French and Saunders broadcast on 9 March 1987 on BBC Two, with the first series consisting of six episodes. With its popularity and high ratings, a second series commenced on 4 March 1988, followed by a Christmas special in late 1988. The third, fourth and fifth series', which broadcast between 1990 and 1996, and all consisting each of seven episodes, relied heavily on movie parodies, and some music parodies, alongside their own material such as the sketch "Modern Day Mother and Daughter" which spawned Saunders' popular sitcom "Absolutely Fabulous" in 1992. Classic movies parodied include "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?", "The Exorcist",
Jennifer Saunders Fabulous". The comedy was, in fact, based largely on a fourteen-minute "French & Saunders" sketch called "Modern Mother and Daughter". Saunders and French were going to star in the comedy together, but just as the studio had been booked, French received a long-awaited phone call confirming that an adoption agency had a new baby for her to adopt. Saunders proceeded to star in the comedy. The series, which she wrote and starred in as the irresponsible fashion PR agent Edina Monsoon alongside Joanna Lumley, who played Patsy Stone, brought her international acclaim and attention. The show ran for five full