A Bit of Fry & Laurie was witty and sophisticated entertainment of consistently high quality, with an old-fashioned revue-type atmosphere and oddly 'British' sketches that rejoiced in literary turns of phrase and elaborate wordplay. The delicate innuendos, coupled with Fry's ability to suggest hidden meanings in everyday phrases, gave the impression that bubbling below the innocent surface were lewd undercurrents threatening to burst through, although they never did. To add to this mix, Hugh Laurie demonstrated his keyboard talents with parodies of musical genres.
Written by Sophie and last updated on jan 06, 2022.
PS: The following content contains spoilers!
PPS: I will admit that parts of this page was written with the help of AI - it makes my work so much easier to not start from a blank page!
Fry and Laurie want to be big enough for Marlon Brando to notice them. Thus come the sketches: "Dinner with Digby", "Department Store Changes", "Interrogation in the Car", "An Elf or a Pixie", "Peter and John #5", "The Robert Robinsons", "Control's Telescope" and the "Bigometer Update".
The episode was rated 7.66 from 47 votes.
Fry and Laurie have gags over their mouths to protests the censors' ban on traditional swearwords. Thus Fry and Laurie create new swearwords for their sketches: "Testimony", "Over to You", "The Jeweller's Shop", "Girlfriends", "Mystery Object", "Westminster Society", "Peter and John #4" and "What People Find Funny".
The episode was rated 8.08 from 49 votes.
The BBC must find new places for funding. Thus this episode is sponsored by Tideyman's Carpets, which ingratiates itself in almost all the sketches: "The Spillage That Wasn't", "Control Talks of the Open Window", "A Right Way and a Wrong Way to Deal with Trick-or-Treaters", "The Tideyman's Test", "Piano Standards", "Nazi Interrogates English Major", "John and Peter #3" and "The Improvised End Sketch".
The episode was rated 8.12 from 49 votes.
Stephen and Hugh incorporate the song "Time, Where Did You Go?" and Dancersize in their opening gambit. Sketches include "Hardware Store", "Peter and John #2", "Letter to Stephen's Grandfather", "Arthur Meets the Psychiatrist", "The Sportscasters Cover Everyday Life", "Control and Tony Talk about Lies" and "Hugh Interviews 'Michael Jackson'".
The episode was rated 8.20 from 54 votes.
Includes "MBE Introduction", "This Is Dominic Appleguard", "Rhodes Boysons", "Amputated Genitals", "The Cause (Jack & Freddy/Neddy #1)", "Gordon & Stuart #3" and "Where Eagles Dare".
The episode was rated 8.22 from 45 votes.
Includes "Satire/Tribute ('Where is the Lid?' song)", "Yellow Pages", "Beauty and Ideas" (Continued from Series One's "Language Conversation"), "Anarchy", "Dammit Church (John & Peter #6)", "First Kiss", "Borrowing a Fiver Off", "Spies/Firing (Control & Tony #8)", "Introducing My Grandfather To…", "A Vision of Britain", "Wrong Directions" (follows the end credits).
The episode was rated 8.23 from 44 votes.
