During the late '90s, it seemed that season three of
Absolutely Fabulous (and the two-part movie that followed) would remain the hit Britcom's final installments. Having mapped out its comic parameters early on, "AbFab" spent its third run flirting with oblivion, both thematically and literally. Initial episodes saw anti-heroines Edina (
Jennifer Saunders) and Patsy (
Joanna Lumley) traveling to New York, raving it up and reliving the 1960s -- all typical "AbFab" pursuits. But the second half of the season broached the question of whether they could ever be free of one another -- and whether Eddy's daughter, Saffy (
Julia Sawalha), might finally defect from her toxic mother. These continuing plotlines allowed series writer and creator Saunders to make explicit the grim psychological subtext of her show's humor. They also gave her the chance seemingly to end the series with Absolutely Fabulous: The Last Shout, the two-part special that followed the regular season. As it turned out, though, the schism between the three main characters proved temporary, as did Saunders' resolve to end the show on a high note. Additional seasons and specials began airing in 2001. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide