Jennifer Saunders doubts Absolutely Fabulous would be commissioned today amid ‘woke’ culture

One of the UK’s biggest hits, Absolutely Fabulous pushed the envelope when it came to edgy comedy in the 1990s.

But Jennifer Saunders thinks that most of the jokes in the classic sitcom wouldn’t be aired today due to cancel culture.

The television star, 62, said that the new ‘woke’ mind-set has changed comedy and people now ‘talk themselves out’ of telling any jokes that might be considered controversial.

‘Yes I think it has changed comedy like what we used to make. I think we would probably talk ourselves out of most of it now,’ she said during a talk at the Garrick Theatre. ‘It would be like, ‘We won’t have a good answer so let’s not do that.’

‘I think people do talk themselves out of stuff now because everything is sensitive in a funny way and what could be made to seem sensitive and it stops a lot of the fun maybe like jokes. I remember jokes. Silly jokes and stuff.’ 

No go! Jennifer Saunders believes her legendary sitcom, Absolutely Fabulous, would have never gotten off the ground had she pitched it in 2021 [pictured in 2020]

Miss Saunders said that when she first started her comedy act French and Saunders alongside Dawn French, it was a reaction to some of the more old-fashioned comedians who were considered ‘sexist and racist.’

She said: ‘I do think people are more wary of what they say and do now, certainly.

‘And probably some of it is not bad as when we started as alternative comedians it was a sort of a reaction against the mainstream comedians who were considered sexist and racist.

‘There is always a backlash against stuff.’ The writer and actress said that it’s ‘not a crime to have an opinion’ but it is starting to become so in modern society.

She said: ‘What p***** me off? Quite a lot of stuff actually. I get p***** off by people and gentle criticism all the time. This is a modern thing isn’t it?

‘If someone says something it always has to be, ‘Oh, but sorry. You can’t say that.’ I say, ‘Oh f*** off.’ 

Too much for Gen Z? The comedienne, 62, created the series in 1992 and starred alongside Joanna Lumley in it as boozy drug-popping Edina Monsoon and her best pal Patsy Stone

Classic: The series lasted five seasons and continued on TV in the form of one-off special episodes until 2012. It then spawned a movie in 2016

‘It’s not a crime to have an opinion or say something. It is always so petty and small mindedness p***** me off, bigotry and small mindedness.’

Ab Fab originally ran on the BBC from 1992 to 1995 and was revived from 2001 to 2004. It has returned for a number of special episodes and Comic Relief sketches.

A big-screen version of the hit sitcom was released in 2016.

Despite its continued popularity and cult following, Miss Saunders said that they are unlikely to make any more anytime soon.

‘I think Ab Fab is unlikely to be honest. We are old. Bed. I mean I suppose it could but it would be a series more than a film. I don’t know,’ she said.

‘And French and Saunders the same. Dawn likes to write books and I like to do my garden. It’s hard to do those things as there is an expectation.’ 

Gone are the days of silly: ‘I think people do talk themselves out of stuff now because everything is sensitive. It stops a lot of the fun, maybe, like jokes. I remember jokes. Silly jokes,’ Jennifer said

More to come? However, Jennifer – despite dismissing the idea of another film or a new series of Ab Fab in the past – hinted it might not be the end yet

The sitcom’s comedy mostly rode on the fractiousness between Edina and her uptight daughter Saffron, played by Julia Sawalha. Eddy often found herself torn between her best friend Patsy and the disapproving Saffy.

The show also featured Jane Horrocks as PR maven Eddy’s madcap assistant Bubble, and June Whitfield as Eddy’s mother.

June’s last appearance in the franchise was, like the rest of the cast, in the 2016 big screen adaption, in which Eddy and Patsy were forced to flee the country after nearly killing Kate Moss.

June died in December 2018, two years after Jennifer insisted she was ‘done’ with Ab Fab. 

Iconic cast: The sitcom’s comedy mostly rode on the fractiousness between Edina and her uptight daughter Saffron, played by Julia Sawalha. The show also featured Jane Horrocks as PR maven Eddy’s madcap assistant Bubble, and June Whitfield as Eddy’s mother [pictured in 2011]

Loss: June died in December 2018, two years after Jennifer insisted she was ‘done’ with Ab Fab [pictured in one of the early episodes]

Despite a positive reaction to the film, and rumblings of a sequel, she told the Daily Mail in late 2016: ‘I’m not doing anything more with Ab Fab. That’s it. That. Is. It. I can’t see the point of doing anything else with it, really.’

Yet, in October 2018, she told an audience at Cheltenham Literature Festival that the idea of continuing Ab Fab was ‘always on my mind, always’.

She said: ‘I am thinking at the moment of writing a little something. It has to be age-appropriate otherwise we’d have to be in wheelchairs basically. I think Julia is old enough to be my mother now.’

She also touched upon political correctness at the time, saying: ‘I think it is harder to write what we used to write because there is just always someone tutting in the back of your mind. ‘Oh what do you think? Don’t you think someone might be offended?’ It is very tiring!’ 

Box office hit! The 2016 big screen adaption saw Eddy and Patsy flee the country after nearly killing Kate Moss [pictured]

TBC? In October 2018, Jennifer told an audience at Cheltenham Literature Festival that the idea of continuing Ab Fab was ‘always on my mind, always’

Timeless classic: Ab Fab ran for three series until its supposed two-part finale The Last Shout in 1996. However, it was rebooted for a fourth run in 2001 and a fifth season was made in 2004

Bring them back! The film followed in 2016 and this is, to date, the last fans have had of the franchise

Joanna, 75, said at the end of 2020 that the future of Ab Fab was entirely in Jennifer’s hands and to ‘wait and see’.

The show was developed from a sketch Jennifer wrote with her long-term comedy partner Dawn French in 1990, titled Modern Mother And Daughter.

The basis of the sketch became the premise for Ab Fab, which ran for three series until its supposed two-part finale The Last Shout in 1996. However, it was rebooted for a fourth run in 2001 and a fifth season was made in 2004.

Several one-offs followed, with the last TV episode to date airing in the summer of 2012, focusing on Eddy hosting Micheal Douglas at her house for the London Olympics.

The film followed in 2016 and this is, to date, the last fans have had of the franchise.