I don’t know about you, but I’m worried about the upcoming American version of Absolutely Fabulous. With good reason, really: Anybody who’s managed to sit through more than five minutes of NBC’s atrocious adaptation of the not-at-all atrocious Australian sitcom Kath & Kim knows exactly why. Still, I can’t really argue with the bit of casting news that broke this week: actress Kathryn Hahn will star opposite Kristen Johnston as Eddie in the Fox comedy.
Yeah, you’re sitting there at your computer right this second, yelling "WHO??!!" I get it. Hahn hasn’t had her big break yet, but if you’ve been to the movies at any point in the past few years, you’ll probably recognize her face. She was the only good thing in How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days, she played a memorably nosy neighbor in Revolutionary Road, and she mucked it up with Will Ferrell in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy and Step Brothers. She’s an underappreciated talent who has always reminded me of, well, another underappreciated talent named Ana Gasteyer — seriously, they’re dead ringers for one another. I’m excited to see what she does with the role of Eddie. (Full disclosure: I have a personal interest in seeing Hahn knock this one out of the park. See, in one of the weirder nights of my career as an EW staffer, I ate a lovely dinner at Mr. Chow with producer Christine Peters, Hahn, and her actor husband Ethan Sandler, who just earned 10 extra badass points with me because, according to his Wikipedia page, he lost his right thumb in a bear fight two weeks ago.)
What about you? Do you plan to watch the new AbFab? Have you seen Hahn’s work? If so, are you a fan? And do you think she can pull off the role of Eddie…or will this be another Kath & Kim-sized pile of doodoo? Lay it on me, PopWatchers.
Comments (1-30) of 44 Add your comment
Kath & Kim is actually pretty good if you have the attention span of more than 5 minutes. The first episode wasn’t as good as the rest, but give a show a chance. Geez!
Saw Hahn in Boeing-Boeing on Broadway and thought her comic timing was amazing. I’m on board with the casting choice.
She was hilarious on Broadway in “Boeing Boeing.”
A bear fight? For realsies?
AbFab is an absolutely fabulous, very 90s, ostentatiously British gem. I have my doubts that it will translate. However, I live in hope that someone will pull another “The Office”.
She was on Crossing Jordan and did a great job as the sympathetic counselor in the morgue. Although she’s very talented, AbFab is going to be a hard act to follow.
AbFab is a classic. If they take out all the outrageousness, which they will, it will not be worth watching. Just look at Coupling. Fantastic in its original form but reduced to sub-par acting and a laugh track in the transport over.
I’m worried that they’re not smoking in this one, they’re toning it down. One of the best things about Ab Fab was the “Darling Darling Darling I neeeeeeeeed a ciggie darling” and the excess etc. Ab Fab wasn’t worried about presenting ‘role models’ or anything crappy like that, and it was painfully hilarious.
If it becomes as hideous as the US Kath and Kim, I’ll cry. Not actually, but kinda.
I have hesitation as well– as Kath and Kim is awful, mainly due to Salma Blair– we will see.
sweety dahling, because it is AbFab, i will have to tune in.
I think the funniest things about AbFab were 1) they were British – and British sense of humor has not been known to translate well to the US and 2) they were like older ladies still trying to show how “tragically cool” they were – and they were in fact cool in an odd way. But I really can’t see how the show will work with two relatively young Americans. The whole backdrop to all the jokes was out ridiculous the two were in even trying to attempt the lifestyle they were leading. I’m not getting that vibe. And will Eddie have a daughter – will she be like a nerdy infant?
I will continue to watch the reruns of the original show on BBC America – it is all about the British accents, the over indulgence and how they are older and trying to stay relevant with what is going on around them. Why cant people come up with something new instead of doing a bad job of something that was already fabulous
She was hilarious in Step Brothers. She was def. one of the best thing about that just okay movie.
Can’t this country come up with its own ideas? Oh right. Cause when they do, they cancel something original and good. Let’s not ruin this great BritCom.
this is going to be the coupling fiasco all over again
it’s lily from crossing jordan! i wondered what ever happened to her. i’m still a little wary about the prospects for AbFab (the originial was so baudily awesome and the kath & kim reboot was so cringingly horrible….) but i am moving from the vehemently opposed cat to the slightly intrigued cat with this addition….
The show can be successful if they follow in the footsteps of The Office instead of Kath & Kim. The Office became “Americanized” – used our humor in the hilarious office dynamic that Gervais came up with. K & K is just a lesser carbon copy and the comedy doesn’t translate. If they can take the AbFab characters and make them American and speak to us then it could be great! And I’m a huge Hahn fan!
Caroline, I think you should call yourself a Hahn fahn. LOL
I also saw her in Boeing Boeing and she was very very funny.
Don’t know how they’ll pull this one off. Everything Edina and Patsy do proabably can’t be shown on American TV. We’ll see what happens. Kristen Johnston as Patsy seems a good choice.
I agree with what Eric said. American tv doesn’t allow the type of material on that made AbFab such a great show. I don’t want to see a cleaner version of Eddie and Patsy.
I’m glad you validated my ana gasteyer feeling. I sat through Revolutionary Road for two hours and wasn’t sure it wasn’t her.
I am such a huge AbFab fan and don’t know how I feel about an American adaptation. What makes AbFab fabulous is the ridiculous and hilarious drug use and alcholism that is Eddie and Patsy. Without that, I don’t know how the new show would look like. Plus Joanna Lumley as Patsy is marvelous, sweetie dahhhhhling! I did love Kathryn Hahn in How to Lose a Guy though. Either way, I’ll check out the new version.
I’m keeping my expectations very, very low for this. Hopefully it will be more ‘Office’ than ‘Kath & Kim’.
Kathryn Hahn is second in my mind only to Judy Greer as an actress who can make a supporting role memorable. I’m glad she finally got a chance to show her more serious side in Revolutionary Road, and I think she’s a definite asset to anything she’s in. Plus her husband really does sound pretty badass.
Why are they even re-doing this at all?
I didn’t even know this was happening! I’m sure Miss Hahn, like all of the other actors involved, are quite lovely…but the powers that be who have decided to recreate this AMAZING show…just…no…stop it.
Kristen Johnston has already been quoted as saying they do not smoke on the show and are trying to be more PC. Blerg! I guess we’re supposed to give it a chance. Jennifer Saunders is an exec producer, but…
I just can’t see the new Patsy repeating, “Buns so tight he was bouncing off the wall” on American TV…
I just can’t see the new Patsy repeating, “Buns so tight he was bouncing off the wall” on the American version…hope it’s successful..worth a shot!
I can just imagine the notes the network sent to the producers: “No smoking, no drugs, no cursing, no sex, please, we’re Americans.” Ab Fab is one of my top three sitcoms of all time, and this is going to be an unmitigated disaster.