Fry and Laurie - Comedy Masterclass

Stephen Fry & Hugh Laurie's "Comedy Masterclass" sketch from 1986.

[@boccs9925]

I'd say it's a real testament to both of their comedic abilities to make the routine look so effortlessly hilarious while pretending it's forced.

[@hardcorejoey88]

This is really clever sketch if you analyse it, which obviously you shouldn't.

[@jadedjane6241]

Don't you start, madam!

[@AndrewBlucher]

Is it?

[@Jordan781]

"....by the way you handled your bottom in in my dream...." Only Stephen Fry.

[@StephanieHill]

Hugh can portray confusion so very well - it's my main theme in life. I feel so attached!!

[@someobscurename]

"...by the way you handled your Bottom in My Dream." *snorfle*

[@BadWebDiver]

"Up on your balls."

[@MrsGamgee977]

They were 29 and 27 here, respectively. Amazeballs.

[@miskatonic6210]

MrsGamgee977 Relax. Off your amazeballs.

[@MrEAus]

@@miskatonic6210 MsGamgee proved to be a master of dramatic comedy by how they handled their Amazeballs in my Dream

[@NxDoyle]

Assuming of course that Stephen always appears before Hugh?

[@leadcloud8290]

MrsGamgee977 You’re not supposed to look ... just saying.

[@voornaam3191]

When I were that young, I had those amuseballs, too. Like, I could run for miles on end. You mean their footballs, don't you?

[@christine5055]

"Don't worry about the Northern accent, it will come later" 😊

[@PaulMurrayCanberra]

Interestingly, Hugh at 3:50 actually does tongue in the next gag "why do I say that I'm not going to say that it's a small town, and then say it?".

[@michaeligoe3935]

Good spot there.

[@upmayo100]

😂😂😂

[@enx2083]

He licked his lips....

[@secluded_little_spot]

You analyzed the comedy. Now, it's been smashed into many tiny pieces and it's all your fault

[@JonLovejoy]

On behalf of my sister and I, thank you SO much for posting this. We have quoted from this ever since we saw it all those years back on Saturday Live. Quality!

[@prostreetpanda]

Videoed this back in the day, & watched many, many times before it was recorded over! It brought back many laughs for me!

[@aakksshhaayy]

When you are driving on A or B roads (not motorways) in Britain, they usually pass through towns. When this happens the speed limit decreases until the town ends and then it increases again. So if the speed limit signs were back to back that meant the speed decreased and then increased right up. Ie. It was a small town.

[@yenee94]

+aakksshhaayy never analyze comedy, didn't you learn anything from this masterclass?!

[@therrydicule]

yenee94 Kate Always analyse everything... That's how you become smart. However, don't publicly acclaim to do so...

[@sjoes]

Hear hear! I'd love to see him back in comedy with Fry.

[@manonymous4737]

Yay i saw this when it was first aired. My life is a success, I tell you!

[@nanoshed]

EVERY Fry and Laurie sketch is a comedy masterclass!

[@KagariAsuha]

I know! I too, like House, but I love his old stuff... We need more Stephen and Hugh!

[@srclevenger]

These guys are going to have long, successful careers. I'd bet my savings account on it.

[@azeTrom17]

Lol

[@lennic95]

Stephen does that lapping very often! I love that! Don't know why, it's just just great

[@craigcorson3036]

The two of them look SO YOUNG!

[@prabhapanth6762]

So cute as Jeeves and Wooster! Loved the series!

[@Maveriks1010]

don't worry about the northern accent. it will come in time. absolute brilliance.

[@LuvsToLaughGirl]

HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! this is HALARIOUS!!!!! i love these 2, they always no where to strike your funny bo ne:)

[@recklessroges]

Perfect example of a consultant.

[@doloresarispe9247]

They are very funny together!

[@xenolalia]

Ironically a true comedy masterclass.

[@broadclothjack]

I agree idk how he sold me on it very awkward joke to pull off even with a laugh track...

[@hildurmildur]

Am I supposed to think that the joke got funnier in the end? Because I did.

[@kat1989]

beautiful

[@mjmeans7983]

It's astonishing that they achieved their personal best at such a young age.

[@50Pooja]

how am i only just seeing this xD

[@GrahamS67]

So good to see this again, I couldn't remember where I'd seen it before. I love the "don't worry about the northern accent, that'll come later" line.

[@Popmetalj]

brilliant!

[@CRYSTALBOY]

Great clip! Hugh's iris' look massive at 0:51, like in an anime!

[@red5941]

5:19 a pre-House, House reference?

[@electrogeek77]

Exaaaaaactly!

[@TheTattybogle]

It was a Frankie Howerd sketch they were sending up. Howerd could make seemingly slight and not obviously funny material hilarious through precision timing and playing of an audience. Check him out!

[@AmySavage6]

Can't really decide which was better of Hugh Laurie's catchphrases, this one or the "Excellent sermon, vicar" presented during the "Hugh Laurie memorial tribute" in the second series of A bit of....

[@happydorkgirl]

At the end of the sketch: that was the creepiest goddamned face I've ever seen on Hugh.

[@MrEAus]

Though he also did a face similar to that in Blackadder the 3rd as the Prince Regent, of course

[@signingupiseasyd]

I laughed so much!

[@CaroHoney]

0:55 was hilarious!!!

[@Liz86000]

LOL! They're insane, lol!

[@myhandlehasbeenmishandled]

I actually laughed at the joke when Stephen said it. 4:18

[@FutureAbe]

beckoning them in hahahah

[@Aurongroove]

this gets funnier every time I watch it.

[@tregnier279]

"Don't worry about the northern accent; that'll come later."

[@TacticalGrob]

Harry Hill's whole act is here.

[@BKadorer]

Hugh Laurie waring a National Theater t-shirt XD

[@Theduckwebcomics]

They're both so intelligent, it's hard to believe they both made their starts as comedians... It's like they reason you into laughing. The satire on old fashioned style British comedy here is lovely.

[@Kurle11]

my god hugh was so young!

[@LaBlusera10]

a so young Hugh

[@vaishnaviyadav4334]

Wow 😂😂

[@occulusreparo]

5:20 and that's how House got his limp

[@PiiSPii]

I'm waiting for Stephen Fry to make an appearance on House. Perhaps as a patient?

[@tommymartinez9746]

I don’t have a conscious I have fry and Laurie

[@kev9089798767]

4:42 sounds like General Melchett.

[@estherkimchi]

Hahahahahahaah, that was so hilarious, I couldn't stop laughing! I think the tongue was my favourite part~

[@DoctorBoosh]

I love their Countdown and Test Match Special piss takes.

[@voornaam3191]

Link please. Bloody egoist!

[@Veggieman87]

This is perfect parody of comedy classes. "Classes" like this take the fun out of having fun.

[@bandit4550]

Masterclass😅

[@rissathemighty]

5:52 Oh.My. God.

[@rakshareader]

This is brilliant. Thanks so much for posting. But my favorite is still "My name is Derek..."

[@sherston]

Saturday Live!

[@u.v.s.5583]

I'm not gonna say it was a big town, but the speed limit signs were pretty far away.

[@abhigyanrastogi1662]

doesnt work, does it?

[@JuuhachigouSama]

WTF? HAHAHAHAA. This was too funny. I love his big forced grin at the end. XD

[@kcuhc84]

For those of you that remember Friday night live. You wont need reminding.

[@miki09876]

He turned into jack sparrow.....

[@Applegoesback]

so many years ago but their voices are the same)

[@PatPradana]

woow...Hugh Laurie hasn't changed a bit from 1986...

[@SlawekM.]

Is that Sade's Smooth Operator starting at the end of the sketch? Or am I going Beethoven?

[@patatasfries]

i was very distracted with hugh's tongue...i am so sorry

[@u.v.s.5583]

I'm not gonna say that it was a short joke, but Hugh's tongue came out back to back!

[@handsomebrick]

don't you start madam

[@jemgrrargh]

i've seen hugh make a lot of faces, but never that last one. by god.

[@ailiepants]

i find it bizarre that people cant believe that hugh laurie did this before house - i grew up with hugh laurie being part of fry and laurie! its weird to me seeing him as house, with an american accent...being serious.

[@Tropicaliak]

def sounds like Stephen's welcoming us to QI.

[@TophxAang]

Hehehe, I am in love with a man who's 31 years old than me! But seriously, I don't even think there are enough words in the world to describe how amazing Hugh Laurie is! (And Fry of course!)

[@MrRosstifarian]

i really dunno how any of them can keep a straight face lol

[@noeldc]

@EnormousHuntBall yes

[@jasonbaggs9506]

Actually, the joke is supposed to be that the city limit signs are back to back. Not speed limit. (Unless maybe that's the British way of saying city limits. I don't know.)

[@J.L.Media.]

Jason Baggs I don't think you watched the whole video.

[@J.L.Media.]

Laurie says it wrong at one point and Fry corrects him. I don't understand how you could have missed that.

[@handsomebrick]

That doesn't blur any moral categories.

[@BobGeogeo]

I'd give the nod to Joe Piscopo trying to teach comedy to Data on Star Trek TNG.

[@PaulTheSkeptic]

Speed limit signs? There was an old joke from one of those old timey one liner comedians that was something like "I'm from a small town. Very small. Both city limits signs were on the same post.". Not incredibly funny but at least it made sense. What does the speed limit sign have to do with it?

[@Neropoo]

British speed limits on motor ways decrease as the roads go into towns.

[@PaulTheSkeptic]

Oh really? I thought you guys just crammed down the accelerator and to go full speed through the center of town. Of course aiming to run down any little children or elderly people. No, I know there's generally going to be speed limit signs on either end of a town but that fact doesn't seem to help with the joke. If you're speed limit signs are anything like ours, you start out going 55 mph. Then, as you get a little closer you have to slow down to 45. Then, when you're in town, you have to go about 35. Plus, all these signs are preceded by a sign warning you of the impending speed limit change creating a series of signs in and throughout every small town. Not to put too fine a point on it but even if the town was the size of an anthill, you'd still need time to slow down and thus the signs would need some distance between them. But the city limits signs show the city limits.

[@007MrYang]

@MyAlterEgoCd LOL!

[@MyAlterEgoCd]

I used to think Hugh Laurie was the best looking man on this planet but after i accidentally paused this at 5:54 i'm not so sure anymore...

[@Zimbabwegal]

haahahahaha this sketch deserves an award!

[@cissita]

remove an L and the E and you're good ! I love that sketch !!! I wish they do something together again...

[@GothamClive]

16 people were not on their balls.

[@Alia-bc3rc]

Best comedy duo. *ever* .

[@Singsonggirl]

I love Dr. House (and it would not be the same with a different actor)but why did Hugh Laurie change to it, he is such a good comdedian!?

[@alexm566]

money 💰? House was a big American production

[@Claymor621]

They're obviously spoofing the Max Miller approach.

[@M1st3rB3nn]

@occulusreparo Don't you start madam!

[@labotamysausagedog]

@scamartistry I want to belive you're joking but, with youtube comments you just never know.

[@getting_Started]

I share your opinion, for me he stays the good old english humourist

[@antiphonebill]

I want him to put on a stuffy British accent and make British jokes to a confused House who doesn't understand British humour one bit!

[@pitdog75]

i think it could have been based on Tommy Cooper

[@NxDoyle]

Pimhole!

[@KaraDennison]

The way to get knighted nowadays is to make your big American fortune, but stay a citizen of the empire and pay your taxes. (That's not snarking, it's true.) Hugh will get a proper knighthood before Stephen, but they both most certainly deserve the recognition.

[@shylohuzumaki]

Hugh speaks with so much less of his accent nowadays. I miss it. :(

[@sarah7589]

hahahahahahaha

[@Hithere-ek4qt]

FAR from the best, from these two masters

[@sjbodell]

I'm American and find it weird that Hugh is House. I love House, but I certainly prefer ABoFaL. :)

[@wozzywick]

Never laugh at your own jokes!

[@miskatonic6210]

Matthew Worswick You should. Empathic people will adapt to your mood.

[@vaclavjebavy5118]

@@miskatonic6210 It seems rather desperate.

[@d007ization]

Isn't the joke that he drove through the town so fast the signs seemed to be back to back?

[@danielthompson6448]

d007ization No, it's not, that would just be speeding wouldn't it.

[@Bleumange]

What does the joke mean? D:

[@abj136]

They really are Laurel and Hardy.