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Absolute Power

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Absolute Power is a British comedy series that is, at the time or writing, has completed its fourth radio series, all broadcast between 2000 and 2004. Towards the end of 2003, a six part television series was also aired on BBC TWO.

It is set in the offices of Prentiss McCabe, a fictional public relations company (or 'government-media relations consultancy') in London. Stephen Fry plays Charles Prentiss, while John Bird plays Martin McCabe. Prentiss is a man without morals, whose only objectives are money and power. He is portrayed as being the brains, while McCabe, though an excellent speech-writer, lacks his motivation and insight. McCabe's ambitions include retiring and drinking claret, and spends his life in a state of cynicism, lack of energy and bordem.

They often find themselves working on behalf of two rival clients, one of whom is often the shadier side of the Labour Government. This is usually something of an inconvenience as Prentiss is met by Archie Hilditch (Tony Gardner, Alex Lowe), a faceless member of the Government, in a deserted location (such as Frank Dobson's campaign headquarters), and told he needs to ruin the popularity of the organisation that he has spent half the programme building. It is probably a good thing in the end, as the firm relies on these payments since neither Prentiss nor McCabe seem to want to do any real work.

The third member of the company is Sandy (Siobhan Hayes), who is there as the office trainee, getting work experience for her NVQ level 2. She is usually doing all of work of the firm that the partners cannot be bothered to do, such as filling out thousands of public opinion polls in different handwritings, though she will only agree to do something if it can be twisted into one of the 'nine levels of competence' of her NVQ. Another member of the office is the useless Clive (Tom George) or as Martin calls him, 'thing', who often turns publicity stunts into bloodbaths.

Another regular character is the waitor, Maurice, who brings McCabe his claret. Each time he corrects the English pronunciation of Maurice to the French, and each time Prentiss puts him down with a verse like "One man by circumstance is in splendor set; whilst another irons pants in a laundrette. Go iron my pants, Maurice."

The series was devised and written by Mark Tavener, and logically follows the series In the Red, In the Balance, In the Chair, and In the End which he wrote with Peter Baynham. In some of these, Prentiss and McCabe (again played by Bird and Fry) are elevated members of the BBC, before getting kicked out. The idea is that after this they created Prentiss McCabe, which is the subject of Absolute Power. The tone and style of Absolute Power is so different from the In the... series that it can be regarded as a totally different programme. It was produced by Dawn Ellis.

The television series was written by Guy Andrews, Mark Lawson and Andy Rattenbury, and had the tag "spin is dead, long live PR". It was more dramatic than the radio series, and the characters and plots were deeper.

Prentiss McCabe is a much more powerful and respected organisation than in the radio series. Martin McCabe is no longer at all naive and is much more worldly wise. The less believable secret meetings with government representatives are gone and replaced with more believable cups of coffee with newspaper editors and private secretaries.

In the television version, there are more employees. Most notable are Jamie Front (James Lance) and Alison Jackman (Zoe Telford). While Jamie is a brilliant liar and naturally devious, Alison is very intelligent but too honest. Charles Prentiss said of her, "Most of the young people here at Prentiss McCabe don't know their arse from their elbow, but with Alison you know she'll join the Royal Arse Society and get a book about elbows from the library."

Also in the firm are Cat Durnford (Sally Bretton), the young party girl, and Nick Mayer (Nick Burns), Charles' PA.

Notable cameo roles in the television series have included:

Stephen Fry said of Charles Prentiss, "He's a brute of a man, out to win, with no morals, he's completely shameless. There's not much to say that's nice about him, except that there is some pleasure in watching a natural born killer at work and knowing whatever happens he will win."

The Radio Series

Series 1

Series 2

Series 3

Series 4

The Television Series

Absolute Power is also the title of a 1996 book by David Baldacci, and a of a 1997 film.