The Best Episodes of Absolutely Fabulous

Episode Rankings

1. #1 Fan Favorite
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   8.7/10(444 votes)

   #1 - Poor

   S2:E53/3/1994

   Edina discovers that both Marshall and Justin have cut off their alimony. After Saffy conspires with Edina's accountant, Edina is led to believe that she is poor, and reluctantly agrees to reduce her expenses. However, during a trip to the supermarket, she and Patsy fill three trolleys with groceries and steal a crate of champagne.

   Director:Bob Spiers

   Writer:Unknown

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   Director:Bob Spiers

   Writer:Unknown
2. 

   8.7/10(451 votes)

   #2 - Sex

   S3:E34/20/1995

   Patsy convinces Edina to hire two male prostitutes (through Edina's hairdresser Christopher) for an orgy on the night of Saffy's uni presentation. However, Edina is unable to loosen up, and the prostitutes are not particularly enthused, either. Patsy attempts to enliven the mood by playing a video of an orgy from their youth, only to find that it has been accidentally switched with a tape of Saffy's school project.

   Director:Bob Spiers

   Writer:Unknown

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   Director:Bob Spiers

   Writer:Unknown
3. 

   8.6/10(443 votes)

   #3 - Death

   S2:E22/3/1994

   When Edina's father dies, a grief-stricken Saffy is horrified by her mother's apathy. However, once she realises her own mortality, Edina purchases expensive artwork, which she plans to leave behind when she dies. Marshall visits with his new grief-counsellor girlfriend, Sondra, who panics upon discovering that the corpse is to be placed in Edina's living room for the wake. Despite being banned by Saffy from attending the funeral, Edina shows up anyway, taking Patsy along.

   Director:Bob Spiers

   Writer:Unknown

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   Director:Bob Spiers

   Writer:Unknown
4. 

   8.6/10(374 votes)

   #4 - Small Opening

   S4:E59/28/2001

   Saffy's first play, Self-Raising Flower, a look at her troubled relationship with Edina, is due to open at a local theatre. Worried about being portrayed in a negative light, Edina unsuccessfully attempts to sabotage the play. As the rest of the family gather for the opening night, Saffy decides to invite Edina, who reluctantly attends with Patsy.

   Director:Christine Gernon

   Writer:Unknown

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   Director:Christine Gernon

   Writer:Unknown
5. 

   8.5/10(424 votes)

   #5 - Happy New Year

   S3:E24/6/1995

   As Edina and Patsy prepare to attend an underground New Year's Eve rave, they receive an unexpected visit from Patsy's estranged older sister Jackie. Patsy insists on bringing Jackie along, much to Edina's dismay. However, Patsy is disappointed to learn that Jackie is no longer the jet-setting, drug-addled party animal she used to be.

   Director:Bob Spiers

   Writer:Unknown

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   Director:Bob Spiers

   Writer:Unknown
6. 

   8.4/10(552 votes)

   #6 - France

   S1:E311/26/1992

   Edina and Patsy holiday in France, where they find themselves staying in a rustic cottage, rather than the château they were expecting. There is no food or wine, and the duo are constantly disturbed by an old man whose French they cannot understand. They're later rescued by Saffy, who arrives with supplies, and Bubble, who tags along to deliver an urgent message concerning Edina's home decorating business, but she forgets about it.

   Director:Bob Spiers

   Writer:Unknown

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   Director:Bob Spiers

   Writer:Unknown
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7. 

   8.4/10(502 votes)

   #7 - Hospital

   S2:E11/27/1994

   Patsy becomes the subject of a tabloid sex scandal following an affair with a married MP. Edina checks into a hospital for surgery after injuring her big toe. Patsy tags along, planning to undergo a chemical peel in preparation for her interview with Hello! magazine.

   Director:Bob Spiers

   Writer:Unknown

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   Director:Bob Spiers

   Writer:Unknown
8. 

   8.4/10(369 votes)

   #8 - Birth

   S2:E63/10/1994

   Patsy falls asleep with a lit cigarette, and accidentally burns down the Monsoons' kitchen. She and Edina later plan a night out, but they decide to stick around after learning that Saffy is expecting a date, much to her chagrin. To make matters worse, Mother inadvertently locks the trio in the living room on her way to the chemist's, forcing them into uncomfortable conversations about love, sex and motherhood.

   Director:Bob Spiers

   Writer:Unknown

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   Director:Bob Spiers

   Writer:Unknown
9. 

   8.3/10(517 votes)

   #9 - Iso Tank

   S1:E412/3/1992

   Patsy helps Edina break in her new isolation tank upstairs, while Saffy works with classmates on a presentation for her sixth form college's open day. Edina, feeling useless after a newly dedicated and proficient Bubble hauls charge of the office, takes a sudden interest in her daughter's work and begs to be invited to the open day. Saffy vehemently refuses, so Edina spitefully threatens to adopt a Romanian orphan.

   Director:Bob Spiers

   Writer:Unknown

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   Director:Bob Spiers

   Writer:Unknown
10. 

    8.3/10(481 votes)

    #10 - Birthday

    S1:E512/10/1992

    Edina is none too pleased about her fortieth birthday. As opposed to the glamourous, star-studded surprise party she had hoped for, Edina is disappointed to learn that Saffy has planned a quiet lunch with family and friends—including both of Edina's ex-husbands, Justin and Marshall, and their respective new lovers, Oliver and Bo, as well as Patsy and Mother.

    Director:Bob Spiers

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Bob Spiers

    Writer:Unknown
11. 

    8.3/10(464 votes)

    #11 - Morocco

    S2:E32/10/1994

    Edina and Patsy travel to Marrakech for a photo shoot. They are accompanied by Saffy, who is interested in studying the local indigenous peoples for school. There, Edina and Patsy meet up with an old friend, Humphrey, who sexually harasses Saffy. At dinner, it is revealed that in the 1970s, Patsy spent a year living as a man until "it fell off", according to Edina. The following day, during a shopping trip to an outdoor bazaar, a spiteful Patsy decides to sell Saffy to white slavers. Edina and Patsy later go to the shoot location, but when no one shows up, they end up lost in the desert.

    Director:Bob Spiers

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Bob Spiers

    Writer:Unknown
12. 

    8.3/10(379 votes)

    #12 - Door Handle

    S3:E13/30/1995

    Saffy grows impatient with Edina's unwillingness to have their kitchen remodelled after Patsy accidentally burnt it down. Edina's obsession with finding a particular door handle for the kitchen leads her and Patsy to New York City. After a shopping spree, Patsy persuades Edina to have her navel pierced.

    Director:Bob Spiers

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Bob Spiers

    Writer:Unknown
13. 

    8.3/10(296 votes)

    #13 - Panickin'

    S5:E310/24/2003

    Edina builds a panic room. Patsy is at her shop, Jeremy's, when Minnie Driver enters. Patsy, determined to become Minnie's stylist, invites Minnie to Edina's, where she has gathered racks of designer outfits with which to dress Minnie. When Minnie wants a necklace that Edina is wearing, Patsy and Edina fight for it, and accidentally lock themselves in the panic room.

    Director:Unknown

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Unknown

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14. 

    8.3/10(330 votes)

    #14 - Identity

    S6:E112/25/2011

    Edina collects Saffy from prison, where she served two years for (unknowingly) providing asylum seekers with forged passports. Saffy later invites former cellmate Baron to the house, unaware that Baron was once Patsy's drug dealer and Patsy still owes her £50,000. And now Baron refuses to leave until she's repaid.

    Director:Mandie Fletcher

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Mandie Fletcher

    Writer:Unknown
15. 

    8.2/10(378 votes)

    #15 - Jealous

    S3:E44/27/1995

    Edina becomes frustrated when she loses a prestigious PR award to rival Claudia Bing, despite having bribed the judges. Worried about her dwindling career, Edina works on a campaign in hopes of upstaging Claudia. Meanwhile, Saffy becomes romantically involved with Gerard, her psychology lecturer, until she discovers that he is married with children.

    Director:Bob Spiers

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Bob Spiers

    Writer:Unknown
16. 

    8.2/10(351 votes)

    #16 - The End

    S3:E65/11/1995

    Edina joins a New Age commune, but struggles to fit in and quickly becomes bored. Patsy is disillusioned with her new job in New York due to creative differences with her colleagues. Saffy settles into uni life and Mother spends her days at the house, drinking and ordering from the shopping channel. After realising that their lives are not the same without each other, Edina and Patsy happily reunite on top of Carnegie Hall Tower before returning to London.

    Director:Bob Spiers

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Bob Spiers

    Writer:Unknown
17. 

    8.2/10(343 votes)

    #17 - Paris

    S4:E39/14/2001

    Patsy is excited to be joining young supermodel Erin O'Connor for a magazine photo shoot in Paris. Edina and a reluctant Saffy come along for a mother–daughter spread. After learning that other models from her generation will also appear in the shoot, Patsy becomes competitive and constantly ignores the photographer's directions, much to his annoyance.

    Director:Bob Spiers

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Bob Spiers

    Writer:Unknown
18. 

    8.2/10(321 votes)

    #18 - Job

    S6:E21/1/2012

    When Saffy berates Edina for being lazy and incompetent, Edina and Patsy decide to impress her by booking her favourite French film star, Jeanne Durand, to perform at the Royal Albert Hall. However, they're dismayed when Jeanne lip-syncs instead of singing live.

    Director:Mandie Fletcher

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Mandie Fletcher

    Writer:Unknown
19. 

    8.1/10(540 votes)

    #19 - Fat

    S1:E211/19/1992

    Unable to fit into the majority of her clothes, Edina becomes determined to lose weight. At the office, she is horrified upon learning of an upcoming visit by Penny Caspar-Morse, a thin model that used to torment Edina about her weight. Edina unsuccessfully attempts to exercise, and with Penny arriving earlier than expected, she accepts Patsy's suggestion to undergo a liposuction.

    Director:Bob Spiers

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Bob Spiers

    Writer:Unknown
20. 

    8.1/10(465 votes)

    #20 - Magazine

    S1:E612/17/1992

    Patsy, temporarily staying with the Monsoons, becomes jealous when Edina reconnects with an old boyfriend. During one of her infrequent appearances at work, Patsy is assigned to host a fashion makeover segment on a morning programme. After clashing with the models, Patsy persuades Saffy and Mother to appear in their place, telling a tale of her emotionally distant mother as psychological manipulation.

    Director:Bob Spiers

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Bob Spiers

    Writer:Unknown
21. 

    8.1/10(396 votes)

    #21 - New Best Friend

    S2:E42/24/1994

    Edina frantically organises her cluttered house in order to host old friends Bettina and Max, who were once obsessed with minimalism. Feeling ignored by Edina, Patsy leaves in search of another lunch partner. When Bettina and Max arrive, Edina is disappointed to learn that they are now the hysterical, neurotic parents of a newborn. As the couple wreak havoc, Edina quickly leaves.

    Director:Bob Spiers

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Bob Spiers

    Writer:Unknown
22. 

    8.1/10(316 votes)

    #22 - Menopause

    S4:E610/5/2001

    Bubble accidentally emails Edina's clients' details to Claudia Bing, who poaches most of Edina's clients, including Twiggy. Patsy—recently diagnosed with osteoporosis—and Edina are horrified when Saffy forces them to attend a Menopausals Anonymous meeting organised by her. In order to save her business, Edina dupes Claudia into buying her TV company—which currently has no programmes—while Claudia also agrees to return several high-profile clients.

    Director:Christine Gernon

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Christine Gernon

    Writer:Unknown
23. 

    8.1/10(296 votes)

    #23 - Book Clubbin'

    S5:E210/17/2003

    Edina has a nightmare about Saffy's baby trying to stab her. It turns out that the face of the nightmare baby belongs to Saffy's midwife, who delights in teasing Edina about these nightmares. Edina expresses her displeasure about this baby. Saffy invites the baby's father to the house to tell him she is pregnant. In the meantime, Edina and Patsy have organised a book club, but no one is interested in reading any books except celebrity magazines.

    Director:Unknown

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24. 

    8.0/10(329 votes)

    #24 - Parralox

    S4:E18/31/2001

    Edina, now overseeing a television production company, is slated to make a guest appearance with client Twiggy on Richard and Judy's morning television show. Patsy has been injecting Parralox, a Botox-like substance, in order to freeze her wrinkles. Edina is persuaded to try Parralox as well, but she awakens the next morning with a paralysed face. In addition to costing Saffy a government job, Edina is replaced by Katy Grin, her new business partner and Bubble's cousin, for the appearance.

    Director:Bob Spiers

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Bob Spiers

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25. 

    8.0/10(281 votes)

    #25 - Birthin'

    S5:E511/7/2003

    Saffy is preparing her home birth kit, as she's due anytime. Meanwhile, Patsy is the hostess of the Style Awards at the Royal Albert Hall. Edina helps Patsy rehearse her speech but is interrupted by Katy, Bo and Marshall.

    Director:Unknown

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