Jennifer Saunders

Marking 30 years since inaugural Strip offering Five Go Mad in Dorset, Peter Richardson reunites the team in cosy Middle England. Original cast members Jennifer Saunders, Adrian Edmondson and Dawn French (and canine Timmy) star again as the Five, back together after 30 years apart, a spell that has forced four-fifths of the quintet to confront the grim reality of modern life. Following last year's weak Hunt For Tony Blair, this is a pleasing return to form - funny, thrilling and a little touching.

A documentary to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the comedy troupe and their satirical TV series The Comic Strip Presents. The show launched the careers of, among others, Rik Mayall, Ade Edmondson, Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders. Here the actors recall the first episode - a parody of The Famous Five - and The Strike, a Hollywood version of the Arthur Scargill story. A new episode airs this week.

Jennifer Saunders warns fans not to buy biography

Jennifer Saunders has branded a new unauthorised biography "ghastly" and urged fans not to buy the book.

Joanna Lumley: Absolutely Fabulous could go on forever

Joanna Lumley has said Ab Fab could go on forever, as she and Jennifer Saunders have discussed continuing until their characters are over 100 years old.

Jennifer Saunders scared during filming ITV documentary

Jennifer Saunders says riding a horse for a new TV show was terrifying - especially after Princess Anne warned her she could die.

I don't wish to raise unnecessary alarm, but there was a rather strange development at BBC1 last Monday as the continuity guy introduced the Absolutely Fabulous Olympic special. Because these were his exact words: 'Next tonight, comedy gold as Eddie and Patsy get into the Olympic spirit.'

My initial concern here was that the BBC appeared to have caught a nasty case of 'reviewing our own show' disease, which medical sources suggest was first brought into this country by a Mr S Cowell, of London. Half an hour later.

If this is to be the last we see of their grotesque creations they will never be able to say with any degree of honesty that they went out on a high.

I had an even greater problem. Namely, how do I go about suing the national broadcaster for a flagrant breach of the Trades Descriptions Act?
Because this was not gold of any kind, least of all comedy. In fact, for the most part it wasn't comedy of any kind, either.

Yes, there was the odd wry Olympics observation, although nothing that could touch the satirical majesty of BBC2's brilliant Twenty Twelve. And yes, there was a very clever sight gag when Patsy held up Eddie's body contouring all-in-one.
But the rest of the jokes were so lame that on more than one occasion I swear I spotted Derek Redmond's dad rushing up to help them over the line.

They saved the worst one - a real stinker about Clare Balding which I cannot even bring myself to commit to print here - until near the end. (Presumably the thinking was that they would get away with it because most people would have switched off by then.)

Of course, it is Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley I feel most sorry for. If this is to be the last we see of their grotesque creations they will never be able to say with any degree of honesty that they went out on a high.
In Olympic terms, they never even got near the podium.

At best it had the feel of a tired and uninspired end-of-the-run panto. At worst it was like watching a low-rent drag act spewing out filth and innuendo in the vain hope of getting at least one laugh in a grotty East End pub.

Plus, it was in no way helped by the most irritatingly intrusive laughter track in history, which featured one spectacularly loud woman who sounded like a hyena on HRT being fed into a woodchipper.

On a more positive note, it will have provided a welcome boost to David Jason's ego. Because thanks to some of the physical comedy on show here, his performances in The Royal Bodyguard have now slipped to No 2 on this year's Most Toe-Curling TV Slapstick chart.
David can also boast that the BBC didn't hijack his show and fill it with sneaky and self-congratulatory plugs for their upcoming Jubilee coverage. Jennifer Saunders didn't get off so lightly.

First say (the criminally wasted Julia Sawalha) had a line about how much better the TV coverage of the Olympics is in Britain than in Africa. Then Gran (the genuinely wonderful June Whitfield) gave the BBC another premature pat on the back with this closing thought: 'I don't understand why anyone would actually want to be there when they can watch it in comfort on the good old Auntie Beeb.'

Joanna Lumley interview

Joanna Lumley says "It's all up to Jennifer Saunders if there will be more. If she writes a film, I'll be in it."

Video: Saunders & Lumley carry Olympic flame

Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley jointly carried the Olympic flame in London, a day before the opening ceremony.

The pair, famous for their roles as Edina and Patsy in the hit comedy Absolutely Fabulous, held the torch together as they jogged along the King's Road in Chelsea.

Absolutely Fabulous Olympics special grabs 5.6 million

Absolutely Fabulous triumphed in last night's (July 23) ratings for its Olympics special, according to the latest overnight data.

Absolutely Fabulous review: Over the line with a bang

Perhaps it's a bit of a tenuous link for Absolutely Fabulous to have an Olympic games special-elite athletics and the world that Edina and Patsy inhabit don't seem particularly well paired-but nevertheless, all things considering, it works surprisingly well. If this does indeed turn out to be the final episode of Absolutely Fabulous, then thankfully it's a good one.