And now, a funny bit of Fry and Laurie

[kyrasantae]

My sister's been downloading and watching a BBC television series from the early 1990s called A Bit of Fry and Laurie, starring Stephen Fry (the voice of the Book in the recent Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy movie) and Hugh Laurie (Dr. House in the TV series House). It's a bit like Monty Python in that each episode is a series of skits, but the type of humour is totally different. We've only really watched the first season (out of four), but this is one of my favourite parts, from the first episode. It's too bad that half the laughs are in the actors' facial expressions.

Stephen is standing next to a black television screen which is suspended at about the level of his head. The screen turns on and Hugh's head appears on the screen.

Stephen: Um...ladies and gentlemen, we were going to be doing a sketch for you at this point —
Hugh: Uh, but we're not, now.
Stephen: Yes, we're not going to be doing it now.
Hugh: Or ever.
Stephen: Or ever, uh, probably, um, unless this country radically changes direction —
Hugh: Which looks unlikely —
Stephen: Which on the face of it, does seem to be unlikely. The reason we're not going to be doing this sketch is that it is a sketch that contains a great deal of sex and violence.
Hugh: A great deal.
Stephen: Yes. Lots of sex, lots of violence.
Hugh: During the course of this... this sketch, Stephen hits me several times with a golf club —
Stephen: Um, which in the ordinary course of events it, of course, wouldn't matter, except that I do it very sexily.
Hugh: He does it sexily... he does it... he does it so, so sexily I wish you could see it. I really do.
Stephen: The sketch ends with us going to bed together...
Hugh: Violently.
Stephen: Very, very violently. This raises problems.
Hugh: Not for me.
Stephen: No, nor indeed... nor, indeed, for me. But Sir William... Sir William (now Lord) Rees-Mogg, the chairman of the Broadcasting Standards Council, has seen our sketch and he didn't like it one bit.
Hugh: Well, he liked it one bit.
Stephen: He... he liked it one bit, but he didn't like it lots of other bits. Um —
Hugh: Now, we wouldn't want you to run off to Cornwall with the idea that Sir William's remit with the Broadcasting Standards Council is so sweeping as to be a kind of... government thought police —
Stephen: No, no, the concern, as always, is primarily for standards.
Hugh: Standards.
Stephen: Standards! For the sake of our children.
Hugh: And so, in a generous spirit of give and take, uh, Sir William has taken our sketch —
Stephen: And we have given it to him.
Hugh: And he has written another one for us to do instead, which is completely free of any gratuitous... sex and violence, —
Stephen: And shows due and proper regard for decency and —
Both: Standards, —
Hugh: Promoting family values and protecting our children.
Stephen: Uh... Sir William has called his sketch quite simply, "Bitchmother, come light my bottom."
Hugh: And, uh, we're going to do it for you now.
Stephen: So, "Bitchmother, come light my bottom," by Sir William (now Lord) Rees-Mogg.

Edit: Um, since I got bored, here's the video.

Comments

[siromygod.livejournal.com]

*Cracks up*

[forgottenlord.livejournal.com]

I think you gave too much of it to me so....I didn't find it funny this time (plus I don't get the "Bitchmother, come light my bottom" thing).

On another note.....ever wondered what LJ would tell you if you forgot to write a message before posting your comment? Well:

"Your message was blank. Please type at least something in the message field."

I think they should italicize the "something", but that's just me

[kyrasantae.livejournal.com]

It's supposed to be funny because the title suggests that it'd involve sex and violence, except that the actual skit itself is actually really mundane and kind of stupid, in my opinion, but I didn't transcribe the skit either.

Actually I don't think I gave too too much of it away to you anyway :p

[forgottenlord.livejournal.com]

You gave me everything up to and including the violent bed part. That's half the skit

[logovo.livejournal.com]

Thank you!!! This is the first time I've seen any of the show.

[salmogal.livejournal.com]

That was hilarious! I'm totally new to Fry and Laurie, but from what I've seen at the Fry and Laurie group, I think they are going to fast become my favourite comedy team. This was the first video of them I've ever seen, so thanks so much for posting it! Can anyone tell me where I can download more of their work?

[kyrasantae.livejournal.com]

My sister downloads them off the eMule network.