“A Bit of Fry and Laurie” is a sketch comedy series that ran in the 1980s and 1990s. The four-season series was one of the first projects by Hugh Laurie, better known as Dr. House, and Stephen Fry, who’s best known for doing basically everything. Unlike similar sketch series better known in America such as Saturday Night Live, “A Bit of Fry and Laurie” stars the pair mostly doing bits with only the two of them. They are also the primary writers for the series, unlike other shows where the writers are less likely to be performing their own material. “A Bit of Fry and Laurie” stands out as an underappreciated sketch comedy series, especially compared to what is currently at our disposal.
The series stands out in more ways than one. Not only is the writing consistently clever, but the performances by the pair, and whatever side characters are present as needed, are spot on. They never fail to make me laugh, as just about every joke is novel. In many more modern sketch comedies, such as SNL, there is an ever-present feeling from the audience that the goal is to make money, push politics and meet a quota for jokes, which gets tiring very quickly. “A Bit of Fry and Laurie” doesn’t give this impression at all, as it doesn’t feel like any sketches were rushed to reach a quota, nor are there sketches that fall flat from trying to send a certain message. It really feels like two friends who are excited to have the chance to make millions laugh; their only goal is to be funny.
Laurie’s characters, unlike his genius misanthropic character on House M.D., are often odd and somewhat idiotic in the skits. Laurie absolutely nails a wide array of facial expressions and voices, creating distinct characters that are incredibly quotable and fun to imitate. Stephen Fry is perfect as both the straight man to Laurie’s antics and the insane and strange instigator of tomfoolery.
The skits range in length, but many of them are significantly shorter than SNL sketches; the most contemporary and accurate comparison is probably Vines. This forces the writing to be clever and concise. However, the episodes are about 30 minutes in length, which is more comparable to episodes of SNL, though naturally there are significantly fewer seasons of “A Bit of Fry and Laurie,”, as unfortunate as that reality may be.
On the occasion that there is a political stance taken on the show, it’s more subtle and effective than on shows like SNL, where it feels as though the politics are pandering to an audience, unlikely to change the minds of those on the other side of the political spectrum. “A Bit of Fry and Laurie” manages to accurately depict the idiocy of certain beliefs while being genuinely funny and entertaining. It feels more subtle and clever than much of what we see in political comedy today.
The lower budget of the show also seems to force an intense level of creativity, requiring brilliant writing and acting to make up for whatever lacks in the money department. Most of the jokes are word play, something that requires nothing more than a clever mind (or two), though it helps that they were able to perform the sketches with enough of a budget to make the bits more believable.
“A Bit of Fry and Laurie” is a breath of fresh air and a blast from the past in comedy. Plus, if you’re American, or simply not British, you might appreciate the particular comedic style that is offered across the pond. While the series unfortunately didn’t have as long of a run as some shows, like SNL, there are still countless skits to watch and enjoy.