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Home > Categories > Entertainment > Television > A Bit of Fry and Laurie - Series 1 review
Our Cheeky Little Hero Returns! Stephen Fry (Absolute Power, Bright Young Things) and Hugh Laurie (House) met in the early 1980s when both at Cambridge. Fellow student Emma Thompson recommended Fry when Laurie was looking around for someone to help him write a pantomime. The two discovered a common sense of humour and began to work together regularly.
After a Christmas pilot in 1987, the BBC commissioned a series in 1989, A Bit Of Fry And Laurie. Witty and urbane, Fry and Laurie explored a seemingly inexhaustible list of subjects with a delicious turn of phrase and elaborate wordplay. With perfect awareness of their characters physical presence they bring the intelligent, charming and surreal sketches to life with zest and the sheer love of being silly for the sake of it.
Sketches included insipid MI5 agent Tony Mercheson and his fervently patriotic boss Control, yuppies John and Peter intent on "putting Utoxeter on the map - dammit", and Hugh Laurie's razor sharp music parodies and bizarre mock interviews. A real gem of a program for anyone who likes their humour dry, with a hint of genius!
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Review by: kymmage (Kym)
Dated: 2nd of February, 2012
We purchased this DVD not long ago. I'm a huge English comedy fan, especially of the early 80s/90s, alternative comedy, etc. My first taste of Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie was in Blackadder. But I do have vague memories of watching this sketch show on reruns late at night.
Sketch shows can be pretty hit or miss, but I always find the English are masters at it. This DVD is awesome. The material is a bit dated; the guys look really young (because they were younger). But itâ ™s a great showcase of their early talents in scripting, acting, music (largely Laurie) and comedy as a whole. And even though the material is sometimes dated, it is still laugh out loud funny which says a lot about their delivery of the material.
I'll definitely keep my eye out for the other seasons on DVD to add to my collection.
Review by: tucker (Karl)
Dated: 1st of September, 2006
I love these guys... along with Benny Hill, Kenny Everett and various appearances of Rowan Atkinson, they shaped my sense of humour in the British style... layered humour, subtle wit, thoughtful or even surreal humour, instead of slapstick and canned laughter.
So it was with great joy that I saw this first series collected onto a single DVD and at quite a good price too. With many classic skits I recall from their first appearances, plus plenty that I had missed. It was great to go back and revisit the roots of the humour that tickles my funnybone best.
Overall, for the classic Brit comedy lover, this should be a staple on your shelves. There were a few places where I could have sworn Stephen Fry was trying to sound like John Cleese, but I think that just added to the charm and humour of it all. I was howling with laughter.
Random listing from 'Entertainment'...
Olde Hallows Eve
Sunday 27 October
7pm - midnight
By The Pricking Of My Thumbs, Something Wicked This Way Comes
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"Character - the willingness to accept responsibility for one's own life - is the source from which self respect springs."
Joan Didion (1934 - ), 'Slouching Towards Bethlehem'
