Fry & Laurie Reunited

[Ray de Galles]

Splendid, splendid! Even if it is a one-off.

[ian.64]

Fry & Laurie Reunited

Looking forward to this immensely. They're reportedly closing with a cocktail demonstration, and if they don't sign off with 'soupy twist', I'll be sorely disappointed.

[Toby Gymshorts]

Fry & Laurie Reunited

Indeed, m'colleague.

Already on the planner.

[evilC]

Fry & Laurie Reunited

ian.64 wrote:

Looking forward to this immensely. They're reportedly closing with a cocktail demonstration, and if they don't sign off with 'soupy twist', I'll be sorely disappointed.

The 'Creamy England'.

[Eggchaser]

Fry & Laurie Reunited

Pimhole!

[Hot Orange]

Fry & Laurie Reunited

Only on GOLD? Sloblock.

[ian.64]

Fry & Laurie Reunited

A pity that the words 'pleasant enough' would be the only ones that describe a programme that could have been a whole lot more - my opinion, of course. It was heartening to see both Fry and Laurie together again and there was a fair amount of warmly-entertaining reminiscing, but it was a spoilt presentation that ensured its subjects got lost in a jumbled, crappy and ill-thought out manner that only got settled half an hour into the thing, whereupon some sort of order was maintained.

I know I'll sound nerdish, but I'd love to have heard them go into some more detail about their shows - a little insight into the genesis of the frankly brilliant John and Peter wouldn't have gone amiss, but I suppose there was only a certain amount of time to spend before F&L could go back to their successful lives and so a chirpy skim over their work was the alternative.

There were fascinating bits. The unseen 'Crystal Cube' and the rarely seen 'Alfresco' were worth reference, and you would have thought the latter show that featured a future Oscar-winner, an alternative comedian-cum-Blackadder scribe-cum-Andrew Lloyd Webber Partner In Crime, Hagrid, a renaissance globetrotter and The World's Sexiest Man (if you believe American showbiz media) would be exhumed for a repeat somewhere so as to see what time has done to it. Fair play to Emma Thompson - if you're going to be interviewed for a GOLD programme, do it while dressed as if you're going to a champagne reception later on. And Tony Slattery - it's been a long time since I saw him and it's as though he's been transformed into a large Bagpuss-type character that doesn't know what direction he's going in. Bless him. It was also disconcertingly fascinating to see Fry and Laurie's photos of them writing material in Crete, with Laurie oddly looking like some blonde-haired boy-band auditionee.

And there was the conversation itself, an amiable, funny chinwag that left open the possibility that they could get together in the future and have another go (or Bit) if some televison bod would have the sense to allow it.

But, overall, for me, an opportunity to really embrace the delight of seeing two men who gave television comedy a relatively-unsung yet bracing injection of the sharpest, elegant quality back together for a recall of their achievements was fucked up by the dreadful 'scatty' presentation that involved the evils of the usual shit that comes with the territory, and had the effect of making a programme that lasted 90 minutes to actually look as if it truly began 30 minutes in. A review of what the programme will look like and then an ad break?

'Welcome back!' (I only went to the toilet. It's not as if I left the house for 10 years, did a Reggie Perrin and returned with a new identity)

'Coming up!' (Let me fucking discover things for myself. Television doesn't have to sound like it's a fucking railway timetable - 'the next clip of Stephen Fry wearing a raincoat and looking weird will arrive at 10.05. Thank you.')

All this and kerrazy graphics and film inserts from some library plonked into the jumble of clips and interviews to lengthen things out and make things fizzy and 'fun', when all that was needed was a steady and calm mix of talking heads and judicious choice of clips and photographs that suggested its own unhurried rhythm.

A lovely opportunity somewhat botched.

[Ray de Galles]

Fry & Laurie Reunited

Yes, I came in late and watched my recording of it for about thirty minutes then got annoyed with the faffing about and endless resumes and previews within the show and switched to the Ashes.

The bits of them in conversation were lovely but why wasn't there a higher proportion of it? You have the two most erudite & amusing men on the planet in conversation, just play the fucking tape of it.

I think the 'Comedy Connections' on ABOF&L a few years ago might end up being the more satisfying programme

[hobbes]

Fry & Laurie Reunited

'Welcome back!' (I only went to the toilet. It's not as if I left the house for 10 years, did a Reggie Perrin and returned with a new identity)

'Coming up!' (Let me fucking discover things for myself. Television doesn't have to sound like it's a fucking railway timetable - 'the next clip of Stephen Fry wearing a raincoat and looking weird will arrive at 10.05. Thank you.')

There was a rather good Mitchell and Webb sketch lampooning just that tendency. It's appalling and utterly insulting to the audience, but happens everywhere, especially on science programmes like Horizon.

[Gerontophile]

Fry & Laurie Reunited

...and the award goes to: ian64, for best critique, EVER.

And absolutely right. I KNOW this, and I am only in the middle of it right now... Why, oh why, oh WHY didnt some PROPER channel do this? And now, it's too fucking late. (Hope you got lots of cash, boys.)