Call Sheet: Absolutely Pastoral

Fans of Jennifer Saunders have cause for celebration; the comic legend that brought us "Absolutely Fabulous" is back with a new series, "Clatterford," premiering on BBC America this week.

The ensemble comedy, featuring Saunders's longtime collaborator Dawn French and stalwart Joanna Lumley, is set in rural southwest England. According to an interview in the Times:

While at first glance “Clatterford” appears to be a showcase for well-known British comic actresses in full character tilt, the overall portrait is one of pastoral inclusiveness. “The countryside is always made out to seem like it’s a little bit evil,” Ms. Saunders said. “Then I looked around and thought, ‘No, it’s actually very interesting.’ ”

With its charmingly bucolic settings, funny-sad story lines and the Kinks’ “Village Green Preservation Society” as its lilting theme song, it is easy to imagine “Clatterford” being embraced in the United States as a “Gilmore Girls” without the Gilmores and just the eccentric residents of that show’s sleepy hamlet, Stars Hollow. In November, when “Clatterford” was shown on BBC 1 under the title “Jam & Jerusalem” — a reference to the common perception that Women’s Institute branches are little more than excuses to share preserves recipes and warble hymns — it attracted roughly 6.7 million viewers, a hit by British standards. The BBC quickly commissioned a second season, even though reviews were generally negative.

“I think it was split half and half,” Ms. Saunders said, adding that The Independent and The Guardian “absolutely just loved it.” (She’s obviously not referring to The Guardian’s year-end wrap-up, which filed it under “Turkey.”)

Nevertheless Ms. Saunders has been around long enough to know that perceptions change. “It was like that when ‘Ab Fab’ came out: most people thought it was a disaster,” she said. “I think it takes people time.

We did a little digging around YouTube and found the series, under its original Brit appellation "Jam & Jersualem." Watch it here. It's not AbFab in the country, but it does have its charms. Particularly Dawn French's dotty character.

Jennifer Saunders Goes Absolutely Bucolic [NYT]