A Bit of Fry and Laurie
Title screen from the first series of A Bit of Fry and Laurie
Format	Sketch comedy
Created by	Stephen Fry Hugh Laurie
Starring	Stephen Fry Hugh Laurie
Country of origin	UK
Language(s)	English
No. of episodes	26 (List of episodes)
Production
Running time	approx. 30 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel	BBC2
Original run	13 January 1989 – 2 April 1995
External links
Official website
IMDb profile
TV.com summary

This article is about the television series. For the comedy double act, see Fry and Laurie.

A Bit of Fry and Laurie was a British television series starring former Cambridge Footlights members Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, broadcast by the BBC between 1989 and 1995. It ran for four series, and totalled 26 episodes, including a 35 minute pilot episode in 1987. Despite its popularity at the time, the show has rarely been repeated on terrestrial television. Both Fry and Laurie have expressed great interest in working together again, but this has not yet taken place, due to both men's busy schedules. Image File history File linksMetadata A_Bit_Of_Fry_And_Laurie_Title. ... Sketch Show redirects here. ... Stephen John Fry (born 24 August 1957) is an English comedian, writer, actor, humourist, novelist, columnist, filmmaker and television personality. ... James Hugh Calum Laurie, OBE (born June 11, 1959) is an English actor, comedian, writer and musician. ... Stephen John Fry (born 24 August 1957) is an English comedian, writer, actor, humourist, novelist, columnist, filmmaker and television personality. ... James Hugh Calum Laurie, OBE (born June 11, 1959) is an English actor, comedian, writer and musician. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... A Bit of Fry and Laurie was a British television series starring Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, broadcast by the BBC between 1989 and 1995. ... BBC Two (or BBC2 as it was formerly styled) was the second UK television station to be aired by the BBC. History The channel was scheduled to begin at 7:20pm on April 20, 1964 and show an evening of light entertainment, starting with the comedy show The Alberts and... is the 13th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 92nd day of the year (93rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday. ... Hugh Laurie (left) & Stephen Fry on the set of A Bit of Fry and Laurie Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie are a successful British comedy double act of the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s. ... The ADC Theatre is the home of the Footlights. ... Stephen John Fry (born 24 August 1957) is an English comedian, writer, actor, humourist, novelist, columnist, filmmaker and television personality. ... James Hugh Calum Laurie, OBE (born June 11, 1959) is an English actor, comedian, writer and musician. ... For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday. ... This article is about the year 1987. ...

The programme was a sketch show cast in a rather eccentric and at times high-brow mould. Elaborate wordplay and innuendo formed a large cornerstone of its material — some sketches deliberately threatened to cross the line into vulgarity, but would always finish just before reaching that point. Sketch Show redirects here. ...

It was a progressive show, playing with the audience's expectations. For example, it frequently broke the fourth wall; characters would revert into their real-life actors mid-sketch, or the camera would often pan off set into the studio. In addition, the show was punctuated with non-sequitur vox-pops in a similar style to those of Monty Python's Flying Circus, often making irrelevant statements, heavily based on wordplay. Laurie was also seen playing piano and a wide variety of other instruments, and singing comical numbers. The fourth wall is the imaginary wall at the front of the stage in a proscenium theater, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play. ... Vox populi, which means literally in Latin voice of the people, is often used in broadcasting for interviews of members of the general public; usually the interviewees are shown in public places, and supposed to be giving spontaneous opinions in a chance encounter — unrehearsed persons, not selected in any way. ... This article is about the television series. ...

Broadcast details

The privatisation of the police force.

The 36-minute pilot was broadcast on BBC2 on Boxing Day 1987, although it was later edited down to 29 minutes for repeat transmissions (including broadcasts on the Paramount Comedy Channel). The full version is intact on the Series 1 DVD. It was the first pilot Fry and Laurie had produced for the BBC since 1983, where their previous attempt, The Crystal Cube, was hated by the BBC.^[1] Image File history File links A_Bit_Of_Fry_And_Laurie_Police. ... Image File history File links A_Bit_Of_Fry_And_Laurie_Police. ... The Paramount Comedy Channel is a television channel shown in the UK. As the name suggests, it is owned by Paramount Pictures (aka Viacom) and concentrates on comedy. ...

The first three series were screened on BBC2, the traditional home for the BBC's comedy sketch shows, while the fourth switched to BBC1, the mainstream entertainment channel. Some believe this last series to be the weakest, for a number of reasons: BBC1 was not the best place to showcase Fry and Laurie's arch humour; it featured celebrity guests in every episode but one, an addition of which neither Fry nor Laurie approved; and it was shown not long after Stephen Fry's nervous breakdown in 1995, which cast a shadow over the series. One reviewer says that, perhaps owing to this, Fry got more of the laughs, while Laurie was increasingly relegated to the "straight man" role.^[2]

Politics

The show did not shy away from commenting on issues of the day. A sketch in the second series, in which a Conservative government minister is strangled while Stephen Fry screams at him "What are you doing to the television system? What are you doing to the country?", is an attack on the Broadcasting Act of 1990 and the perceived motivations of those who supported it. The pair would later attack what they saw as the Act's malign aftereffects in the sketch "It's A Soaraway Life", a parody of It's a Wonderful Life evoking a world in which Rupert Murdoch had not existed. The new logo of the Conservative Party The Conservative Party is the largest right wing political party in the United Kingdom. ... Stephen John Fry (born 24 August 1957) is an English comedian, writer, actor, humourist, novelist, columnist, filmmaker and television personality. ... The Broadcasting Act 1990 is a law of the British parliament, often regarded by both its supporters and its critics as a quintessential example of Thatcherism. ... For other uses, see Its a Wonderful Life (disambiguation). ... Keith Rupert Murdoch AC, KCSG (born 11 March 1931) is an Australian born United States citizen who is a global media executive and is the controlling shareholder, chairman and managing director of News Corporation, based in New York. ...

The series made numerous jokes at the expense of the Tory prime ministers of the time, Margaret Thatcher and John Major, and one sketch depicting a televised "Young Tory of the Year" competition, in which a young Conservative (Laurie) recites a deliberately incoherent speech consisting only of nonsense political buzzwords, such as "family values" and "individual enterprise". Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, PC, FRS (née Roberts; born 13 October 1925) served as British Prime Minister from 1979 to 1990 and leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 until 1990, being the first and only woman to hold either post. ... For other persons named John Major, see John Major (disambiguation). ...

Catchphrases

"Please Mr. Music, will you play?" Each episode of Seasons 3 and 4 ends with Stephen Fry preparing a ridiculously named and even more ridiculously concocted cocktail. Fry entreats Laurie to play the closing theme by saying, “Please Mr. Music, will you play?” He then shakes the cocktail while dancercising and serves it to the guest performers, while Laurie plays the piano and impersonates a muted trumpet.

In Season 4, Fry precedes the question with increasingly silly introductions:

• "I say, as I like to on these occasions, the six words which open the door to sophisticated habits:” (Season 4, episode 3)
• “And now into the cocktail shaker of my mouth I throw these six words: You Please Music Mr Will Play. I give a brief shake [he shakes his head and makes “brr” noises], and I pour out this golden phrase:” (Season 4, episode 4)
• “And as I prepare your Swinging Ballsacks, I ask this question, in accordance with known principles:” (Season 4, episode 5)
• “While I mix these, I turn to the debonair doyenne of the dance and I ask as askingly as I might this ask:” (Season 4, episode 6)
• [Preparing a “Modern Britain”] “But perhaps, somewhere, you might be inspired to add one small, tender, caring cherry of hope. I wonder. While you decide, I will entreat for the very finalest of last, last times, this entreaty of m’colleague, Britain’s very own melody man, as I say to him, please, please, oh please Mr. Music:” (Season 4, episode 7)

"Soupy twist" The catchphrase "soupy twist" was uttered by Fry at the end of each episode of series 3 and 4, and is believed to be a phrase, likely meaning 'cheers', from the language Strom (invented by Fry and first used on his BBC Radio 4 series Saturday Night Fry). Strom comprises nonsensical single-syllable words often meaning different things in the same sentence, even shorter words that can only be expressed over a full sentence in English, and vulgar faux amis. old Radio 4 logo BBC Radio 4 is a UK domestic radio station which broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes including news, drama, comedy, science and history. ... Saturday Night Fry was a six part comedy series on BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in 1988. ... Look up False friend in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Recurring characters

Though the programme mostly consisted of one-time situations and sketches, a few characters appeared over several episodes and series.

Alan

Alan (Laurie) is hired as a secret agent by a mysterious organisation known only as 'The Department', before which he was a gun-runner, supply teacher and Home Secretary. The character is a parody of several television shows of the 1970s, most prominently The Professionals. The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the United Kingdom Home Office and is responsible for internal affairs in England and Wales, and for immigration and citizenship for the whole United Kingdom (including Scotland and Northern Ireland). ... Series title card. ...

The Bishop and the Warlord

The Bishop (Fry) and the Warlord (Laurie) first appear in series 1. They are the world's leading light-metal band (as opposed to heavy-metal). The Warlord (guitarist) is dressed as a typical rocker, whereas the Bishop (vocalist) is dressed in his normal vestments, and one black fingerless glove. He sings (or rather speaks) his songs from a pulpit. Heavy metal may refer to: Heavy metals, chemical elements within a particular range of atomic weights Heavy metal music, a style of music Heavy Metal (magazine), an American fantasy magazine based on the French magazine Métal Hurlant Heavy Metal (film), a 1981 animated film based on the magazine, or... For the UK magazine, see Guitarist (magazine). ... In music a singer or vocalist is a type of musician who sings, i. ... For other uses of Ambo, see Ambo, Ethiopia, Kom Ombo, ambulance Ambo (band). ...

Control and Tony

Control (Fry) and Tony Murchison (Laurie) are two excessively nice secret agents who first appear in series 1 & 2 of the show. Control is head of SIS, the British secret service. Tony Murchison is Subsection Chief of the East Germany and Related Satellites Desk, who brings Control his morning coffee. The characters seem reluctant to discuss issues of national security, and when they do the topic is covered with almost childish simplicity. Much of the humour in these sketches arises from the stilted, amateurish and inappropriate performance style. They parody the grim, oppressive Cold War television dramas such Callan; The Secret Service; Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy; and The Sandbaggers. Sis may refer to: An abbreviation of sister. ... For other uses, see Cold War (disambiguation). ... Template:Infobo Callan was the title of a British action-adventure television series that aired on ITV broadcasters over four seasons spread out between 1967 and 1972. ... This article is about the television series. ... Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is a spy novel by John le Carré, first published in 1974. ... Roy Marsden as Neil Burnside in The Sandbaggers The Sandbaggers is a British television drama series about men and women on the front lines of the Cold War. ...

Gelliant Gutfright

Gelliant (Fry) is the host of short-horror program The Seventh Dimension, who presents stories such as "Flowers for Wendy" and "The Red Hat of Patferrick". He is depicted as an older gentleman who takes great joy in using elaborate wordplay and double negatives whilst seated in his improbably large gold-buttoned leather chair. The stories told were often in the style of The Twilight Zone. The Twilight Zone is a television series created by Rod Serling. ...

Jack and Freddy/Neddy

Freddy (Laurie; character later renamed 'Neddy') is a meek, quiet man with a noticeable overbite. Jack (Fry) is an eyepatch-bearing, imposing man who belongs to an unnamed organisation. He recruits Freddy to participate in several of the organisation's efforts for the 'cause,' which he states to be freedom, although this may be hyperbolic. The characters stopped appearing after 'Neddy' became Prime Minister; while he was being force-fed information from Jack, it became clear that Jack's organisation was a group of Nazis who were bent on ruling England through Neddy. Jack then stabbed Neddy in the back with his own knife. A patient wearing a protective cloth eyepatch following surgery An eyepatch is a small patch that is worn in front of one eye. ... The Nazi party used a right-facing swastika as their symbol and the red and black colors were said to represent Blut und Boden (blood and soil). ...

John and Peter

Perhaps the best known of the series' characters, John (Fry) and Peter (Laurie) are hard-driving, hard-drinking executives, with a different business in each episode, ranging from a health club to the Diocese of Uttoxeter (John as Bishop, Peter as Executive Vice-Bishop). The characters are a parody of high-powered businessmen of the time, with their loud catchphrase 'Damn!' or 'Dammit John!'. Their plans are usually derailed by the casual interference of the diabolical Marjorie, John's ex-wife. The sketch also drew inspiration from boardroom soap operas such as The Power Game, Man at the Top, and Howards' Way. , Uttoxeter is a small market town in East Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. ... The Plane Makers is a British television series made by ATV for ITV between 1963 and 1965. ... Man at the Top is a Bruce Springsteen song written in 1983 at the time of the Born in the USA sessions but unreleased until the 1998 Tracks box set. ... Howards Way was a television drama series produced by BBC Birmingham and transmitted between 1985 and 1990. ...

Mr Dalliard

Mr Dalliard is a non-appearing character in various sketches, all taking place in a shop environment. Though Dalliard never appears, and is implied to be a creation of Fry's character's imagination, he is referred and spoken to several times in every sketch.

Tony Inchpractice

Tony (Laurie) first appears in series 2. He is the host of several talk shows, each one devoted to an odd action performed by the host and the guest during the course of the interview. The different shows are: Trying to Borrow a Fiver Off..., Introducing My Grandfather To..., Photocopying My Genitals With..., Realising I've Given the Wrong Directions To..., and Flying a Light Aeroplane Without Having Had Any Formal Instruction With.... The character was originally modeled upon a similar figure named Peter Mostyn whom Laurie had earlier portrayed on Saturday Live. There was also a similar sketch called In the bath with... on the radio series Saturday Night Fry. Saturday Live was a television chat show which was broadcast in Ireland on RTÉ One in the late 1980s. ... Saturday Night Fry was a six part comedy series on BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in 1988. ...

Episode guide

Main article: List of A Bit of Fry and Laurie episodes

• Pilot : 26 December 1987 (36 minutes)
• Series One : 13 January 1989 – 17 February 1989 (six episodes)
• Series Two : 9 March 1990 – 13 April 1990 (six episodes)
• Series Three : 9 January 1992 – 13 February 1992 (six episodes)
• Series Four : 12 February 1995 – 2 April 1995 (seven episodes)

Two compilations were broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on August 11, 1994. A Bit of Fry and Laurie was a British television series starring Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, broadcast by the BBC between 1989 and 1995. ... is the 360th day of the year (361st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year 1987. ... is the 13th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 48th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 68th day of the year (69th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... is the 103rd day of the year (104th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... is the 9th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 44th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 43rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday. ... is the 92nd day of the year (93rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday. ... is the 223rd day of the year (224th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ...

DVD releases

After much fan-driven petition, the first series of A Bit of Fry and Laurie, plus the pilot, was released on DVD on 3 April 2006 in Region 2. Series two was released on June 12, with as a bonus feature a 45-minute Cambridge Footlights Revue (1982) in which Fry and Laurie appear with Emma Thompson, Tony Slattery, Penny Dwyer and Paul Shearer. is the 93rd day of the year (94th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The following is an excerpt of the article entitled DVD. For the sake of convenience, the terms Region 0, Region 1, Region 2, Region 3, Region 4, Region 5, Region 6, Region 7 and Region 8 redirect to this page. ... is the 163rd day of the year (164th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Cambridge University Footlights Dramatic Club, commonly referred to simply as the Footlights, is an amateur theatrical club in Cambridge, England, run by the students of Cambridge University. ... Emma Thompson (born 15 April 1959) is an Emmy-, BAFTA- and Academy Award-winning English actress, comedian, and screenwriter. ... Anthony Declan James Slattery (born 9 November 1959) is an English actor and comedian. ... Paul Shearer is a British actor who is most well known as a minor member of the Fast Show team. ...

The third series followed in October 2006. Amazon UK released a complete box set (all 4 series) on 30 October 2006, along with series 4 itself. is the 303rd day of the year (304th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Series 1 was released on 6 July in Region 4. Region 1 versions of the first two series were released in the United States and Canada on 22 August 2006. is the 187th day of the year (188th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The following is an excerpt of the article entitled DVD. For the sake of convenience, the terms Region 0, Region 1, Region 2, Region 3, Region 4, Region 5, Region 6, Region 7 and Region 8 redirect to this page. ... The following is an excerpt of the article entitled DVD. For the sake of convenience, the terms Region 0, Region 1, Region 2, Region 3, Region 4, Region 5, Region 6, Region 7 and Region 8 redirect to this page. ... is the 234th day of the year (235th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

There is a copyright-related music edit on the Series 1 DVD during the final sketch of Episode 6 ("Tony of Plymouth (Sword Fight)"). In the broadcast version, the music was from the soundtrack of "The Sea Hawk" but instead a new piece of music has been used, drowning out most of the dialogue in the process. In Series 2 Saint-Saens isn't credited for the end music (Finale from The Carnival of the Animals) until the second half of the series. On the series 3 DVD for region 1, the sketch which features Laurie and Fry singing The Beatles' "Hey Jude" has been omitted for unknown reasons. Charles Camille Saint-Saëns () (9 October 1835 – 16 December 1921) was a French composer, organist, conductor, and pianist, known especially for his large-scale orchestral works The Carnival of the Animals, Danse Macabre, Samson et Dalila, and Symphony No. ... Le Carnaval des Animaux (The Carnival of the Animals) is a musical suite of fourteen movements by the French Romantic composer Camille Saint-Saëns. ...

Music

Laurie is an accomplished musician and this talent was often featured on the show in the form of plot points in a sketch and satirical songs. It was also a chance for Laurie, who usually played straightman to Fry's antics, to show his own comedic brilliance. The first such song, 'Mystery', parodies a mournful love song from a lounge singer (Laurie mimics the vocal mannerisims of Sammy Davis Jr.) and presents the obstacles to a relationship between the singer and the object of affection, which become more outlandish every verse: he/she lives in a different country, would probably have a problem with the singer's job ("with the Thames Water Authority"), has never actually met the singer, and has been dead since 1973 ("fifteen years come next Jan-u-ary"). This segment of the show quickly became one of its most popular. Laurie still plays this song when appearing as a guest star on television shows, such as Saturday Night Live and Inside the Actor's Studio. Among the most famous tunes are: Sammy Davis, Jr. ... SNL redirects here. ... Inside the Actors Studio is a program on the Bravo cable television channel which premiered in 1995 and is hosted by James Lipton. ...

• Mystery (see above)

• Little Girl: Wearing a false pencil mustache and overly-oiled hair, Laurie, in the role of a child pornographer/celebrity photographer, tells in the style of Noel Coward of how he made an underaged girl famous by seducing and taking wildly erotic pictures of her. As the paparazzo continues to photograph the girl throughout her lifetime, she becomes a singing sensation, marries and divorces a pop singer, and fades out of the public eye. The photographer ends his song by mourning that the 'little girl' is no longer little or a girl, but on the bright side, has a young daughter whom the photographer would very much like to meet.

• America: Laurie dresses in what was, at the time, the 'standard' American rock star uniform – flannel, white t-shirt, jeans, sneakers, and a bandana headband in the style of Bruce Springsteen and Jimi Hendrix. Laurie dramatically sings the song, the lyrics of which consist of "...America, America, America..." and "...the States, the States, the States...", until Fry comes on stage, quite annoyed, and punches him.
• The Sophisticated Song: Laurie, in a white and black suit, plays guitar, accompanied by a back-up band, singing about how normally he is very cool until he needs to talk to his true love, at which point he becomes so speechless, he begins to drool.

• The Polite Rap: Prancing around in neon gangsta clothing, Laurie parodies the hip-hop culture with this rap telling people to be nice, rather than bad, and that he's a "good-ass motherliker", rather than "bad-ass motherfucker".

• Where is the Lid?: Laurie announces that he has written a very angry song about "jars that become separated from their lids." Playing the piano, he sings "Where is the lid?" mournfully and repetitively. In the background, Fry finds a stray lid, and tries it on an open jar sitting on the piano; it fits, and he pleads with Laurie to stop singing as the lid has been found and restored to its jar. Laurie ignores Fry and continues to play until Fry punches him. (This is immediately followed by a mini-feature about Laurie's "death".)

• There Ain't But One Way: Laurie and Fry, dressed as two rednecks, introduce the song. A jibe at American Southern patriotism, Laurie sings about how the only way to solve the world's problems, from the hole in the ozone layer to poverty, is to kick some ass, while Fry, playing his mentally challenged brother ("the victim of an unfortunate musical accident"), shouts out "yee-hah!" and repeats "kickin' AY-ass!" when sung by Laurie and stomps around, eventually falling offstage.

• I'm in Love with Steffi Graf: Laurie once again has a back-up band while he plays the acoustic guitar, and makes a play at the depressing grunge music of the 1990s. He overdramatically flips the hair out of his eyes in the style of Robert Smith of the Cure and, affecting an effeminate lisp, proclaims his love for tennis player Steffi Graf. He goes as far as to proclaim he stalked her during her tournaments and finally reveals himself as the man who stabbed Monica Seles as revenge for her defeat of Graf, a big news story in 1993. While the tune is performed, a slideshow of Steffi Graf playing tennis is shown on a projector screen.

• Too Long Johnny: Laurie appears dressed completely in black and wearing a red fedora. He plays slide guitar on a dobro and, affecting a bluesman accent, he sings, "Too long, Johnny, it's long, it's way too long," then proceeds to sing/explain how he wants to cut "it" (presumably wood) down to a perfect length. Unfortunately, though Johnny does get "it" down to the perfect length, he makes "its" width much too thin, and must now start all over.

• Hey Jude: Laurie plays his grand piano and sings Hey Jude by the Beatles, in a voice reminiscent of Alvin and the Chipmunks. Fry eventually joins him on stage and begins to sing along in an impossibly deep voice. Fry then holds up cue cards so the audience may sing along with the "na na na na" of the refrain.

• Love Me Tender: Laurie once again covers a famous musician, this time Elvis Presley. He even adopts an incredibly accurate Presley-esque voice for the song. However, Laurie's attempt at seriousness becomes decidedly skewed after it is made clear he is singing to Nicholas Parsons sitting on a stool, who has become decidedly uncomfortable by Laurie's intimate love song. Laurie finishes up the song then tenderly kisses the shoulder of Parsons, who is shocked and dismayed by the gesture.

• What I Mind: Laurie on piano and accompanied by a back-up band sings a country song about hard times with his girl, who will not stop referring to him as an inanimate object, such as a hoover, a key, and a garage.

• The Protest Song: Laurie again provides himself with a backup band and plays acoustic guitar as well as harmonica. He spoofs American college activist rock, singing about how everyone can make the world a better place. Much like his cover of "Love Me Tender", this song appears to be Laurie's attempt at seriousness, at least until he reaches the part when he must actually sing what everyone is supposed to do to build a better society. Every time he reaches this part, as if unable to think of an actual course of action to save the world, he mumbles incoherently in to the microphone. When he reaches the end of the song, he repeats the line "All we gotta do is..." several times, and then resumes playing the harmonica.

Hugh Laurie did not write the closing theme. It is, in fact, "Mardi Gras in New Orleans" by Professor Longhair. Pornography (from Greek πορνογραφια pornographia — literally writing about or drawings of harlots) is the representation of the human body or human sexual behaviour with the goal of sexual arousal, similar to, but (according to some) distinct from, erotica. ... Noël Peirce Coward (December 16, 1899 – March 26, 1973) was an Academy Award winning English actor, playwright, and composer of popular music. ... Springsteen redirects here. ... Jimi Hendrix (November 27, 1942 – September 18, 1970) was an American guitar virtuoso, singer and songwriter. ... For other uses of terms redirecting here, see US (disambiguation), USA (disambiguation), and United States (disambiguation) Motto In God We Trust(since 1956) (From Many, One; Latin, traditional) Anthem The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City National language English (de facto)1 Demonym American... For the band, see Saliva (band). ... Gangsta can refer to: Eye dialect/Slang for a member of a gang, a gangster. ... Breakdance, an early form of hip hop dance, often involves battles, showing off skills without any physical contact with the adversaries. ... // Motherfucker (also existing in contracted forms e. ... In modern usage, redneck predominantly refers to a particular stereotype of whites from the Southern United States. ... Mental retardation (also called mental handicap and, as defined by the UK Mental Health Act (1983), mental impairment and severe mental impairment) is a term for a pattern of persistently slow learning of basic motor and language skills (milestones) during childhood, and a significantly below-normal global intellectual capacity as... For the Austrian runner, see Stephanie Graf. ... Grunge music (sometimes also referred to as the Seattle Sound) is an independent-rooted music genre that became a commercially successful offshoot of hardcore punk, thrash metal, and alternative rock in the late 1980s and early 1990s. ... For other persons named Robert Smith, see Robert Smith (disambiguation). ... This article is about the English rock band. ... For other uses, see Tennis (disambiguation). ... Monica Seles (born December 2, 1973) is a former world No. ... For the Linux distribution, see Fedora (Linux distribution). ... For the technique, see Slide (guitar technique). ... A modern Gibson Dobro Dobro is a trade name now owned by Gibson Guitar Corporation and used for a particular design of resonator guitar. ... For the album of the same name, see Hey Jude (album). ... For the album of the same name, see Hey Jude (album). ... The White Album, see The Beatles (album). ... This article is about the musical group. ... Love Me Tender was the first film made by singer Elvis Presley and was released in 1956. ... Elvis redirects here. ... Christopher Nicholas Parsons OBE, normally known as Nicholas Parsons (born October 10, 1923) is a British actor, radio and television presenter. ... Regular canister vacuum cleaner for home use. ... Professor Longhair (born Henry Roeland Byrd, also known as Roy Bald Head Byrd and as Fess) (December 19, 1918 - January 30, 1980) was a legendary New Orleans blues musician. ...

Publications

Four collections of A Bit of Fry and Laurie scripts have been published.

• A Bit of Fry & Laurie (1990) ISBN 0749307056
• A Bit More Fry & Laurie (1991) ISBN 0749310766
• 3 Bits of Fry & Laurie (1992) ISBN 0749317019
• Fry & Laurie Bit No. 4 (1995) ISBN 0749319674

A Bit of Fry and Laurie was a British television series starring Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, broadcast by the BBC between 1989 and 1995. ... This article is about the year. ... A Bit of Fry and Laurie was a British television series starring Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, broadcast by the BBC between 1989 and 1995. ... Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar. ... A Bit of Fry and Laurie was a British television series starring Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, broadcast by the BBC between 1989 and 1995. ... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ... A Bit of Fry and Laurie was a British television series starring Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, broadcast by the BBC between 1989 and 1995. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday. ...

References

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2007)

Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... Comedy Connections is a BBC One documentary series produced by BBC Scotland that aired from 2003 to 2007. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 94th day of the year (95th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

A Bit of Fry and Laurie

• A Bit of Fry and Laurie at bbc.co.uk Comedy Guide
• A Bit of Fry and Laurie at the Internet Movie Database
• Piano sheetmusic of the intro