ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS: Monday 23rd July, BBC1, 9.30pm
The coupling of Absolutely Fabulous and London 2012 seems like an odd one, especially considering that this could be the last-ever episode. After the two that aired over the Christmas period, this is the final of the three specials.
In this instalment, Edina rents her home to a Hollywood A-lister, unaware that theyâll be staying during the games. Not that sheâs even aware that the Olympics start this week, of course. Her and Patsy have disliked sport ever since their school days, when they were forced to wear dreadfully unflattering PE uniforms.
Perhaps itâs far-fetched that Edina wouldnât be aware of when the games start. After all, she lives in the London, where every last centimetre of solid matter has long been plastered with the childâs drawing-inspired London 2012 logo. However, she actually has a decent enough excuse for not knowing. Itâs been everywhere for the past five years, she says. Itâs like tinnitus; eventually you just learn to block it out.
Michael Douglas is the celebrity whoâll be staying and Edina is eagerly awaiting his arrival, certain that she can seduce him. Nobody has told her that sheâs actually supposed to move out before Michael gets there, and to make matters worse, her home is unusually crowded. Saffy is back from Africa and Marshall and Bo turn up unannounced for the games.
Itâs a fun and typically silly half-hour of comedy, with cameos from Edinaâs new favourite fashion designer Stella McCartney, paralympian Tanni Grey-Thompson and Dame Kelly Holmes â although, amusingly, not Michael Douglas.
These cameos occur when Edina and Patsy, who is struggling to fend off the increasing signs of old age, crash a celebrity reception in the Olympic stadium. These bit-parts do perhaps border on the gratuitous side, but they are, fortunately, very funny.
âDame, is it?â? Edina asks Kelly Holmes, âWhatâs that for? Bit of running, was it?â?
The episode isnât overly kind to the games nor is it particularly mocking of them either. It strikes a reasonably good middle ground, with Saunders proving that sheâs not afraid to poke fun at the guest stars.
Perhaps itâs a bit of a tenuous link for Absolutely Fabulous to have an Olympic games specialâelite athletics and the world that Edina and Patsy inhabit donât seem particularly well pairedâbut nevertheless, all things considering, it works surprisingly well. If this does indeed turn out to be the final episode of Absolutely Fabulous, then thankfully itâs a good one.
