Fox is the latest
U.S. network to attempt a remake of the BBC classic
Absolutely Fabulous, teaming up with
Arrested Development creators and Saturday
Night Live writer Christine Zander for the
most recent go-around. This time Edina, Saffy, and Patsy
will reside in Los Angeles.
The L.A.
AbFab will retain the basic template of the
original, revolving around the friendship of boozy,
middle-aged Edina and Patsy, who are desperate to
stay hip and youthful and who carry on under the
disapproving eye of Edina's teenage daughter, Saffy,
according to Variety.
This is not the
first time a remake of AbFab has been
attempted. In 1995, Roseanne Barr worked with Carrie Fisher
to develop a U.S. version for ABC, but that show
never took form. Not long after that, Cybill
Shepherd's comedy Cybill, which bore a
resemblance to AbFab, ran on CBS for four seasons.
"The trouble with
doing AbFab in America is that it will have to
end with Edina and Saffy hugging, Patsy giving up
drink and drugs, and them all hugging mum. It won't work.
It'll be too nice," said Jon Plowman, executive
producer of the original, which ran from 1992 to 2005.
"Let's hope they get it right." (Kandice Day, The
Advocate)