“Absolutely Fabulous” Series Will Premiere on OUTtv Proud

As Patsy Stone says, “You can never have enough hats, gloves and shoes.” Or episodes of “Absolutely Fabulous.” 

The beloved British series is coming February 1 to OUTtv Proud, the FAST channel created by OUTtv, the world’s leading LGBTQ+ network and streaming service, and Fuse Media, the Latino-owned, global leader in inclusive entertainment. 

In “Absolutely Fabulous,” Edina runs a fashion agency, wears designer clothes and lives the life of a jetsetter. Her friend Patsy Stone smokes like a chimney, drinks like a fish and dresses like a dream. Life would be one long party - if only Edina's swotty daughter would stop complaining and start joining in like a normal teenager.

The BBC comedy series has won an International Emmy Award and multiple BAFTA TV Awards.  All five seasons of the series, as well as two later Christmas specials and the “How to Be Absolutely Fabulous” special, will begin streaming on OUTtv Proud in Q1 2024. “Absolutely Fabulous” is a BBC and Saunders and Frenchco-production. 

Continuing to tap into quality British humor, OUTtv Proud will also launch the series “Beautiful People” where Simon is 13 and pictures himself on the pages of the celebrity magazines with the “beautiful people” – except he lives in the suburbs of working-class Reading. His house in Edna Street is home to an extended family of assorted lodgers and oddball relatives including his dramatic mother – the fabulous Debbie, who sports peroxide-blond hair and spike heels, played by Academy Award-winning Olivia Colman. “Beautiful People” won Best Comedy Program at the Banff Television Festival and was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for Best Comedy Series in 2010. The series is a BBC co-production in association with Logo. 

OUTtv Proud will also begin airing “Cucumber” and “Banana,” two series created by critically acclaimed screenwriter and producer Russell T Davies (“Queer As Folk,” “Doctor Who”). “Cucumber” follows a middle-aged gay male couple in the Manchester gay scene whose lives intersect with younger LGBTQ+ characters and spin off into wild new directions. “Banana” gives an intriguing and often outrageous peek into the lives, loves and losses of some of those younger characters seen in “Cucumber,” offering a second, different perspective on the same story. Each series was nominated for the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding TV Movie or Limited Series. 

“’Absolutely Fabulous’ was an immediate international phenomenon when it first came out, striking a particularly appreciative chord with the LGBTQ community. We know today’s OUTtv Proud viewers will love its irreverent humor just as much,” said Marc Leonard, Head of Content and Marketing, Fuse Media. “I was honored to have helped bring ‘Beautiful People,’ ‘Banana’ and ‘Cucumber’ to life initially and am truly thrilled that new audiences get to discover the poignant comedy of each show on OUTtv Proud.” 

“These award-winning series fit perfectly within OUTtv Proud’s wheelhouse of celebrating LGBTQ stories and the people who inspire and entertain us,” said OUTtv CEO Brad Danks. “‘AbFab’s’ outrageous characters and the heartwarming humor of ‘Beautiful People,’ ‘Cucumber’ and ‘Banana’ will become must-watch favorites for OUTtv Proud’s subscribers around the globe.” 

OUTtv Proud is a FAST channel created by OUTtv, the world’s first LGBTQ+ network and streaming service, and Fuse Media, a Latino-owned, multiplatform entertainment company serving young multicultural audiences.

OUTtv Proud is part of Fuse’s expanding suite of DEI FAST channels, superserving LGBTQ+ audiences with a blend of rising stars and top talent in truly innovative programming, including many OUTtv original series, documentaries, films and specials custom-made to entertain, advocate for and galvanize global queer audiences. 

OUTtv Proud features more than 400 hours of content including popular series Call Me Mother, Hot Haus, and Iconic Justice prior to the launch of their new seasons in 2023. OUTtv Proud celebrates some of the most exciting LGBTQ+ creators and talent today such as trans activist and performer Peppermint; legendary drag performers Trixie Mattel, Katya Zamolodchikova, Bob The Drag Queen and Willam; reality TV icon Tiffany Pollard, and award-winning director Thom Fitzgerald.