This is the pilot for what was intended to be a new sitcom called Mirrorball. Although it's written by Jennifer Saunders, and includes all of the main cast members from AbFab, as well as some of the supporting cast, the plot and characters in Mirrorball are different, despite many personality similarities to the AbFab characters. After this was filmed, Saunders was inspired to revive Absolutely Fabulous in 2001, and the Mirrorball series was never produced.
The show centers around Vivienne Krell (Saunders) and Jackie Riviera (Joanna Lumley), two aging stage actresses who live in vertically adjacent flats. The two are of questionable talent, and their careers seem to be at a standstill. During the course of the pilot, Vivienne has the opportunity to be cast in a new show but delivers a horrifying rendition of the standard "Send in the Clowns", thanks in part to Jackie's off-kilter advice (Jackie shouts at her from off-stage to "Sparkle! SPARKLE!").
