Stephen Fry has a blog!

[zridling]

Stephen Fry is one hardcore techie and long-time Apple fan. Now he's found epiphany on open source software. Kudos to suleika for linking to it last Fall. Here's the URL:

http://stephenfry.com/blog/

[attach]

[Darwin]

Thanks Zaine! I love Stephen Fry. Did you ever watch A Bit of Fry and Laurie or Jeeves and Wooster? Americans now know Hugh Laurie from "House" but I wonder how many realise that for years he and Stephen Fry were a comic duo...

Anyway, I'll enjoy this 

[nudone]

Stephen Fry fans in the US should pop over to here http://www.qi.com/tv/ and sign the petition to get QI shown on your TV sets. alternatively, you could try the first series (season) DVD - but i remember Mr. Fry coming across as a bit pompous sometimes during the early shows so you may get the wrong impression about the rest of the 'seasons'. after a year or two he appeared more relaxed and welcoming. the show itself is extraordinary in that it educates (putting many myths to bed) whilst being consistently hilarious.

i avoided the show for a long time when it was first broadcast but now i can easily say it's an all time favourite of mine. (if you watch early shows against later ones you'll notice how the format changes ever so slightly - there's just a better atmosphere with the later shows.)

edit:
oh, i've just realised you can watch a few clips over on the QI website.

[zridling]

Never have, Darwin, and had no idea Laurie was his partner (that's a shame, really). I'm just familiar with his movies and documentary series (american TV is heavily skewed toward reruns, syndication, and that pure shit called 'reality teevee'). Thanks for the link nudone. The petition page is found at: http://www.qi.com/tv/petition.php

[Darwin]

Zaine - see if your local library has the Jeeves and Wooster series on DVD - I watched it in Canada on a PBS station out of Michigan, so it might have made it to DVD down there! It's worth tracking down. You can catch both of them in BlackAdder as well...

[tomos]

Did you ever watch A Bit of Fry and Laurie or Jeeves and Wooster?

made a fan of P.G:Woodhouse out of me -
a rare combination - brilliant book(s) =>
brilliant TV

[Darwin]

Yes! I loved Wodehouse before the series, but you're right - brilliant TV and brilliant books 

[Eóin]

I'm a huge Stephen Fry fan and QI really is one of best of the English comedy panel quiz shows, a style of humour I think the Brits have perfected to the level of an artform. I'm going to have to follow this blog, his autobiography was fascinating. A wonderful an interesting character.

[zridling]

He's now started podcasting, too, and the first episode is up. Cool!

[Carol Haynes]

Hugh Laurie apparently inspired the making of the Jeeves and Wooster series as he is a Wodehouse anorak!

It really shows in the series which I love to bits.

If you want to splash out you can get the complete series on US Amazon at:

http://www.amazon.com/Jeeves-Wooster-Complete/dp/B00006AVRK

My only slight gripe with the series (and it is very slight) is that the cast changed from series to series. There was a core of players who stuck it out but one or two characters changed actors in each series - and one actor played two different characters in two of the series (which is a bit confusing).

I really love the humour in series 3 with them based in New York - absolutely hilarious take on Anglo-American relations.

The whole of A Bit of Fry and Laurie is also available:

http://www.amazon.com/Bit-Fry-Laurie-Complete-Collection/dp/B000P0J0G0

it is really good but probably shows its age a bit more and I'm not sure how the British humour transfers across the pond as it is a bit topical.

The other  series the US fans might like to look out is Blackadder. This was primarily a vehicle for Rowan Atkinson but it is a fantastic ensemble series which features Fry and Laurie, along with Tim McInnerny, Tony Robinson, Rik Mayall, occasionally Ade Edmondson. The star for me is Miranda Richardson in series 2 with her fantastically bizarre portrayal of Queen Elizabeth I (Kate Blanchett eat your heart out!). Series 1 also stars the incomparable Peter Cook!

http://www.amazon.com/Black-Adder-Complete-Collectors-Set/dp/B000EBCEVS

I have to say if I was stranded on a desert island and could only take 2 DVD sets Jeeves and Wooster and Blackadder would enjoyably keep me on the brink of sanity for quite a long time!