Mirrorball (TV 2000)

The main cast from "Absolutely Fabulous" appear as aspiring, out-of-work actresses.

Director:

Adrian Edmondson

Writer:

Jennifer Saunders

Stars:

Jennifer Saunders, Joanna Lumley, Julia Sawalha

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jennifer Saunders	...	Vivienne Keill
Joanna Lumley	...	Jackie Riviera
Julia Sawalha	...	Freda Keill
Jane Horrocks	...	Yitta Hilberstam
Harriet Thorpe	...	Cat Rogers
Tim Wylton	...	Brice Michaels
June Whitfield	...	Dora Vermouth
Matthew Francis	...	Theatre Producer
Sean Chapman	...	Mark
Alan Corser	...	Johnny
Andy Clarkson	...	Postman
Rupert Bates	...	Gordon
Nigel Ellacott	...	Jackie's Fan 1
Peter Robbins	...	Jackie's Fan 2
Bonnie Langford	...	Herself

Storyline

The main cast from "Absolutely Fabulous" appear as aspiring, out-of-work actresses.

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Plot Keywords:

alternative comedy

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Genres:

Comedy | Short

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 October 2001 (USA)

Also Known As:

Peilipallo

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

29 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Jackie Riviera: All the poppers in the world couldn't make that seem like an attractive package.

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Crazy Credits

The opening titles are a shot of a 70s disco mirrorball set to 22 seconds of Hugh Cornwell (ex The Stranglers) performing The Stranglers' hit "Heroes". The closing titles are ran over a black screen while June Whitfield can be heard singing "Awake, awake, springtime is here".

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Connections

References Space Precinct (1994)

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Soundtracks

"Send in the Clowns"
(uncredited)
Written by Stephen Sondheim
Sung by Jennifer Saunders

User Reviews

Show uss zee vay to ze next viskey barr...

Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant! Jennifer Saunders' pilot for a a potential new series is a classic in it's own right, growing from, but not overshadowed by it's AbFab roots. It is quite unfair (although natural enough) for this one-off to be compared so heavily to Absolutely Fabulous, as it is really quite different, apart from it's raking over the coals of celebritydom.

There are some truly inspired moments here. The scene in which stage great Bonnie Langford loses the role in "Angela's Ashes" (the musical no less!) to the obviously less talented Vivienne is priceless.

The characters are really quite different to the roles the cast played in AbFab. Freda is certainly less prim and prudish than Saffron, Vivienne is calmer and less frenetic than Edina, Jackie is less vapid than Patsy, and Yitta is not the vacant animated corpse that Bubble was, but rather an arrogant, spiteful young woman. Admittedly Dora seems a bit like Mother in some ways, but Dora truly is off her rocker, whereas Mother was obviously calculating her every off-the-wall-remark as a way to drive Edina insane.

All in all, "Mirrorball" is a good time all round and deserves to be enjoyed on it's own merits, not mearly as an offshoot of the AbFab phenomenon. It is available on the AbFab Series 4 DVD set. Don't miss it!