VaGUE MAGAZINE - Jennifer Saunders

Jennifer Saunders: Comic Artist

-by Britt Reed
Most people in the states only know Jennifer Saunders from the hit BBC Series “Absolutely Fabulous”, it was only shown on cable there but was very successful. Very few know about the abundant works she’s been part of through the years. She started performing and writing with Dawn French in 1980 with a comedy act called the Menopause Sisters at London's comedy club ‘The Comic Strip’. There they met Adrian Edmondson, Rik Mayall, Nigel Planer and Peter Richardson who together would form the core of what should be considered one of the greatest British comedy shows: “The Comic Strip Presents”. I only remember it slightly from the time it was on, but now when I look at the reruns I think it’s brilliant. I love the format, they’re like half-hour movies, miniature masterpieces. The Show was on from 1982 to 2000. Unfortunately they have never released DVDs of this show, Pity, this is going to be like one of those things people will pick up on some day in the future and realize it was a classic.

Some of the great episodes were Bad news Tour: A Documentary about a Heavy Metal Band “BAD NEWS”. Doing the Spinal Tap thing years before Spinal Tap. Another Great one is Mr. Jolly lives next door, about a ridiculous pair of escorts.



Jennifer Saunders: Comic Artist -by Britt Reed Most people in the states only know Jennifer Saunders from the hit BBC Series “Absolutely Fabulous”, it was only shown on cable there but was very successful. Very few know about the abundant works she’s been part of through the years. She started performing and writing with Dawn French in 1980 with a comedy act called the Menopause Sisters at London's comedy club ‘The Comic Strip’. There they met Adrian Edmondson, Rik Mayall, Nigel Planer and Peter Richardson who together would form the core of what should be considered one of the greatest British comedy shows: “The Comic Strip Presents”. I only remember it slightly from the time it was on, but now when I look at the reruns I think it’s brilliant. I love the format, they’re like half-hour movies, miniature masterpieces. The Show was on from 1982 to 2000. Unfortunately they have never released DVDs of this show, Pity, this is going to be like one of those things people will pick up on some day in the future and realize it was a classic.
Some of the great episodes were Bad news Tour: A Documentary about a Heavy Metal Band “BAD NEWS”. Doing the Spinal Tap thing years before Spinal Tap. Another Great one is Mr. Jolly lives next door, about a ridiculous pair of escorts.
There are two episodes of the Fabulous Five, the hilarious adventures based on the children’s stories by Enid Blyton.. Another favourite of mine is Summer School written by Dawn French where a college anthropology experiment goes amuck.. Saunders wrote one episode, “Slags”, a take-off on Sci-Fi movies of the time and West Side Story, she also co-wrote with Dawn French the episode “Consuela, or, the New Mrs. Saunders a spoof on Hitchcock’s Rebbecca. There wasn’t another show like it: highly original, and outrageously funny. You can find it in Britain on Pal videotape. Saunders also appeared in 2 episodes of “the Young Ones” which starred her real life husband Adrian Edmondson along with Rik Mayall, Nigel Planer and Christopher Ryan (who would play Marshall in Absolutely Fabulous). Another great show which is largely forgotten today is “Girls on Top”. This one is available on DVD and I would highly recommend it. At the same time another BBC comedy she appeared in was the unfortunate “Happy Families”, which was shelved so that Red Dwarf could be produced. This actually wasn’t a bad show, and worth a second look.

I especially like how they frequently used life at the BBC TV Centre as the backdrop of their scenes. Finally in 1992 Saunders reached international renown with the series Absolutely Fabulous. The show was developed from a sketch on French and Saunders called “mother and daughter”, where Saunders played hippie mother to French’s Stoic daughter. Saunders expanded on it creating the legendary characters Patsy Stone and Edina Monsoon (which is a play on Saunder’s husbands last name Edmondson). After 3 highly successful seasons, Saunders tried to end the show in 1995, with a two-part final episode, but it was not the end, In 1996 a 2-part special was made then the series was not seen for 5 years. In 2000 the complete cast from Absolutely Fabulous assembled for a new show called “Mirror Ball”. Looking back on it, I think it could have made a very good show, but everyone wanted to see Patsy and Eddy, and next year they came back. The first few episodes were a bit mediocre but when the show got going it was back to it’s superb level. Again in 2003 there was a series and recently in December 2004 a special called “the White Box” with all of the regulars and guests Nathan Lane and Miranda Richardson. During a break in taping the White Box, Saunders told the audience that there would not be another series, but she will continue to do specials of the show. The French and Saunders Show Continues, they did a series last year and were great as always.

Following are television productions in which Jennifer Saunders appeared: The Young Ones Interesting – 7 December 1982 Time – 5 June 1984 The Comic Strip Presents Five Go Mad in Dorset - 2 November 1982 War – 3 January 1983 The Beat Generation – 17 January 1983 Bad News Tour – 24 January 1983 Summer School – 31 January 1983 Five Go Mad on Mescalin – 2November 1983 Dirty Movie – 7 January 1983 Susie – 14 January 1984 A Fistful of Travellers Cheques – 21 January 1984 Gino: The full story and pics – 28 – January 1984 Eddie Monsoon, A Life 4 February 1984 Slags (Written by Jennifer Saunders) – 11 February 1984 Consuela, or, The New Mrs. Saunders (Written by Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders) - 1 January 1986 Private Enterprise – 2 January 1986 The Strike – 20 February 1988 More Bad News – 27 February 1988 Mr. Jolly Lives Next Door – 5 March 1988 South Atlantic Raiders Part 1 – 1 February 1990 South Atlantic Raiders Part 2 – 8 February 1990 GLC: The Carnage Continues – 15 February 1990 Oxford – 22 February 1990 Spaghetti Hoops – 1 March 1990 Red Nose of Courage – 9 April 1992 Wild Turkey – 24 December 1992 Space Virgins from Planet Sex – 29 April 1993 Demonella – 20 May 1993 Jealousy – 27 May 1993 Four Men in a Car – 12 April 1998 Happy Families Edith - October 17 1985 Cassie - October 24 1985 Madeleine - October 31 1985 Joyce - November 7 1985 Roxanne - November 14 1985 Reunion - November 21 1985 Girls on Top Four Play - 23 October 1985 Staying Alive – 30 October 1985 C.O.D. – 6 November 1985 Cancel Toast – 13 November 1985 Ident: Candy Time – 20 November 1985 Skankin’ – 27 November 1985 Hark – 4 December 1985 Mr Fluffy Knows Too Much – 30 October 1986 Big Snogs – 6 November 1986 Who’s Ya Uncle Shelley? 20 November 1986 Bring Me More Flamingoes 27 November 1986 Mr. Yummy Brownie – 4 December 1986 Lower the Donkey – 11 December 1986 French and Saunders Season 1 (6 episodes – no titles) 9 March 1987 – 13 April 1987 Season 2 (6 episodes – no titles) 4 March 1988 – 15 March 1988 The Sound of Music – 15 March 1990 Whatever Happened to Baby Dawn – 22 March 1990 The Exorcist – 29 March 1990 Dangerous Liaisons - 5 April 1990 Gentlemen Prefer Blondes - 19 April 1990 No Title – 26 April 1990 Misery -18 February 1993 The Silence of the Lambs – 25 February 1993 The Seventh Seal – 4 March 1993 In Bed with French and Saunders – 11 March 1993 French and Saunders: the Special Edition – 18 March 1993 Thelma and Louise – 25 March 1993 The House of Idiot - 1 April 1993 Baywatch – 4 January 1996 Loveheart – 11 January 1996 Franco e Sandro – 18 January 1996 Batman – 25 January 1996 Pulp Fiction – 1 February 1996 The Quick and the Dead – 8 February 1996 Dr Quimn, Mad Woman – 29 February 1996 Season 6 (6 episodes – no titles) 15 October 2004 – 26 November 2004 Specials: Christmas Special - 28 December 1988 Christmas Special – 30 December 1994 Titanic – 24 December 1998 Witless Silence 2 May 1999 The Phantom Millennium – 28 December 1999 The Egg – 29 March 2002 Christmas Puddings – 25 December 2002 Harry Potter and the Secret Chamber pot of Azerbaijan – 14 march 2003 French and Saunders Actually – 26 December 2003 I Can’t Believe It’s Music part 1 – 1 April 2005 I Can’t Believe It’s Music part 2 – 7 April 2005 Absolutely Fabulous Fashion – 12 November 1992 Fat – 19 November 1992 France – 26 November 1992 Iso Tank – 3 December 1992 Birthday – 10 December 1992 Magazine – 17 December 1992 Hospital – 27 January 1994 Death – 3 February 1994 Morocco – 10 February 1994 New Best Friend – 24 February 1994 Poor – 3 March 1994 Birth – 10 March 1994 Door Handle – 30 March 1995 Happy New Year – 6 April 1995 Sex – 20 April 1995 Jealous – 27 April 1995 Fear – 4 May 1995 The End – 11 May 1995 Parallox – 31 August 2001 Fish Farm – 7 September 2001 Paris – 21 September 2001 Donkey – 28 September 2001 Small Opening – 5 October 2001 Menopause – 12 October 2001 Cleanin’ – 17 October 2003 Book Clubin’ – 24 October 2003 Panickin’ – 31 October 2003 Huntin’ Shootin’ & Fishin’ – 7 November 2003 Birthin’ – 14 November 2003 Schmoozin’ – 28 November 2003 Exploitin’ – 5 December 2003 Specials: How to be Absolutely Fabulous - 6 January 1995 The Last Shout (part 1) - 6 November 1995 The Last Shout (part 2) - 7 November 1995 Absolutely Fabulous: A Life - 28 October 1998 Gay – 27 December 2002 Cold Turkey – 24 December 2003 The Story of Absolutely Fabulous – 2 January 2004 White Box – 25 December 2004 Mirrorball - 12 November 2000 Let Them Eat Cake The Pox - 9 September 1999 Murder - 16 September 1999 The Portrait - 23 September 1999 Making Voopee - 30 September 1999 A Marriage of Convenience 7 October 1999 The Royal Command Performance 14 October 1999 Websites: BBC Absolutely Fabulous Site French and Saunders.com