A Bit of Fry & Laurie

I liked Jeeves & Wooster a lot. But it wasn't until I saw BlackAdder that I truly became a fan of Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie. Over the years I have shifted more toward Laurie than Fry, with "House" completing that shift. (Okay, I'm a House fanatic.) But, living in the U.S., I had never been able to see ABOFAL (other than the occasional sketch posted to the internet). Fortunately, the first two series are now out on DVD. And I've just finished watching the first one.

These men are spectacular together. The acting is beyond reproach. But it is the writing that deserves special note. It is sharp, funny, sly, silly and merciless in skewering the pompous and the ordinary alike. But, above all, it never condescends. They assume the audience is a smart as they are.

I'm tempted to give an example, but so many of the sketches have hilarious twists at the end and I wouldn't want to ruin any of the punchlines for future viewers. But I can promise you at least two or three laugh-out-loud moments in every episode (even if you are watching all by yourself, as I was.)

I do have one quibble which kept me from giving ABOFAL a score of 10. The person who mixed the soundtrack on the DVDs should be taken out and tortured. Slowly. And painfully. There is a laugh track that is silent until they get to a punchline. Then it is dropped in, loudly enough to rattle the walls, frequently ruining the next line. And, in the final sketch in Series 1, the music actually drowns out the actors.

Edit - I have since learned that ABOFAL did not use laugh tracks. The laughter was from the studio audiences (and those tapes have since been used as laugh tracks on other shows.) So the problem was not that they added laughter too loudly, just that the DVDs had a sound mixer who did not comprehend that letting the at-home audience hearing the dialog is more important than proving that the studio audience enjoyed themselves at the taping.

Monty Python's footballing philosophers sketch is a good example of the painful varsity guff that has been a part of British TV and radio right up until today's 'League of Gentlemen'. It isn't what Fry and Laurie do at all. They plough a completely original furrow of snatched conversation, admass and inane banter that forms an impressionistic picture of the most baffling and frustrating 'bits' of the British experience.

A collection of sketches and routines that could well baffle some foreign viewers who may not understand the love/hate relationship that most sensible Britons have with their country. For example, in mentioning the town 'Utoxeter' Fry and Laurie are able to throw the audience completely. One viewer may remember a trip to the town, another may never have been there but is able to wonder quite how unpleasant/pleasant it may be. Some will know that there is a race track there but know no more. And we all get to celebrate a name that is bound to be far more interesting than the place it's self. Don't let that put you off. Most of their material is more universal than this example implies. It's this kind of circular thinking that Fry and Laurie spend most of their time exploiting while also chucking in TV show pastiche, songs and quite a few traditional 'shop sketches' that simply leave Monty Python wheezing on the touch-line. What I mean is that random elements are seemingly clumsily adhered to tried and tested comedy formulae to create something quite striking and original.

It's not to everyone's taste but if you believe that stupidity and intelligence are the two vital sides of the comedy coin then this pair may be for you.

This is the BEST comedy sketch show I have ever seen, besides or perhaps alongside with Monty Python. Their characters are flawless and the duo are absolutely perfect for one another. Laurie wonderfully balances out Fry's excellent but at times overbearing presence, while Fry brings Laurie round and supports him subtly but effectively. Possibly the most outstanding aspect of this marvel is their hilarious and creative wordplay, which is made even better by Lauries comical physical comedy and Fry's occasional hilarious slapstick. An example of their creativeness is seen here:

Fry: "Which of sir's manifold hairs would he care to place in my professional care for the purposes of securing an encutment?"

Laurie: "Well, all of them."

Fry: "My, I haven't cut a full head of hair since before the war!"

Another favorite of mine is the recurring skit of Tony and his coffee-obsessed boss Control, as their interactions are robotic and excessively civil, while at the same time having innuendo like undertones. They supposedly work for the CIA.

This is, again, the most drop-dead hilarious show you will ever come across. If you see only one of Hugh Laurie's or Stephen Fry's works, let this be it!!!

Well, really I don't know what to write, as I summarised it all in the title of the review! "A Bit of Fry and Laurie" is a programme that is unique of its time. There were other surreal comedy products in the 80s, such as the Smell of Reeves and Mortimer, The Young Ones and some of the Comic Strip Presents material. However, this is the only mainstream show which managed to effectively bridge the gap between sophistication and comedy, yet somehow managing to avoid coming across as pretentious.

Often as silly as it is clever, the comedy never falls into the trap of alienating a certain audience, always having something for everyone to enjoy, yet never compromising its unique style in doing so.

It's no surprise that the stars of the show are Stephen Fry - renowned for his intelligence and cultured nature and Hugh Laurie - renowned for his quirky and laughter-inducing surreal style. Combined, they make a perfect team.

In the 80s and 90s Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson were known as the kings of the 'nob gag'. Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie will forever be the distinguished gentlemen of surreal wit.

A real gem of a program for anyone who likes their humour dry with a hint of genius! It is said that there are two types of comedy performers, clowns and wits but Fry & Laurie break this rule from the off. With perfect awareness of their characters physical presence they bring the intelligent, charming, surreal and downright odd sketches to life with zest and sheer love of wordplay and being silly for the sake of it. Note to the BBC please pull your finger out and release every last bit of this fine comedy series on dvd right now!