TELEVISION . . . "ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS"

The characters TIME television critic Ginia Bellafante says are perhaps the most original in recent sitcom history -- the boozing, selfish and slothful heroines of the hit British television show "Absolutely Fabulous" -- have inspired a cult of admirers worldwide. Although Comedy Central will air the final six installments of the show beginning Monday, the characters will not run out of plots. A movie version is in the works. And Roseanne Barr is trying to convince ABC execs that she can remake the show to suit a general American audience. Whether she can do so while still retaining the wry and raunchy feel of the original, says Bellafante, remains to be seen.