A Bit Of Fry and Laurie - Series 2 - DVD Release - 12th June 2006

[Beep Cleep Chimney]

Yep, my copy arrived from Play this morning and, bloody hell, it's actually on there!!  

Fair play to 2Entertain.  Makes a pleasant change.

Wonder if they'll add anything to Series 3?

[Gavin]

"Special Feature: Cambridge Footlights (45 Minutes)"

Tony Slattery's disco dancing was a highlight for me, with a punchline that wouldn't look out of place on Russ Abbot's Madhouse.

[Manford Thirty-Sixborough]

Yep, my copy arrived from Play this morning and, bloody hell, it's actually on there!!  

Fair play to 2Entertain.  Makes a pleasant change.

Wonder if they'll add anything to Series 3?

8 out of 10 cats who expressed a preference said that they'd band together in small groups and whisper about them if they didn't.

How about the advert for the video and Crystal Cube on series 3, and the Comedy Connections episode plus a montage of reviews of Cellmates on series 4.

Incidentally, I think I've asked this before, but can't remember the answer: On the audio tape, there are one or two sketches (the only one that comes to mind is the one where they bemoan the loss of perfectly good, everyday terms like "gay", "poofy", "arse bandit" and "homosexual") which I don't believe I've seen on the TV series. Where have these sketches come from, and do they exist in visual form?

Likewise, what about the sketches in the script books that weren't in the series? Were these filmed? I would love to see the lightweight throwing toaster, or the shoplifter sketch.

[Sheldon Finklestein]

The 'arse bandit' sketch is in the pilot episode on the Series One DVD. It's brilliant. And topical, given this Chris Moyles imbroglio. Can't wait to get Series Two.

[benthalo]

Incidentally, I think I've asked this before, but can't remember the answer: On the audio tape, there are one or two sketches (the only one that comes to mind is the one where they bemoan the loss of perfectly good, everyday terms like "gay", "poofy", "arse bandit" and "homosexual") which I don't believe I've seen on the TV series.

Never owned it, but I believe only the introductions are new. They differ for the Radio 4 broadcasts.

[The Mumbler]

The BBC Canned Laughter audio tape?  I had sig tunes at the start of mine.  S1's sig on side one, S3's sig on the second side.  (Never had S1 on video, that was my excuse for buying it.)

[The Mumbler]

the only one that comes to mind is the one where they bemoan the loss of perfectly good, everyday terms like "gay", "poofy", "arse bandit" and "homosexual") .

That one's in the 1987 pilot, which is on the S1 DVD.  Other sketches from that show which are on the audio release are Hugh's Mystery song and the Aussie soap parody.

[Manford Thirty-Sixborough]

Wherabouts in the pilot is it? I've not actually watched the pilot right through on the DVD, having seen it many times taped from Paramount. I scanned through it and found the Cigarette case/blind and deaf soldier sketch, which had been omitted from the Paramount broadcasts, but hadn't noticed anything else. Have I been missing any other gems?

[Beep Cleep Chimney]

That gay sketch is 22 minutes into the pilot, just before the "BLIMEY, YOU'RE UGLY!"/Model Toy Car sketch.

Ace!

[Boing]

"Pass the marmalade,dear."
"ARSE THE PARLOUR MAID,WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU BLITHERING ON ABOUT WOMAN!?"
Or words to that effect.Funny.

[benthalo]

Wherabouts in the pilot is it? I've not actually watched the pilot right through on the DVD, having seen it many times taped from Paramount.

There's the explanation. You've been watching the shortened version of the pilot.

Canned Laughter intros exclusive to Radio 4, eh? I knew there was a good reason for taping them at the time. If I waited.

"You want me to fart the hit parade?"

[Little Hoover]

Cellar Tapes? Bloody hell, who'd have thought it, etc.

Will this still be a single disc? It's 45m after all.

Late response but they should be able to fit at least 8 episodes of something on a DVD.
Father Ted series 3 was released with all 8 episodes on VHS. It'd be slighty shorter because it's a C4 series but still.
It's commentaries that often takes up a bit of space so they'd be fine here.
But the Spaced dvd's have 7 episodes with commentary on all episodes and on the deleted scenes of which there's a fair few along with a few other bits.
I think sometimes you'll see sets being spread out onto two or three discs even if it's not necessary, presumably as a selling point to make it look bigger.

[Robot Devil]

Aren't there different formats of DVD, and one can hold more than the other? DVD-3 and DVD-9 or summat?

[Gavin]

Aren't there different formats of DVD, and one can hold more than the other? DVD-3 and DVD-9 or summat?

DVD-5 and DVD-9. or single- and dual-layer. Most blank DVDs you buy are the former, most 'proper' DVDs the latter.

Some two-disc sets are one of each, though.

[jutl]

Very much enjoying the Footlights stuff:

...but this time he made the sign of the very cross indeed...

edit to add: although that sketch does borrow heavily from Woody Allen's piece about Dracula getting caught short and having to hide in a victim's closet.

[Little Hoover]

^hehe yes.

Is this the series that has "Where is the Lid" or is that s3

[Darrell]

^hehe yes.

Is this the series that has "Where is the Lid" or is that s3

Nope, that's s2!

Just watched The Cellar Tapes in broadcast quality.

I'll repeat that - I've just watched The Cellar Tapes in broadcast quality.

Nope, still seems like a lie.

[Jemble Fred]

Fennui: n. The feeling you get when you buy a DVD just for a special feature, and then you're left with six half hours that you know off by heart, backwards and in Strom.

But fuck it, what half hours. No one will ever make six half hours of television that better ABOF&L s2. This one specific series ruined my life, by giving me impossible ambitions at 11 years old that are still running my life at 28.

Seeing as they seem to be keen on adding at least one feature per DVD, here's hoping that somehow a separate Alfresco/TALOIA/Crystal Cube DVD could be made (I mean, surely someone somewhere owns the rights?), freeing up the last two ABOF&L for some more contemporary features – BBC ads, Wogan, Comedy Connections etc. I guess that's asking too much though, let alone making enquiries about Comedy Connections raw footage. These DVDs could definitely have been far worse, but I'm a bit surprised at a technophile like Fry allowing his greatest work to go out on DVD with apparently no input whatsoever. Ah well.

[The Mumbler]

Certainly, Alfresco and There's Nothing To Worry About could be a rather neat two-disc set.

[butnut]

I've just watched the Cellar Tapes and rather enjoyed it. Some strange moments (Slattery's killing someone famous song) but some lovely sketches in there too. Fry's Vampire story was very good, but is VERY similar to a Woody Allen story. In fact, it is so close I can't believe that it can be plagiarism.

Now I'm looking forward to watching S2 for the first time in quite a few years.

[Jemble Fred]

Cor, first time you've seen Fry doing 'The Visitor'? That must have been a treat – it's the party piece he must have performed a hundred times or more, and there are certainly several different versions he's performed on TV for different charity shows and the like. I'd have thought you'd have to really go out of your way not to have seen it before, it's just one of those pieces of material that always get wheeled out for any occasion.

It was the first time I'd seen the Cellar Tapes version though, and also the best performance of it I'd seen. Perhaps because the delivery is less sure of itself. He looks like a 12-year-old brought out to entertain the grown-ups at a dinner party.

Don't know about the Woody Allen thing, always seemed a pretty clear cross between Bram Stoker and Vivian Stanshall to me.

[butnut]

Yeah I certainly can't remember seeing him doing that before and it was excellent. The Woody Allen short story is called 'Count Dracula' and is from 'Getting Even' if you're interested. The main similarity is the total eclipse joke really, haven't read the Allen for a year or so.

[Emergency Lalla Ward Ten]

I wouldn't really want them to put the Comedy Connections episode on future discs - seems a waste of disc-space. Raw footage of F&L's interviews, sure, but not the broadcast edit. We've all got a copy of it, or at least can lay our hands on one. Plus, it wasn't very good. The same isn't true of things like the Cellar Tapes and The Crysyal Cube, though, which are bona fide rareties.

[biniput]

Is there any way any of the rest of us could possily see these things.

[alan strang]

Is there any way any of the rest of us could possily see these things.

Have you tried writing to the Radio Times? CLANG! Ouch. CLANG! Ow...

On the subject of 'The Visitor' though, this kicks off with something quite similar:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/r48ft0

The final episode of Radio 4's 'Injury Time' (10/08/82), starring Robert Bathhurst, Jimmy Mulville, Rory McGrath, Emma Thompson and Griff Rhys Jones - features an intro from an uncredited Stephen Fry.

And on this subject, does anyone recall Rory McGrath doing a solo spot on 'Clive Anderson Talks Back' which borrowed very heavily from 'The Visitor'? The same storytelling / indulgence in puns set-up but telling a romantic tale:

"Cheryl took off all her clothes and stood naked before him in the moonlight. She had the most amazing breasts. They moved together, embraced and sighed... and there aren't many breasts that can do that!"

[FrystinkLaurie]

Great post alan. Do you know if any more episodes of 'Injury Time' are available as downloads? Cheers.

[Barney Sloane]

Great post alan. Do you know if any more episodes of 'Injury Time' are available as downloads? Cheers.

First episode, courtesy of Strangy:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/nira74

[Boing]

I wanna see the Question Of Sport skit they did with Fry as David Coleman and Laurie as Emlyn Hughes.
Also the countdown pisstake,Gyles Brandreth getting the word "sloblock".
They were two funny things that I can recount in my sad little existence.

[FrystinkLaurie]

Great post alan. Do you know if any more episodes of 'Injury Time' are available as downloads? Cheers.

First episode, courtesy of Strangy:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/nira74

Many thanks Barney.

[Jemble Fred]

I wanna see the Question Of Sport skit they did with Fry as David Coleman and Laurie as Emlyn Hughes.
Also the countdown pisstake,Gyles Brandreth getting the word "sloblock".
They were two funny things that I can recount in my sad little existence.

Next DVD. Probably won't be long!

Thanks for these Injury Time episodes. Never even heard of the show before.