph

“Out with the Bolly, the long wait is over ... what a magnificent job is done by Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Saunders as they liven up the viewing week's traditional graveyard ... Given its freshness and topicality, it's hard to believe that Ab Fab is 11 years old.”-Western Daily Press

“If you liked it before, then you'll love it now ... The acting is flamboyant, the laughter track loud and the humour unsubtle. If you like comedy unashamedly over-the top, then this is for you.”- The Times

“Old pill-popper Patsy is twisted and cruel – and gets better with each series.”- People

“There are some fine slapstick moments and Patsy is as vicious as ever...” -Guardian

“Fun and frolics galore.”- Express

“Bolly good fun.” -Sun

“Still managing to keep us laughing with their odd antics ... top-notch entertainment.”- Express

“...the one-liners still bite.” -Guardian

“Pats, Pats, Pats. Eddie, Eddie, Eddie. Bolly, Bolly, Bolly. Phone, phone, phone. Saffy, Saffy, Saffy. Oh look, there's Emma Bunton. More panto than sitcom perhaps, but still the odd laugh.”- Guardian

“The girls are back to spice things up ... watch out for a very amusing appearance by former Baby Spice Emma Bunton.”- Mirror

“It still has its beady eye on the trailing and grubby petticoats of that mindless old tart, Celebrity. Eddie's endless attempts to squeeze her complaining body into the fashionable shackles of the 21st century are mercilessly guyed by Bubbles: 'She's like a smoking beagle to Patsy's vivisectionist’.” -Evening Standard

Patsy's full name is Eurydice Colette Clytemnestra Dido Bathsheba Rabelais Patricia Cocteau Stone. Edina's is shorter but just as tempestuous: Edwina Margrette Rose Monsoon.