Absolutely Fabulous: 20th Anniversary


Absolutely Fabulous: 20th Anniversary is a three-part television special of the BBC sitcom Absolutely Fabulous. It was broadcast on BBC One between 25 December 2011 and July 23, 2012 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the series which first screened in 1992.

Cast

Main cast

Reception

Ratings

Critical reception

In 2012, Michael Hogan, of The Daily Telegraph gave the specials a negative review; following the 'Olympics' episode, comment that "The special Olympic edition of Absolutely Fabulous would have won no medals for comedy." He added, "This was the last of three 20th anniversary specials, the first pair of which were shown over Christmas. Every single one of those 20 years showed on-screen during this torturous half-hour."
In a more favourable review, Meredith Blake of The A.V. Club was more positive, stating that, "While longtime AbFab fans will enjoy this latest incarnation of the series, which has been reprised multiple times since its official end in 1995, “Identity” most definitely isn’t for AbFab neophytes, who will most likely be confused by the broad performances, the outré costumes, and the disembodied canned laughter."

Accolades

In 2012, Jennifer Saunders received the BAFTA TV Award for Best Female Comedy Performance for her portrayal as Edina Monsoon following the first two specials.

Home media

The 20th Anniversary specials have been released on DVD, first in the United Kingdom on 30 July 2012, and then in Australia on 16 August 2012, and in the United States on 11 September 2012.
Additionally, the specials are available as part of complete collection sets including "Absolutely Fabulous: Absolutely All of It!", released 5 November 2013 in the United States, and "Absolutely Fabulous: Absolutely Everything − The Definitive Edition", released in both the United Kingdom, on 17 March 2014, and in Australia on 30 April 2014.