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Absolutely Fabulous

France

Season 1, Episode 3, Aired Nov 26, 1992

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9.2

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Edina and Patsy go on holiday to France but the luxury they've booked turns out to be the ramshackle servants quarters. Unable to negotiate the local shops, Edina orders Saffy bring food from England. Bubble turns up too, with news that Edina's interior design business has hit problems.moreless

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Cast & Crew

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GUEST STAR
Geoff McGivern

Customs Officer
GUEST STAR
Juliette Mole

Air Hostess
GUEST STAR
Robert Ripa

Frenchman

Jane Horrocks

Bubble
Joanna Lumley

Patricia "Patsy" Stone
Jennifer Saunders

Edina "Eddy" Monsoon
Julia Sawalha

Saffron "Saffy" Monsoon

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Fan Episode Reviews (2)

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Gets better every time.

9.0

"Superb"

By sweet_em, Oct 07, 2006

When I first started watching Ab Fab I didn't love this episode that much, but as time goes on I love it more and more and it has become one of my favorite episodes ever.
The very bestest part was the wine tasting scene and Patsy and Edina stumbling out to the car afterward, because we've all been there eventually. How can you not love the pratfalls and comedy that ensue throughout this whole episode? One of the very best episodes and as I watch it again I can't help but wish that they would do another series of this show, because it's hard to let go of something this so awesomely good.moreless
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It's the first time we get to see Patsy & Eddy abroad (France) and as could be expected neither is exactly comfortable in the rural environment. The fact that neither seems to have more than a rudimentary knowledge of French sure helps.moreless

9.3

"Superb"

By cryptobuddhist, Aug 09, 2006

This is one of the funniest episodes of AbFab (well, to me) despite the fact that nothing much seems to happen in France to justify all the location shooting.
The accomodation they booked in a gorgeous chateau turns out to be some sort of farm building: bleak, badly in need of repair and possibly inhabited by crawling creatures aplenty. They have huge diffuculties buying even basic provisions, eventually deciding it's much easier to phone Saffy and have her bring them food from England rather than starve to death.
Patsy also experiences a little debacle regarding her supply of er... white powder. And for once no illegal substances are being alluded to, much to our delight and her chagrin.
They end up having a wonderful and relaxing break from their wild London life. Much sport is played, much open-air sequences are featured, famous vineyards are sampled..I mean visited.
Eddy's hopeless secretary (as played by the effervescent Jane Horrocks) has a wonderful chance to display her perfect command of French towards the end of the episode but by then it's too late to do anything about what she uncovers about mistakes made and such things.
Their return to England features one last scene at Heathrow Airport that is rendered priceless by Joanna Lumley's effortless rendering of Patsy's horror as yet another terrible fact is revealed.
The scenes in France with Eddy doing all the driving (and complaining about having to drive on the right) are even more funny considering that Jennifer Saunders was doing all her own stunts and she does not know how to drive in real life. At all.

Hilarious episode. Same booze as usual, more visual gags and far less drugs. Highly recommended if you wanted to introduce someone to this show without plumping for one of the more outrageous episodes - of which we are all delighted to know there are many...moreless
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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (3)
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- When Patsy's luggage is searched there is a paperback edition of the Judith Krantz novel Dazzle in her baggage.
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- When Saffy arrives with the food, Edina grabs it from her hands and drops a bread loaf on her way to the counter. When the wide shot comes up, the bread isn't on the floor. It too, has vanished.
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- Edina and Patsy order a bottle of champagne on the plane and put it on the table in front of them. In the next shot, the bottle has vanished.
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QUOTES (7)
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- Edina: A cockroach! No don't kill it, darling. I'm a Buddhist, I could come back as one of those. Patsy: I think that one had a coronary, sweetie.
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- Patsy: You can't go to France and not drink. The chateau we're staying at is in the middle of a vineyard. The air alone is 15% proof.
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- Eddie: Just remember one thing: Cancel my aromatherapy, my psychotherapy and reflexology, my osteopath, my homeopath and my naturopath, my crystal reading, my shiatsu, my organic hairdresser... and see if I can be rebirthed next Tuesday afternoon. Bubble: Consider it done.
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- Saffy (to Eddie): Someone chooses what you wear, someone chooses what you eat, someone does your brain and three times a week someone shoves a hose up your backside and flushes it all out of you.
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- Eddie (drunkenly getting into the right side of a French car): Shit! Someone's taken the steering wheel!
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- Patsy: I need to see my lawyer. I must be allowed to make that telephone call before my freedom is finally snatched away from me. Officer: That won't be necessary Mrs. Stone. The white powder we found was a perfectly harmless innocent substance. You're all free to go. Patsy: I beg your pardon? Officer: You're free to go. Be a bit more careful next time. Patsy: But hang on there! I want you to test it! Come back here! I paid a huge amount of money for that substance! Don't tell me it was talcum powder!!!
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- Eddie: I mean, a mosquito's never bitten you, for god's sake. Patsy: The last mosquito that bit me had to book into the Betty Ford clinic.
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NOTES (1)
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- All the France scenes were filmed over a period of 2 days in the middle of bad weather. All the shots you see are from when the weather finally died down.
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ALLUSIONS (2)
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- Patsy: Eddy! Rosemary's Baby has arrived with food! Patsy is referring to the 1960's movie directed by Roman Polanski where Mia Farrow's baby is the son of the AntiChrist. Since she is talking about Saffy, her feelings towards Saffy are pretty clear.
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- Gran: It's a sort of spaceage teapot, isn't it dear. A teapot to boldly go, where no teapot has gone before.
  A quick and funny stab at the popular sci-fi series Star Trek.
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