As recently as 2010, I had barely heard of the comedy duo Fry and Laurie, though I knew Hugh Laurie from a certain medical drama, and would excitedly spout "there's House!" whenever I saw an ad for 'Stuart Little.' But, since then, it seems the pair have pervaded my life. I caught several episodes of "Stephen Fry in America" on television, and found it an enjoyably down-to-earth insight into the tapestry of American culture. I stumbled upon sketches from "A Bit of Fry and Laurie" (1987 – 1995) on YouTube, laughed my head off, and didn't hesitate to spend $70 on the complete DVD box-set of the series. The pair is inimitable in their manner of splicing high-class with low-brow: Fry's flowery monologues flow effortlessly off his tongue like free-form jazz, and Laurie's musical performances (especially that awesome mouth trumpet thing) are always hilarious. Fortunately, I haven't yet exhausted my Fry and Laurie supply: I've never seen an episode of "Blackadder" or "Jeeves and Wooster!"
There's not all that much new content to 'Fry and Laurie Reunited (2010),' a 90-minute television special directed by Mike Reilly, but it does serve as an excellent tramp down memory lane. Hugh and Stephen arrive in separate limousines, discuss their feelings at being reunited with their old partner, and then come together for an informal chat about old times. (The special states that the pair haven't shared the screen for fifteen years, but actually Laurie appeared as a panelist on the first episode of "QI" in 2003). In addition to reliving some of the pair's funniest work, the special also includes footage from the duo's early television work, including "The Cellar Tapes (1982)" and "The Crystal Cube (1983)." Their history is narrated by Alison Steadman in a lightweight, slightly-grating fairytale voice. At the special's end, the pair have a final attempt at a patented Stephen Fry cocktail recipe: Fry bungles the elaborate shaking moves, but m'colleague's mouth trumpet thing remains as good as ever. They muse that another season of 'A Bit of Fry and Laurie' isn't completely out of the question, but it'll take an awful lot of money to drag Laurie away from Gregory House.
