Julia Sawalha Julia Sawalha Julia Sawalha (born 9 September 1968) is an English actress known mainly for her role as Saffron Monsoon in the BBC sitcom "Absolutely Fabulous". She is also known for portraying Lynda Day, editor of the "Junior Gazette", in "Press Gang" and Lydia Bennet in the 1995 television miniseries of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice." Additionally, she played Dorcas Lane in the BBC's costume drama "Lark Rise to Candleford", Carla Borrego in "Jonathan Creek", and Jan Ward in the 2014 BBC One mystery "Remember Me". Sawalha was born in Lambeth, London, the daughter of Roberta Lane and actor Nadim
British sitcom consciously avoids traditional situation comedy themes and storylines to branch out into more unusual topics or narrative methods. "Blackadder" (1983–1989) and "Yes Minister" (1980–1988, 2013) moved what is often a domestic or workplace genre into the corridors of power. A later development was the mockumentary in such series as "The Office" (2001–2003). The first British television sitcom was "Pinwright's Progress", broadcast by the BBC from 1946 to 1947, but the form did not take off until the transfer of "Hancock's Half Hour" from BBC radio in 1956. Hancock biographer John Fisher dates the first use of the term 'situation comedy'