Roseanne recently bought the rights to produce an American version of the hit British sitcom "Absolutely Fabulous."
Although those rights are supposed to be exclusive, Rose-anne will have to get in line. CBS is about to debut "High Society" (8:30 p.m., Ch. 2) - the network's second series that owes a lot to "AbFab."For those of you who've never seen the British show (which is avaible on this side of the Atlantic only on cable's Comedy Central), "AbFab" follows the adventures of Edina and Patsy, two for-ty-some-thing women who drink too much, smoke too much, take too many drugs and - at least in Patsy's case - have known far too many men.
The two sashay their way through life, oblivious to the fact that they've among the world's most messed-up people.
They're also screamingly funny characters you laugh at, not with.
When "Cybill' debuted on CBS back in January, it was instantly obvious that the fictional Cybill (Cybill Shepherd) and her best friend, Maryann (Christine Baranski) bore more than a passing resemblance to Edina and Patsy. Much toned down, of course.
The similarities between "AbFab" and "High Society" are even more pronounced.
At the center of "Society" is Dott Emerson (Mary McDonnell), a wealthy New York socialite who runs the publishing company she wrested from her husband in a divorce settlement. And, for no apparent reason, Dott is devoted to her best friend, Ellie Walker (Jean Smart) - a boozy, tobacco-addicted trash novelist whose morals are sort of nonexistent.
"She drinks too much. She should be in rehab," says Ellie's 17-year-old son, Brendan.
"Oh, that's not going to happen. The woman thinks 12-stepping is a country dance," Dot replies.
Worried that her liver may be giving out, Ellie has an instant answer - "I'll get a new one. People donate all the time. I'm rich. I'll jump to the top of the list."
Ellie's only real virtue is that she's not entirely obsessed with herself - she's also devoted to Dott.
"You are the kindest, sweetest woman I know," Dott tells Ellie. "Of course, if someone were having a seizure in your bathtub, you'd throw in your laundry."
In "Absolutely Fabulous," Patsy and Edina are counterbalanced by Edina's daughter, the straight-laced Saffron. There's a bit of that from young Brendan in "High Society."
"I think you're being brainwashed by that dangerous gang you run with," Dott says.
"It's the Young Republicans," Brendan replies.
But most of that counterbalancing task goes to Val Brumberg (Faith Prince), who was a friend of both Dott and Ellie years earlier when all three were in college. Instead of the New York social scene, Val moved to New Jersey with her husband - whom she's now in the process of divorcing.
Left without a husband, home, job or money, Val moves in with Dott - and Ellie is insanely jealous.
"I don't know why you're letting Val stay here. They have trailer parks for people like her," Ellie says.
"I'm stuck between Betty Crocker and Betty Ford," Dot says.
And it turns out that Val is pregnant, so she's even more in need of Dott's help.
Both McDonnell and Smart - whose character is the antithesis of the sweet, naive Charlene she played for five years on "Designing Women" - play their parts with gusto. Smart takes Ellie all the way over the top at times, but the comedy here is so broad (no pun intended) that it's appropriate.
Everything is played larger than life in "High Society." At times, it's a little too big and a little too crude. (Val's explanation of why she's divorcing her husband is unnecessarily vulgar.)
But there are some real laughs in "High Society." And laughs make up for a lot of failings.
There's also good potential here, and not just because of the three main characters. There are four good supporting characters in "Society," all of whom get laughs in tonight's pilot.
Dan O'Donahue plays it just right as Brendan. David Rasche is suitably irascible but not unlikable as Dott's reluctant partner. Luigi Amodeo, who plays Dott's flamboyant secretary, steals every scene he's in.
And Jayne Meadows is perfectly cast as Dott's mother, Alice Morgan duPont Sutton Cushing Farouk. (Even her daughter and grandson are unaware of her latest husband.)
Not to mention that "High Society" has the best opening since "Friends."
CBS doesn't have many hits these days. But, sandwiched between "Murphy Brown" and "Chicago Hope," "High Society" might just turn out to be one.