Eddie Redmayne, Tom Hiddleston Kickstart BAFTA Celebrations, Remember Albert Finney

Patrick Stewart, Michelle Yeoh, Jeremy Irons, Joanna Lumley and Jason Isaacs were also on hand at the pre-awards bash in London.

Eddie Redmayne, Tom Hiddleston, Patrick Stewart, Michelle Yeoh, Jeremy Irons and Anna Friel honored the charitable side of BAFTA on Friday night as London began its celebrations in anticipation of Sunday’s film awards with the lavish annual Film Gala, this year at the city’s Savoy Hotel.

Host of the Sunday film ceremony, Joanna Lumley, was showing no nerves ahead of her gig, saying she was “thrilled, looking forward to it so much." Returning for a second year to front the ceremony, Lumley told THR, “you don’t have to stress because it’s just me saying ‘isn’t our industry great and here are the brilliant people in it’.”

The death of actor Albert Finney was fresh on everyone’s mind, with Lumley saying she "adored: him. "We did A Rather English Marriage – I did it with him and Tom Courtenay. I couldn’t have loved him more. He was generous, funny, wise, ridiculously attractive. Everyone adored him, men and women alike. We used to do The Times crossword puzzle together.”

Hiddleston also worked with Finney and remembered him fondly. "He was the most kind, the most gracious, the most inspiring actor,” Hiddleston said. “It was really my first significant professional acting role, playing Randolph Churchill in The Gathering Storm, in which he (Finney) played Winston Churchill. I was 20 years old, very nervous, and he could not have been more charming and helpful, kind and considerate. And he bought me a whiskey afterwards!”

As for the evening’s gala, the aim of which was to raise funds to benefit those wanting to break into the industry, Hiddleston explained how BAFTA does “so much work, often unsung work, about leveling the playing field for everyone, keeping the doors open for everyone no matter where you’re from, whatever background. If you have a story to tell, BAFTA want to hear from you.”

Added Yeoh: "Any opportunity you get to be able to shine the light on a charity is always good. It’s important that we are not just seen to be doing something frivolous or glamorous, but it’s got heart and it’s got soul because I think the movies that we do have heart and soul, so it all ties in.”

Change is being seen, claimed Jason Isaacs. "When you work in the industry, and you may not know what BAFTA is doing, but you see around you the landscape is changing in terms of the number of women, people of color and people from different social backgrounds coming through the industry," he said.

After a champagne reception, a Great Gatsby-themed dance opened proceedings with host Claudia Winkleman welcoming on stage recent winners of the BAFTA young presenters’ scheme.

The Hollywood Reporter

Natalia Jamieson

Joanna Lumley and her Bond girls kneel before Toby Stephens as 007

RADIO TIMES
Susanna Lazarus
3:44 PM, 18 March 2014



There are many perks to playing James Bond – expensive suits, cool gadgets, Martinis on tap and, if you're Toby Stephens, the attentions of Joanna Lumley...

The pair are starring together in a new Radio 4 adaptation of Ian Fleming's fourth Bond novel, On Her Majesty's Secret Service and, by the looks of it, they're having plenty of fun during recording...

READ MORE HERE:http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2014-03-18/joanna-lumley-and-her-bond-girls-kneel-before-toby-stephens-as-007

Keira Knightley, Jude law, Ben Kingsley, Ioan Gruffudd, Joanna Lumley: 12 British Actors Who Got Started In Soaps By Fraser McAlpine | Posted on May 20th, 2013 (BBC America)

Joanna Lumley on ‘Coronation Street’ (Granada TV)

Never mind the Billboards, the real trophy-doling fun of the weekend happened on Saturday night, at the British Soap Awards, in which the great, the good and the downright torrid rubbed fake-tanned shoulders and practised the most outrageous Nominated Loserface in the bathrooms of MediaCityUK, Salford.

Coronation Street, the longest-running TV serial drama in the world. was the big winner on the night, taking eight awards compared to a comparatively paltry one for their main rivals, EastEnders. This despite both programmes going in with a roughly equal split of nominations: 16 for the former, 15 for the latter. Even the relatively lowly Emmerdale managed two awards, while the perpetually sexy Hollyoaks took home five.

Ioan Gruffudd -

This is my favorite: the future Mr Fantastic as a teenager, delivering his reedy lines in the Welsh-language soap that… well it didn’t exactly make his name, because Pobol Y Cwm wasn’t shown all over the UK, but it didn’t hold him back either.

Ben Kingsley (Coronation Street) -

Corrie was very much the making of Ben as a screen actor. He appeared as Ron Jenkins in the soap across 1966-7, and even appeared in a spin-off series called Pardon the Expression.

Keira Knightley (The Bill)

Jude Law (Families)

Families was an attempt by Granada TV to exploit the late ’80s/early ’90s craze for Australian soaps like Neighbours and Home and Away that had made pop stars out of Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan. The initial storyline concerned the fallout when businessman Mike Thompson chose to leave his British family to go and live in Australia with his lover, but later storylines included murder, suicide, drugs, adultery, prostitution and mental health issues. Oh, and Jude’s not the only one who walked away from this show with an enhanced career, some of the later episodes were written by Russell T Davies.

Let’s end with another two graduates of The Bill’s accelerated apprenticeship scheme:

READ MORE: http://www.bbcamerica.com/anglophenia/2013/05/10-british-actors-who-got-started-in-soaps/

Alan Davies and Sheridan Smith in Jonathan Creek: The Clue of the Savant's Thumb - preview pictures (RADIO TIMES)

Joanna Lumley, Sarah Alexander and Rik Mayall also star in the one-off Easter special of the beloved detective drama

Ellie Walker-Arnott

10:26 AM, 28 March 2013

After a three year hiatus, Jonathan Creek, aka Alan Davies, and his trusty duffle coat are returning to our screens.

The 90 minute drama will see Creek investigate a dead body which disappears from a locked study, a haunted Catholic girls' school and a sinister local society...

Starring Joanna Lumley, Sarah Alexander, Rik Mayall, Nigel Planer, Hasina Haque, Mark Frost and Michael Lumsden, The Clue of the Savant's Thumb will air on Easter Monday at 8:30pm on BBC1. Rising star Sheridan Smith will also reprise her role as Creek's side kick paranomal investigator Joey Ross in the Easter special.


READ MORE: http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2013-03-28/alan-davies-and-sheridan-smith-in-jonathan-creek-the-clue-of-the-savants-thumb---preview-pictures

Absolutely Fabulous... the movie? Joanna Lumley confirms partner in comedy Jennifer Saunders IS penning a screenplay (MAIL ON LINE)

Absolutely Fabulous film due out 'in time for 2014 Oscars'

By DENI KIRKOVA
PUBLISHED: 13:31 EST, 25 January 2013 | UPDATED: 13:31 EST, 25 January 2013

 'Is champers all right with you, Pats?', 'Lovely darling.'

The unmistakeably posh lexicon of hit TV series Absolutely Fabulous, also known as Ab Fab, is set to return to screens as soon as next year, in the form of a feature film, it has been revealed.

The woman behind lead character Patsy Stone - a botox, champagne and drug addicted magazine editor - has confirmed an Ab Fab movie is on the way.

Joanna Lumley, 66, confirming the news reported in the Mail last year that a film was in the pipeline, told the Telegraph: 'We've talked about it, Jennifer [Saunders] is writing the film.

'Although yesterday the press were saying it's a musical now! But whatever it is, I'll be there.'

She also said while she's alive no-one but her will play Patsy, even if that means brushing up on her all but non-existent singing and dancing skills.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2268259/Absolutely-Fabulous--movie-Joanna-Lumley-confirms-Jennifer-Saunders-writing-screenplay.html#ixzz2J5vYKLjI 
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YOU interview with Joanna Lumley: 'It’s for charity, schweedie!' By LIZ JONES (MAIL ON LINE)

‘I have all these clothes at home… I thought to myself, “Don’t be selfish”,' says Joanna

When you meet Joanna Lumley, it’s disconcerting. She’s so Patsy, the Absolutely Fabulous comic creation surely up there with Inspector Clouseau, Sybil Fawlty and Bridget Jones, and yet at the same time so not.

She arrives at the auction house in South London where her wardrobe – including her Ab Fab outfits – is about to go on sale, all long legs, thigh boots and poncho, and when she smiles hello she almost does that Patsy grimace: bared teeth accompanied by a wild snort.

The enthusiasm is the same, the striding about, the air-kissing of everyone in the room. But of course Joanna Lumley is not Patsy. She tells me she only really becomes the character when her hair is up in that trademark beehive.

‘That’s all my own hair, you know,’ she says. ‘I’ve got good working hair. Backcombed, of course. Jennifer Saunders called it Mr Whippy. I never used a wig or a hairpiece.’ I tell her the key to the character is that she remains just this side of reality, that I know people who have worked in fashion for too long who are just like Patsy, syphoning up dregs from all the near empty wine glasses in a restaurant as they leave, nothing to live for but the next Chanel show.

‘It was Jennifer [Saunders] as Eddy who wore all the extreme stuff, putting on lots of different looks at the same time,’ says Joanna. ‘The Lacroix, the oversize hip-hop medallions, the denim boiler suits: the key was that Jen always wore something either two sizes too big, or too small. Patsy dressed exactly as a fashion editor would: the perfect Chanel jacket no one else has got. She dressed immaculately most of the time, in lovely neutrals – she always looked elegant. The mistake people make when they dress up as her is that they make her quite tarty, which she wasn’t. I was Jennifer’s foil, always plain and simple.’

Joanna is selling 16 lots, including some from Absolutely Fabulous, worn across the series from 1995 to 2011, the films Trail of the Pink Panther and Curse of the Pink Panther (1982 and 1983), and The New Avengers TV series (late 70s). There are also items from her personal wardrobe, such as the Pucci dress she wore to celebrate her opening night in La Bête on Broadway in 2010, and the ivory and gold lace Tatters dress she wore to collect her Bafta Special Award for The New Avengers in 2000, all to raise money for the Prince’s Trust.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/you/article-2219050/Joanna-Lumley-Its-charity-schweedie.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

Uptown Downstairs Abbey Parts 1 & 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5dMlXentLw

For those of you who haven't seen it yet - the Downton Abbey spoof from 2011 Red Nose Day



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3YYo_5rxFE&feature=relmfu

Ab Fab snub Madonna ACCESS ALL AREAS, The West Australian July 13, 2012, 11:05 am

Jennifer Saunders has banned Madonna from appearing on her smash-hit comedy Absolutely Fabulous. Saunders, who writes and stars in the popular series with Joanna Lumley, has made no secret of her desire for Madonna to appear on the show over the last two decades but has now given up after the Material Girl has continued to snub her requests. "We have had loads of celebrities who have said no to us, but always Madonna. Madonna is the bane of our lives," Saunders said. "In fact even if she said yes now we would have to turn her down. Madonna has always said no - and so are we."




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhwDGU4FNAY&feature=player_embedded

Saffy’s back and Absolutely Fabulous By Rob Salem (TORONTO.COM)

Ignored, insulted, breastfed by strangers, sold into white slavery, exposed from atop the Eiffel Tower . . .

Julia Sawalha had finally had enough.

“When I was asked to do the 20th anniversary special, I was reticent about it,” confides the actress who has, as Safflower “Saffy” Monsoon, barely tolerated the antics of her fictional mom Edwina (Jennifer Saunders) and chain-smoking nemesis Patsy Stone (Joanna Lumley) in several seasons and specials of Absolutely Fabulous, the cult-hit Britcom about the rich and toasted.

“I felt I had put Saffy to ‘sleep’ and wasn’t sure if I could resurrect her,” she says. “It was kind of like she had turned into a ventriloquist’s dummy that was lying in a dusty old box, and if I got her out I would just be working her like a puppet.

“But as Jennifer emailed me a couple of ideas she had planned for Saffy, I immediately roared with laughter and everything sprang to life.”

The first of those ideas, and the starting point for the first of two half-hour AbFab specials airing on Vision TV this Thursday and July 5: Saffy has just spent two years in prison on fraud charges.

Sawalha, like Saffy, takes these things in stride. “I don’t have a reaction to storylines, as we have quite a thin grasp of the text/plot when we first start,” she says. “I never get attached to certain lines or plots, as things get cut and changed right up to the last minute.

“Though you can get a recurring joke that pops up in the next script, then gets cut again, that always makes me laugh.”

Laughter sets the tone on the AbFab set. “There is an awful lot of laughing that goes on during rehearsals . . . what I really love is seeing Jennifer laugh; it is very infectious. Also, when she is laughing, of course it is going to be at something very funny.”

Memories of those days made the decision to come back a no-brainer. “Jennifer’s enthusiasm to work with us all came across very clearly,” she says.

“I thought, ‘Are you crazy, Julia? You love working with the girls, Go have some fun.’

READ MORE:http://www.toronto.com/article/734561--saffy-s-back-and-absolutely-fabulous

'Downton Abbey' parodies, tributes inspire series creator 'Downton Abbey' creator Julian Fellowes has seen some of the tributes to his series, and he's fond of one of them. Arby's, anyone?By Glenn Whipp, Special to the Los Angeles Times June 14, 2012 (LA TIMES)

JULIAN FELLOWES, "Downton Abbey's" creator, had his hands full at the Emmy Awards last year. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

"Downton Abbey"creator Julian Fellowes has watched all the parodies of his show — Jimmy Fallon's "Downton Sixbey," the "Saturday Night Live" skit re-imagining "Downton" as an obnoxious SpikeTV series, the dog website that pairs the program's characters with canine counterparts.

But one sketch has captured Fellowes' fancy more than any other.

"That fast-food chain you have with the name something like Arbus," Fellowes says, calling from his home in Dorset, England. Arby's? "That's it. 'Downton Arby's.' That one gave me so much pleasure. The gags display such an understanding of the characters. I loved watching [problem middle daughter] Edith getting it all wrong, being depressed and ripping open those packets of horseradish sauce with her teeth."

The ubiquity of the "Downton" tributes and parodies owes as much to Fellowes' well-defined characters as fan fervor. The stoic Mr. Bates, the sour-faced schemers O'Brien and Thomas, the bumbling Edith, the haughty Dowager Countess are all ripe for roasting, and the estate's heated rivalries and backbiting translate nicely into almost any workplace environment.




READ MORE:  http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/emmys/la-en-downton-side-20120614,0,5115308.story

BBC America to show raft of Brit shows for Summer of London (TELEVISUAL)

BBC America is running a season of British programming this Summer, from The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in June through the London Olympics in August, live event coverage will be accompanied by a raft of comedies, documentaries, dramas and special features across all of BBC America’s branded platforms under the umbrella - BBC America’s Summer of London.

Programming will include live coverage of both the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant for Her Majesty The Queen and Jubilee Day, including Service of Thanksgiving at St. Paul’s Cathedral.

As a tribute to the London Olympics, the channel will air the long-awaited Olympic themed Absolutely Fabulous special starring Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley and Doctor Who’s Matt Smith stars in the drama Going for Gold – The ’48 Games.

The channel will premiere The Brit List, a series of specials hosted by BBC America’s pop culture correspondent Asha Leo, as well as a series of Asha Leo hosted short-form pieces featuring insider highlights of the upcoming summer activities.

The last great British culture invasion will be celebrated with a slate of Beatles programming, including the premiere of the documentary Discovering Lennon and the entire series of The Tudors.

Perry Simon, general manager of BBC America, said, “It feels like we’re in the midst of a new British cultural invasion and this coming summer offers a non-stop series of events and stories that will put London front and centre on the world stage.  If you can’t experience it in person, we want to make BBC America the next best place for Americans to celebrate this historic Summer of London.”

On Sunday, June 3, in recognition of the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign on the throne, BBC America will present an entire day of specials and documentaries including the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant live. The channel will show the US premiere of The Diamond Queen, written and presented by Andrew Marr and executive produced by Nick Vaughn-Barratt.

On June 5th, the celebration carries on with live Jubilee Day coverage including the Service of Thanksgiving at St. Paul’s Cathedral. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, together with other members of the Royal family, will attend a service of thanksgiving at St. Paul’s Cathedral, which will be followed by a formal carriage procession.

READ MORE:  http://www.televisual.com/news-detail/BBC-America-to-show-raft-of-Brit-shows-for-Summer-of-London_nid-1611.html

Jennifer Saunders: Kate Moss is least precious guest star

Jennifer Saunders says Kate Moss is the "least precious" guest star 'Absolutely Fabulous' has ever had because she doesn't care about her looks.

The 38-year-old supermodel will appear alongside comediennes Jennifer and Joanna Lumley in a one-off special of the BBC One show in aid of Sport Relief tomorrow night (23.03.12) and Jennifer revealed Kate threw herself into her cameo and wasn't worried about her appearance.

Jennifer - who is the face of the new Choccy Philly campaign - exclusively told BANG Showbiz: "We've got Kate Moss, Stella McCartney and David Gandy. We've done French and Saunders stuff with Kate before and she's been wonderful so it was great to work with her again.

She's really good, she's really professional and she looks amazing. "She comes in, lets the hair and make-up people do whatever they want, she isn't precious about her appearance at all but I suppose when you look like that you don't need to. You can put anything on her face and she'll look good. She is honestly probably the least precious person we've had on. I suppose because she doesn't have all those hang ups about her looks like other people. She just threw herself into it and was wonderful."

READ MORE:  http://www.list.co.uk/article/41191-jennifer-saunders-kate-moss-is-least-precious-guest-star/

Kate Moss is Absolutely Fabulous in new role (THE SUN)

She was praised for her guest performance on an Absolutely Fabulous sketch by Joanna Lumley, who plays the show's Patsy Stone.

The special instalment of the cult comedy will be shown during an evening of programmes on BBC1 in aid of charity Sport Relief 2012 this Friday.

Appearing as herself, Kate will join Essex model David Gandy and designer Stella McCartney for a meeting with boozy fashion director boss Patsy. Meanwhile, Jennifer Saunders' character, barmy PR boss Edina "Eddy" Monsoon, will be joined by former Spice Girl Emma Bunton as she takes to the gym to work out for Sport Relief with celebrity trainers Linford Christie and Colin Jackson.


READ MORE:  http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/4203455/Kate-Mosss-Ab-Fab-role.html

'Absolutely Fabulous' Bloopers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99ekAJU903M&feature=player_embedded#!

Actress Joanna Lumley braves danger in search of Noah’s ark in Iran Joanna Lumley, the actress, will defy Foreign Office advice and travel to Iran to film a documentary about Noah's ark.(THE TELEGRAPH)

By Richard Eden7:30
AM GMT 18 Mar 2012

Joanna Lumley has campaigned on animal welfare issues, fought for the rights of Gurkhas, and even attempted to win membership of the all-male Garrick Club.

Now, however, the actress is planning her most daunting mission yet. The star of Absolutely Fabulous tells Mandrake that she is to defy Foreign Office advice and journey into Iran, in search of Noah’s ark. “I’m going to have to get my hard hat on and my bulletproof vest,” she says.

“I’ve got a new documentary to make for the end of the year, where I’m going to try and find Noah’s ark. They’ve found the ruins of something that looks like a big ship in the hills.”


READ MORE:  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/9150497/Actress-Joanna-Lumley-braves-danger-in-search-of-Noahs-ark-in-Iran.html

'Absolutely Fabulous': Second 20th Anniversary Special Gets Premiere Date On Logo (Huff Post)

                 

Posted: 1/18/12 12:14 PM ET                                   

Sweetie, darling! Edina and her pill-popping friend Patsy are back! Jennifer Saunders (Edina) and Joanna Lumley (Patsy) return for an all-new, second "Absolutely Fabulous" 20th Anniversary special on Logo.

This is the second of three planned TV specials. The "Absolutely Fabulous 20th Anniversary Special" aired earlier this month, to stellar reviews, on both Logo and BBC America.

Here's how Logo describes the second "Ab Fab" special:

In the newest special, titled “Job,” Edina (Saunders) takes on a celebrity client who wants to sing. When Edina discovers how awful her client’s voice really is, she'll need to recruit some help from her other clients, Emma Bunton from the Spice Girls and Lulu, to help prepare the client for her upcoming debut.

The second "Absolutely Fabulous 20th Anniversary Special" airs Mon., Feb. 6 at 10:30 p.m. EST on BBC America and Logo. Below, check out some of TV's "Ab Fab" women, past and present, who have Eddy and Pasty to thank.



http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/08/absolutely-fabulous-tv-inspirations_n_1192588.html

'Downton Abbey' Spoofed by Saunders, Lumley and Cattrall in 'Upstairs Downstairs Abbey' Video (She Wired)

By: Tracy E. Gilchrist

Sun, 2012-01-15 13:56

It’s a big night for the British import and phenomenon Downton Abbey with it up for several Golden Globes and with the American premiere of the show’s second season just last week.

The Masterpiece Classics’ show about the haves and the haves-nots living in the early part of the 20^th century has oft been compared to Upstairs, Downstairs and Gosford Park with its depiction of the lives of earls and ladies as well as maids, valets and footmen. But Downton Abbey goes a step further with its appeal in a sort of Remains of the Day meets Revenge sort of soapy, period piece drama.

Even the most beloved of television dramas can’t escape spoofing by British comedians, and who better to skewer than Absolutely Fabulous’ Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley and Sex and the City’s Kim Cattrall?

With that all said, in honor of Downton Abbey's Golden Globes debut we thought we’d post Upstairs Downstairs Abbey, a loving spoof that aired last March for the BBC’s Red Nose Day, the British equivalent of Comic Relief.

Watch Cattrall do a spot-on impression of Elizabeth McGovern’s American living in Britain Lady Grantham while Saunders takes on Maggie Smith’s killer one-liner spewing Dowager Countess and Joanna Lumley steps in as the head housekeeper Mrs. Hughes.

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http://www.shewired.com/box-office/2012/01/15/downton-abbey-spoofed-saunders-lumley-and-cattrall-upstairs-downstairs-abbey

French and Saunders redo Mamma Mia for Red Nose Day 2009

AB FAB sneak peek - Kardashians and the Royal Wedding

FESTIVE DOWNTON ABBEY A WINNER (spoilers) (Express.co)

Matthew (Dan Stevens) and Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) finally find happiness

NOT SINCE Del Boy and Rodders got lucky with that £6million watch in their Peckham lock-up has there been such an uplifting Christmas special.

Writer Julian Fellowes couldn’t have crammed more festive cheer into this crowd-pleasing, feature-length episode of Downton Abbey (ITV1, Christmas Day) if he had promised a yule log and a fireside chat with Lord Grantham to every viewer.

Downton just had it all and seemed especially gift-wrapped for the season.

It even resolved (for now) several plotlines that have kept us hooked, with added period flummery along the way.

We had an engagement, a nasty cad, a flirty bit, a dognapping, much business with a ouija board, a shooting party and finally a fist fight. carson even received that spiffing present from his Lordship, a book about european royalty, a real must-have. “i will certainly be enjoying that m’lord!” he chuntered. Hilarious.

I defy anyone not to have been entertained by this episode, even if they were sleeping off Christmas.

Downton brought a warmth to the room.

We even caught sight of a christmas pudding, although we missed out on seeing the entire christmas table. Mrs Patmore must have had an attack of the vapours.

So what of the engagement?

Matthew Crawley and Lady Mary, in true Mills and Boon style, finally had an impediment to their happiness removed: a nasty newspaper baron.

With Iain Glen’s sir Richard Carlisle off the scene, Matthew did the decent thing and forgave Lady Mary for her dalliance with turkish diplomat Mr Pamuk.

We don’t wish to hear about that again, thank you.

Ever the gentleman, but with prompting, Matthew went down on bended knee in the fake snow to ask for her hand in marriage.

Before she said yes, we expected Mrs Patmore to rush out and declare her buns were on fire or that Lavinia had suddenly been found alive in the pantry.

As it turned out, nothing happened to spoil themoment. However, this was far from the highlight of the episode.ere are precious few punches thrown on television nowadays (unless it’s in eastenders) so the sight of two gentlemen “duking it out” on primetime TV in the Downton Abbey drawing room was a delight.

For some reason (important research), I’ve caught two John Wayne films recently and Matthew crawley wouldn’t have been out of place in the shootist. the poor dear even broke the skin on his knuckles. Bless. the only thing that would have topped this was a gentlemen’s duel on the front lawn with pistols. next series, please, Mr Fellowes.

THERE was much to applaud in Great Expectations (BBC1, Tuesday).

This new adaptation over three nights comes to the small screen with the long shadow cast from David Lean’s wonderful film still with us.

Although that film first aired on Boxing Day 1946, it is impossible to forget the image of John Mills as Pip.

It also chills me when the BBc says it is going to remake a classic using the words “bold” and “visceral” in the same sentence.

There was no need for concern, however, as the BBC treated us to the most atmospheric Dickens for many years.

there were some splendid performances too from both Pips in the first episode but the BAFtA- nudging turn came from Gillian Anderson as Miss Havisham. she was mad, intriguing, devilish and creepy; pure Havisham.

Ray Winstone’s Magwitch, too, was like a grease monkey who had been dragged backwards through a car engine. His scenes with Pip on the marshes were chilling and tormenting.However, it was the very words of Dickens that shone brightly through the mists of the marshes.

“If you can’t beat a boy at Christmas, when can you?” barked Pumblechook excitedly.

We all cheered for the seasonal return of corporal punishment or for Estella’s coldness to innocent Pip: “I suppose you don’t have time for the modern wonders of the world.”

There is nothing more enjoyably manipulative than a well-turned Dickens at Christmas.

When is a sitcom dead? Happily, we can report that there seemed to be much life left in Absolutely Fabulous (Christmas Day, BBC1). Indeed, the older the characters get, the funnier it becomes.

Jennifer Saunders’s writing is better than ever with pretty much a gag a line in this rollicking 30 minutes of comedy.

It is hard to believe that Ab Fab has been around since 1994. There were great performances too from Saunders, Joanna Lumley and Julia Sawalha (who had successfully escaped from the post office in Candleford).

Jane Horrocks also did a marvellous cameo, mocking Pippa Middleton’s walk down the aisle at the Royal Wedding. However, it was the topical gags which made the episode so funny, not least the new disease called “the Kardashians, multiplying before our eyes”.

The dream sequence involving the star of gritty Danish drama The Killing was inspired. Could there be scope for a new series? We hope so.

Finally, Laurence Fox was allowed out of Oxford and away from Lewis for Fast Freddie, The Widow And Me (ITV1, Tuesday), the made-to-order Christmas weepie.

You know that if a child walks into a hospice in the first five minutes you are not in comedy-drama territory.

Despite the bizarreness of the idea, in which millionaire Fox “hired a family” for the dying teenager, you kept watching and wondering when Freddie would twig. He did, eventually, and the nasty posh car salesman (Fox) was redeemed.

Expect a sequel in which he gives a Bentley to a starving tribe in Africa.

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/292841/Festive-Downton-Abbey-a-winner