Satire/Tribute

Stephen		Hello. Welcome to "A Bit Of Fry And Laurie".

Hugh		Grrrrr.

Stephen		Ladies and gentlemen, because Hugh and I are
		known for our anger, our satirical rage at the
		"human condition", for want of a better cliche ....

Hugh		Grrrr ...

Stephen		We often get accused of lacking a sense of
		proportion. Here's a letter ... "It's very easy to
		knock, to rage and snarl and satirise, but what
		are you suggesting should go in the place of the
		institutions and people you so viciously decry?"
		This is a typical letter from Mr Alan Dense,
		absolutely typical. He writes letters like this all the
		time ... "It's oh so simple to knock Mrs Thatcher,
		isn't it?" Well of course he's quite right. It is
		ludicrously easy to knock Mrs Thatcher. It's the
		easiest and most obvious thing in the world to
		remark that she is a shameful, putrid scab, an
		embarrassing, ludicrous monstrosity that makes
		one frankly ashamed to be British, and that her
		ideas and standards are a stain on our national
		history. That's easy and clear, anyone can do that.
		But after tonight, no one can accuse us of not
		making a constructive suggestion as to what might
		go in place of Mrs Thatcher. Hugh.

	Hugh holds up a wire coathanger.

		That is our constructive suggestion, and I hope
		that's silenced some of our critics. Anyway, on with
		the blind, unreasoning rage.

Hugh		Yes, here we go. I've written a savage, angry, satire
		on jam jars that get seperated from their lids.

Stephen		Now that is anger.

	Hugh walks to piano. On top of the piano is a jar 
	with no lid.

Hugh		(Sings)
		Where is the lid
		Where is the lid
		Where is the lid
		Where is the lid

		Where is the lid
		Where is the lid
		Where is the lid
		Where is the lid

		Does anyone know
		Does anyone know
		Does anyone know
		Does anyone know

		Where is the lid
		Where is the lid
		Where is the lid
		Where is the lid -

	During this song Stephen has been saying: 

Stephen		"Yes, it's over here." "Hugh! It's on the table."
		"Hugh, it's over here for God's sake." etc.

	Eventually Stephen can take it no more and attacks 
	Hugh by beating him on the head with the jar or some 
	similar heavyweight object.

	Stephen looks down on Hugh's unconcious frame for 
	a second.

		We are devoting the rest of this programme to a
		tribute to the writer, comedian and light sketch
		actor, Hugh "Excellent Sermon Vicar" Laurie,
		who died earlier today after a merciful accident
		that finally ended his long years of struggle with
		mental illness.

	(Photo of Hugh appears)

Stephen		(Voice-over) Hugh Laurie, who real name was
		Hugh Laurie, was better known by his stage name:
		Hugh Laurie.

	Cut to still of terraced house.

		Hugh was born and brought up in a working-class
		home that his parents had specially built ...

	Pull back on still to reveal that the slum terraced house 
	is actually set in rolling parkland in front of a beautiful 
	stately home.

		... in the grounds of their Gloustershire estate.
		Like many shy children, Hugh learnt from an early
		age simply to blend in.

	Cut to still of brick wall and lamp-post.

Caption		"Hugh Laurie, High Wycombe, 1967"

Stephen		His first acting job came in 1979, at Hereford
		Civic Centre, since renamed in Hugh's Honour,
		Hereford Civic and Amenities Centre.

	Cut to interview with Rowan Atkinson.

Caption		"Nigel Havers"

Rowan		He was immensely dangerous. Such a dangerous
		actor. You always had this feeling when he was
		around that anything could happen. (Pause) Hugh
		Laurie, on the other hand, was about the dullest
		man I ever met.

	Cut to interview with Nigel Havers.

Caption		"Paul Eddington"

Nigel		He brought to every one of his roles this quality of
		needing the money.

	Cut to interview with bow-tied critic.

Caption		"Neil Hudd, TV and theatre critic for the
		Daily Mail" 

Critic		I'm so terribly clever, you see. That's one of the
		things I really admire about myself. I have this
		extraordinary ability to see, after the event, why
		something didn't work, and communicate it so
		wittily. I really am fabulous.

	Cut to film of Stephen interviewing himself.

Stephen		Stephen Fry, what is your fondest memory of
		working with Hugh Laurie?

Stephen		The moment I knew he was really dead would be
		hard to beat.

Stephen		Surprisingly enough, Roy
		Hattersley's actually a bit of a
		tiger in bed.