Absolutely Fabulous: Season 4: 16x9 Widescreen (1 Viewer)

[AaronJB]

I just started watching the "Absolutely Fabulous" season 4 set and was suprised to see that the episodes are presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen.

The 2-DVD set also has commentary from star Jennifer Saunders and producer Jon Plowman.

 

[Julian Lalor]

The series was screened in 16:9 in the UK, so I would have been surprised if the DVD wasn't widescreen. Pity Series 4 is so lame in comparison to Series 1 and 2. And as for Mirrorball...

 

[MikeAW]

Can't wait to see it...I feel in LOVE with the show during a Comedy Channel marathon, picked up the box set immediately, and had my own marathon at home! One of the great British Tv series!

Did anyone get the French & Saunders DVD set yet ?????

 

[Mark-W]

Julian-
I loved Mirrorball when I saw it
on BBCAmerica, but at the time I was desperate
for anything new with Jennifer Saunders.
Also, two sets of French and Saunders
were just released "At the Movies" and
"Gentlemen Prefer French and Saunders."
Both contain some damn funny skits. I only
wish they would release ALL of the French
and Saunders series. Some of the
post-AB-FAB ones have made me laugh so hard,
I fell off the couch!
(If anyone has seen the one with Helen Mirren
and Julia Swalia in cameos, you know what I am
talking about!)

Mark

 

[Dan Brecher]

I think BBC shoot most, if not all stuff in 16x9 now...even the news!

Dan (UK)

 

[Jeff D.]

Excellent news dahlings!
Looking forward to picking this one up.
/Jeff

 

[Brian W.]

Well, I saw all of seasons 1-3, and I've only seen one episode of Season 4, but I have to say that, to me, it was by far the funniest AbFab episode I've ever seen -- the one where Saffy writes a play about her home life. I laughed so hard my stomach hurt.

 

[barry]

Were the first three seasons shot in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen as well?

 

[Mark-W]

It is nice that the forth season set also contains
two shorts from French and Saunders.
While I can see the early version of Edina's office
in the one skit, the spoof of The Silence of the Lambs,
doesn't appear to relate back to AB FAB at all. But,
it also had me laughing my ass off, so I am more than
happy for its inclusion!
As for the other extras, the snippets of Joanna Lumly
when she was a model in the 60s (for real) were
a revelation! OH MY GOD!
As a side note, the two DVDs of
French and Saunders can be had
for a mere $10 each at
www.deepdiscountdvd.com
Cheers, cheers, thanks a lot!
Mark

 

[David Allum]

Were the first three seasons shot in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen as well?

No, plain old 4:3.

 

[Jon Robertson]

I can't see why Series 4 got all the bad press it did - it was bloody funny!

 

[Mark-W]

Jon-
Over here in the US, AB FAB: Series 4 didn't get any
bad press that I noticed. TV Guide raved about it,
as did the other snippets I saw.
If anything, Series 4 was kind dealt the dreaded
"ho-hum" "been there; done that" curse.
(When it first debuted in the US, it was considered
quite racy for all the blantant drug use and
unconsequenced behavior....the US is still much
more prude and hypocricitcal
than the UK when it comes to sex & drugs.)
As for Series 4: I have watched most of the episodes
now, and they are every bit as funny as any in the
first three seasons.
What other people do or do not respond to en masse
has little to do with my enjoyment of it.

Mark

 

[Harrison Shinn]

On another note: The DVD Bonus features on the FRENCH & SAUNDERS discs are also 16:9 and are terrific! Especially THE PHANTOM MILLENNIUM in which Jennifer is Pork Dim Sum and Dawn is Toby Juggs Kenobi as well as Panty Padme and the Queen, whose makeup keeps changing (hilarious!). I was in hysterics watching this even though I'd already seen it on BBC America. I was wishing they'd include the TITANIC (Mega Movie Magic!) special that was hosted by Joanna Lumley. I also love the HOUSE OF IDIOT.

I see that "Living in a Material World" is up for pre-order at Amazon, but no release date is posted. Now all we need is THE LAST SHOUT.

I wonder if BBC Video will start releasing the older F&S shows. I used to watch them religiously back in 1987 and my VHS copies are on their last legs.

Cheers All!

Harry

 

[Antonio Silva]

For anyone here who has bought the Season 4 pack:

Does the extras include:

One-off special 'Mirrorball'

Interviews with Jennifer Saunders, Joanna Lumley and producer Jon Plowman

Commentary by Jennifer Saunders and Jon Plowman

Out-takes

Photo gallery

Subtitles for the hard of hearing

Some of those were already mentioned in this thread.

But does it include "Interviews with Jennifer Saunders, Joanna Lumley and producer Jon Plowman" and " Subtitles for the hard of hearing"?

By the way, these extras are supposed to be included in the R2 release of Season 4.

Can you help me?

Thanks,

António

 

[Juan C Toro]

Antonio:
The interview you mentioned is NOT on the DVD.
The DVD does not have subtitles, but is is indeed close captioned, so as long as you have a TV capable of displaying CC, you are OK.
The other features you listed, are indeed in the DVD.
Here is my comment:
Before there was “Cybil” or even “Sex and the City” on American TV, there was “Absolutely Fabulous” (or “Ab Fab”) in England. Although the American shows are not exact copies or even re-makes of this show, they do emulate a bit from Ab Fab, that remains original, and unsurpassed in dry and caustic humor, which is more common on the other side of the Atlantic.
This DVD contains the six episodes that comprise the fourth installment of the series, after a hiatus of several years. All episodes are presented in widescreen anamorphic format, and all of them are complemented by an audio commentary by star, writer and creator Jennifer Saunders, in conversations with producer Jon Plowman. They give us lots of details about the production, sets, locations, inside jokes; and sometimes they are as funny as the show itself. Jennifer Saunders is a very intelligent woman, and it’s a pleasure to listen to her comments. In reference to the influence of her show in American TV, she makes reference to “Sex and the City” in the commentary for the episode called “Donkey”, where she states her admiration for the show, the writing and the acting, and how she was trying to “copy” this show.
There are also all kinds of bonus materials, like hilarious outtakes, bios and notes, and we are treated to two short sketches from the “French & Saunders” show, but most important, the pilot for the series “Mirrorball”, with the entire cast of Ab Fab. This was a show about a group of out of work actresses, that after much consideration, the group decided to put their effort in the return of Ab Fab, which lead to Ab Fab Series 4.
This is an excellent show, which is well worth picking up, but all the bonus materials make the deal even sweeter. The six episodes In AB FAB Series 4 are: “Parralox,” “Fish Farm,” “Paris,” “Donkey,” “Small Opening” and “Menopause” in case you know them by name.
As Edina and Patsy would say, “Sweety Dahling!!!”
For full specs on this DVD, check:
www.toldyouso.net
Juan Carlos

 

[Harrison Shinn]

My bad. I'd posted earlier that both the Bonus Specials on the FRENCH & SAUNDERS discs were 16:9. Only the special on GENTLEMEN PREFER FRENCH & SAUNDERS is 16:9.

Cheers!

Harry

 

[Will_B]

Does anyone know what, if any, differences there are between the original DVDs and the new "repackaged" ones coming out in September (region 1)?

The "repackaged" versions of all the seasons (and the special) are cheaper, which is nice, but I'd like to be sure they didn't also cut any content out.

Anyone?

 

[Jonathan Kaye]

I think BBC shoot most, if not all stuff in 16x9 now...even the news!

Yes, the BBC has been shooting 16x9 for some time now, including news broadcasts (national and regional). The only exception used to be the Michael Parkinson chat show ("Parkinson"), as Parky felt that the wider ratio didn't add anything to the frame (there would just be dead space either side of him and his interviwees). For whatever reason, the BBC didn't insist on shooting it 16x9, so the show remained 4x3 up until he left the BBC and took the show to ITV (where, ironically, it's now shot 16x9!).