'CLATTERFORD' FALLS SHORT OF FABULOUS.Byline: David Kronke Television Critic Jennifer Saunders Jennifer Jane Saunders (born July 6, 1958[1] in Sleaford, Lincolnshire) is a BAFTA and Emmy Award-winning English comedienne, writer and actress. She first came into public prominence in the early 1980s when she became a member of The Comic Strip , the mastermind behind "Absolutely Fabulous Absolutely Fabulous is a British sitcom written by and starring Jennifer Saunders and co-starring Joanna Lumley, Julia Sawalha, June Whitfield and Jane Horrocks. It was broadcast on the BBC from 1992 to 2005, and is popularly referred to as Ab Fab. " and "French & Saunders," has written "Clatterford" to serve as something of a reaction to her more famously scabrous scab·rous adj. 1. Having or covered with scales or small projections and rough to the touch. See Synonyms at rough. 2. Difficult to handle; knotty: a scabrous situation. 3. creations. She's aiming at something in a minor key, perhaps, something more nuanced. But she can't resist the outsize out·size n. 1. An unusual size, especially a very large size. 2. A garment of unusual size. adj. also out·sized Unusually large, weighty, or extensive. moments, and serves them up repeatedly tonight, which sort of serves to torpedo the quirky character comedy. Ultimately, "Clatterford" feels like "Gilmore Girls Gilmore Girls is an American television drama/comedy created by Amy Sherman-Palladino and starring Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel. The series premiered on The WB on October 5, 2000 and ended on May 15, 2007, with its seventh season, which aired on The CW Television Network. " on angel dust -- noisy, in-your-face and potentially hazardous to your health. "Clatterford" concerns the members of a small-town women's club, though it takes a while to get to that point. It follows Sal (Sue Johnston), a nurse and the wife of the town's perpetually grumpy general practitioner general practitioner n. Abbr. GP A physician whose practice consists of providing ongoing care covering a variety of medical problems in patients of all ages, often including referral to appropriate specialists. . When he dies unexpectedly, and his funeral is chockablock with the requisite comic misfires, she opts to join the women's club. There's only one truly funny scene in tonight's episode, where the village's grief counselor -- herself a widow -- comes to minister to Sal, explaining to her the various stages of grief. When Sal drolly suggests she's skipped a stage or two, her earnest helpmate help·mate n. A helper and companion, especially a spouse. [Probably alteration of helpmeet (influenced by mate1). warns, "No, you can't do that; you have to do it in the right order." "Clatterford" reunites Saunders, as a self-satisfied society lady who's no fan of Sting's lute-playing; "AbFab" conspirator conspirator n. a person or entity who enters into a plot with one or more other people or entities to commit illegal acts, legal acts with an illegal object, or using illegal methods, to the harm of others. Joanna Lumley, playing an even more over-the-top elderly lunatic, who peddles her training-wheel-equipped bicycle furiously but gets absolutely nowhere; and her earlier collaborator Dawn French, who's equally broad as town lunatic Rosie. Only one episode of "Clatterford" was made available for review, despite the fact that the entire series has already run in England. Which suggests that future episodes don't rein in the loopiness or manage to improve upon the comedy. David Kronke, (818) 713-3638 david.kronke@dailynews.com CLATTERFORD - Two stars What: Life in an eccentric British small-town women's club. Where: BBC America. When: 10 tonight (time may vary for satellite subscribers). In a nutshell: Tries hard; perhaps too hard. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Colorful "Clatterford" characters, from left, are Sue Johnston, Jennifer Saunders, Joanna Lumley, Maggie Steed, Doreen Mantle, Pauline McLynn, Suzy Aitcheson and Dawn French. |
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