Ab-Fab mimics Seinfeld (Spoiler?)

Only very occasionally do UK viewers get the scoop on anything that might possibly be of interest to those in the US but I believe Absolutely Fabulous has quite an audience over there. Having seen the first episode of the new AF series I must say I enjoyed it but... it 'borrowed' a couple of elements from recent US sitcoms:

a) Patsy gets a paralysed face from plastic surgery injections and can't express emotions (as did Niles in Frasier a few seasons back) b) Edwina having got similarly paralysed face is mistaken for being mentally disabled. (re The Jimmy)

Or is it just a symptom of age when everything new you see just reminds you of something you've seen already? :)

"Tod Friendly" wrote in message news:9mpfq8$ei7$[email]...

Fabulous

new

elements

mentally

you

You speak the truth..though I was laughing so much at Edwina's drooling I didn't even think of Kramer, who was superb in that episode. I think the 'paralysed face' theme was really belaboured; they need more jokes, and they seem to be trying very hard to be topical (ie New Labour, dot-coms, etc). Still, I'll certainly tune in for a few episodes and see how it develops. In terms of UK comedy there's little to choose from, though I think 'Spaced' is hilarious.

Yrs

darkandstormy

"darkandstormy" wrote in message news:3b9052b9$[email]...

might

they

'Spaced'

I caught on to Spaced very late. It was the episode which begins with the anti-Jar Jar Blinks rant that got me watching - very funny. I think the best 'sit-com' I saw last year was Paul Whitehouse's Happiness. I hope they make a 2nd series.

On Sat, 1 Sep 2001 03:02:14 +0100, "Tod Friendly" wrote:

There are also elements in Seinfeld that "remind me" of other past shows as well. For example. Jerry's famous line "Not that there's anything wrong with that." refering to homosexuality, was actually done a few years before on "Coach". In that episode the football Coach finds out his star quarterback is Gay! and uses the line near the end of the episode. (luckily for Jerry not too many other people ever watched Coach) Did Jerry consciously "steal" the line? I don't think so. But I think he may have heard it and applied it in exactly the same circumstance. Is that plagerism? Maybe? Should he be condemned for it? I hope not. Am I mimicking an episode? I think so.

Coach, one of my faves. Loved the ep in the first season where Luther and Hayden are caught up in the treehouse when Luther throws the rope down. I feel that Coach was highly underrated. Craig T. Nelson showed a great comic side.

I don't think it was anything more than coincidence. NTTAWWT is not a distinctive line, it's more of a generic method for eliminating any personal aspect of a perceived negative or otherwise socially suspect comment. It's a lot like "I don't mean that in a bad way." But what made it distinctive was how if was used often, and by a number of different characters, every time homosexuality was touched on in that episode.

Dave (but I could be wrong.)

"Tod Friendly" wrote in :

Actually the original AF was done in 1992-1995, so the borrowing might be done other way round. Or is it the American version you are talking about? Don't know anything about it. :-)

-jani

"Jani Kivisola" wrote in message news:[email]...

be

I think you misunderstood. I'm talking specifically about the brand new first episode of the new series of the British Ab Fab which was broadcast last Friday and had elements in it which were lifted from US sitcoms which predated it.

"Tod Friendly" wrote in :

What's that? I knew that they are producing a new British show with same cast, but it's not supposed to be AF.

-jani

"Jani Kivisola" wrote in message news:[email]...

Jani, You're sapping my strength :) Last Friday at 9.00 on BBC1 in the United Kingdom of Britain and Ireland the first episode of the new series of Absolutely Fabulous aired. I watched it on my television while sitting on my sofa alongside a friend. Perhaps both of us hallucinated but even I think I'd have remembered constructing this entire website to commemorate said hallucination:

From: http://www.frenchandsaunders.com/specials/abfab4/guide/

"So this is series four, but how did we get here? Having already passed into comedy legend, Edina Monsoon and her entourage were outward-bound in 1996 when 'The Last Shout' wrapped up Absolutely Fabulous.

...

The new series will air in September 2001 as the comic summit of BBC1's autumn season. In North America it premieres on Comedy Central (which also co-produces the show) and is repeated three months later on BBC America."

Note "September 2001". Need I (can I?) say more?

"Tod Friendly" wrote in :

This is all new information to me. Thanks. I guess it takes a couple of years until Finnish TV finds out about that... :-(

-jani

"Jani Kivisola" wrote in message news:[email]...

No problem. (And I'd been wondering where that name originated)