A Bit of Fry & Laurie

STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning

There's a snobby element of British society that can't do without their humour being 'refined' and 'sophisticated.' Cambridge graduates Fry and Laurie would, by their appearance and eleqution, fit this bill perfectly, and certainly a lot of the humour on offer in this series does test your sense of subtlety to the limit. But these two pithy academics also seem to have an interest in lampooning the lower classes they seem to have less in common with, so the humour covers a wider section of society than those this might be slightly more aimed at.

It was up to these guys to set the standard for fellow Cambridge 'footlighters' Mitchell and Webb and Armstrong and Miller, and their style does seem to have rubbed off, though arguably to less well effect. ABOFAL plays out like a wacky mish mash of ideas in the shape of sketches, where nothing is spared. Unlike more recent 'sketch shows' like Little Britain or That Mitchell and Webb Look, there are no real consistent characters here, just different set ups and scenarios for each new episode, with exceptions such as the people who seem to be stopped in the street and asked for their opinions in each episode. Many have commented on how 'british' the humour is, and this certainly rings true, but there also seems to be a deep affinity with America in a few of the sketches, such as 'Kickin' Ass' and the air force commanders, that doesn't let any of it get bogged down too much in Anglo culture. Indeed, Laurie would go on to achieve international fame as Dr. House in the hit series (as well as having a CD release in the pipeline, displaying his talent for country 'n western warbling that we see a bit of here), and we'd go on to learn that Fry was in fact almost born in the States and later wowed us with his Stephen Fry Does America programme, touring the country, so the early signs of this love and appreciation were already there.

The more modern Mitchell and Webb are eerily similar to this pair, with Fry and Laurie in the respective roles as the portlier, more hesitant one and the leaner, more dynamic sounding one. And while M&W are very good, it was doubtless up to this pair to really show them how it was done. ****

Having never seen ABOFAL on TV, I've now watched all of Seasons 1 and 2 on DVD. To be fair, one should note that not every sketch delights--some are perhaps a shade too random and give us little to hang on to or identify with; but when Fry gets going on his "overly-florid-speech" character, with Laurie as the increasingly put-out straight man, we're in LOL territory. A particular highlight of Season 2 is the extended sketch in which an effete, reticent Laurie is charged by Fry's menacing spy/terrorist with planting a bomb in a local restaurant--then this scenario plays out alongside two or three other situations in the restaurant--each one terrific--with Fry and Laurie playing multiple characters.

In addition to the six episodes of Season 2m the DVD includes a 45ish-minute "Cambridge University Footlights Revue" that, while inconsistent in tone and quality, shows off Fry and Laurie and some of their contemporaries (including Emma Thompson) at college-age, looking freshly scrubbed and adorable. Fry, in particular, had yet to gain his extra poundage--his slender face is beautiful and he is a veritable panther in terms of physical grace. He, solo, also has the best piece in the "Revue," a recitation called "The Letter" that recounts, with raucously funny wordplay, his Harkerian visit to Transylvania to respond to the legal needs of one Count Dracula. ("The journey through Eastern Europe had passed pleasantly enough. I'd picked up a little German on a previous visit, and he and I had met up again at Ragensberg. Now, night was just falling as I knocked on the mighty oaken door, and heard the answering echoes ring through the castle. After what seemed a cliché, iron bolts were drawn back..." "I tried to question Travolta as to the nature of the Count's business as I dressed for dinner, but he made the sign of the cross and said nothing. I asked him why there were no mirrors in the castle, but this time he made the sign of the very cross indeed, and spat." "The wind whistled all through the night, and other Welsh hymns. I arose early, made my toilet, sat on it, and then came down to breakfast.")

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.

Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie are known for their comical timing, wit and acting skills and until now one could only imagine what sort of mad magic will be created if they script down and act out a "sketch" themselves. A bit of Fry and Laurie encapsulates the talents of both of them in the perfect proportions to make the audience laugh. Not having to use a script, but just 'Bits' as the title suggests, makes it all the more light-hearted. The use of language to make something absolutely innocent, to outrageously funny is probably the most striking aspect. Sure they go overboard sometime, but hey like I said, its madness. Funny, insane, sometimes thought provoking and of course Fry and Laurie.

If you love comedy that can be intelligent and frivolous at the same time, A Bit of Fry & Laurie is the perfect show to view. Fry and Laurie each bring to the table their own form of comic genius which when combined becomes an explosion of guaranteed laughs. Anyone who has seen this show has their own favorite sketches. Some love the spy sketches in which Fry & Laurie satirize the British Secret Serivce and the mechanically amiable Tony and Control. Others may prefer the Utoxiter sketches featuring the pair as scotch-sucking John and Peter, always trying to outwit their rival, Margorie. My own personal favorites are Hugh Lauries singing numbers (particularly in the fourth series) and any sketch that involves Hugh Laurie and a bar (in particular the one with Fry as the piano player whom he forces to play "Strangers in the Night." For those who enjoy satirical comedy at its best, you will love the work of Fry and Laurie.

As a citizen of the United States, my exposure to the brilliance of British comedy is limited to one night a week on public television. I was familiar with Hugh Laurie from Stuart Little and his guest appearance on Friends. It was in 2004 when I began watching House and became fascinated by the acting of Hugh Laurie. Okay that's an understatement, I fell in love with him. I searched his name on my library database and found that he was in a show called Blackadder. This was my first experience with British comedy and I think it was an amazing show to begin with. With Blackadder I became familiar with British terms and slang, and I began to watch more British comedy on television. When I found this show that was chocked full of Hugh Laurie, (I mean, his name was in the title!) I jumped at the opportunity to view all four series. I was now familiar with some British pop culture and the work of both Fry and Laurie, and I feel that a better pair could not join together than these two brilliant gentleman. Each of them has their own unique qualities that makes the show twice as hilarious. Stephan has the ability to say any random phrase that can make absolutely during conversation without breaking the tone, and his satirical comments are classic. Laurie possesses brilliance with accents and musical talent as well as his ability to play a range of characters from an uptight and short tempered upperclassman to his rather goofy side that is often used in the introduction. (I apologize for that run-on sentence. I get carried away when I discuss Hugh Laurie.)

Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry bring something very rare to comedy (especially in the United States). They don't spell everything out for the audience. It's hard to explain if you have never before seen their comedy, but what would be a complete joke for another show is only a section of a joke for Fry & Laurie, and not even the punchline. I guess what I mean is that they keep the entire sketch funny, rather than the traditional way of keeping it serious to the punchline. Well, I think I've bored you enough with my thoughts of the show so I will leave you with a phrase which I think sums up all of my thoughts completely: Soupy Twist.