Re: Hugh Laurie, and a confession

If you’re expecting another wall of text like yesterday’s blog, then today you’re sorely mistaken, as I am attempting to fit this entry around selected snippets of the BBC’s Sport Relief marathon and catching up with House – I have 13 episodes of season three to watch before season 4 starts broadcasting on five on Thursday. Speaking of House, I should mention that I did at last get my hands on the Radio Times featuring the Hugh Laurie interview that I wrote about a few days ago. What surprised me was how downbeat he seemed on the future of the show, but surely as a show that was popular enough to survive the writers’ strike, it can theoretically go on for quite a while longer. I hope so, anyway.

But speaking of Sport Relief, there’s something I have to get off my chest. The only part of the evening’s programming that I have indulged in so far was hosted by a man whom it appears cool to actively dislike. I’ve never once read a good review of him, anywhere. But I’m sorry. Maybe there’s something wrong with me, but dammit, I like Jimmy Carr!

I’m not going to write heaps about him – I mean, he’s funny, but he’s no Bill Bailey – but I just feel he gets a bit of a raw deal. So sue me, establishment.

Just to finish off (mainly to avoid making this post look tiny when compared to yesterday’s Eurovision marathon), here’s a joke I came across a week or so ago on the internet.

Luke Skywalker decides to take some time out from the stress of being a Jedi to take up a career in art education. He chooses to start by writing an informative pamphlet for kids about the many different shades of the colour purple. After writing the first draft, he feels it’s lacking something and goes to ask his friend Han Solo for feedback.

“Hey, Han,” says Luke, boarding the Millennium Falcon, “can you take a look at this pamphlet? I just feel it’s not quite right – any ideas?”

“I dunno, kid,” says Han, “have ya spelt ‘mauve’ right?”

“Yeah,” says Luke, “I spell-checked it twice.”

“Ah, probably right. I never was too great at spelling. Hey, maybe you should go ask Darth Vader.”

Luke agrees and pops over to the Death Star to talk to Vader.

“Hey dad,” he says, “I’ve been writing this pamphlet on the colour purple but I just feel it’s missing something. Can you help me?”

“Hurrr-haaaa, hurrr-haaaa,” breathes Vader, “Son, are you sure you have enough detail in your entry for ‘violet’?”

“Yes,” says Luke glumly, “I had an expert fill in that section, he seemed happy that it was detailed enough. Anything else?”

“No,” says Vader, “the force is strong in this pamphlet.”

Still not convinced, though, Luke flies to Dagobah to ask Yoda his opinion. The wise Jedi Master takes a look at the pamphlet and turns to Luke.

“Your problem, understand it I do.”

“You do?” asks Luke excitedly, “what is it then? What’s wrong with my instructional pamphlet on purple?”

Yoda points a finger at the offending section and says, “hard to see, the fuschia is.”

The wonders of the internet, eh?

Hugh Laurie: “snubbed by Britain”?

So apparently Hugh Laurie (yeah, that Hugh Laurie, i.e. the best actor on TV in House) feels he’s been “snubbed” by Britain since he became the super-mega-star in the US. This is from an interview in the new issue of the Radio Times, which was released in the UK today – unfortunately, as I live in the Netherlands at the moment, I won’t be able to read it in full until Friday, but that won’t stop me from making an uninformed judgement on the situation, oh no.

I read this story, therefore, on the BBC News website, and this is how they word the story:

The award-winning star told the Radio Times the hours on the show are “relentless” and he has not been offered any work in his home country.

“The door slammed behind me, and that’s it. There’s a notion that I’ve sold out,” said the performer.

Now, is it just me, or is the fact that Laurie has “relentless hours” working on House possibly the reason that he’s not getting any work in the UK? I mean, he’s doing this for 20-odd weeks a year, which, yes, leaves time during the off-season, but would surely be a possible, if not probable, stumbling block for many producers and directors trying to get a project off the ground.

That said, I am inclined to sympathise with Laurie, despite any misgivings, because he’s clearly a ridiculously intelligent and talented man – I’ve always loved his work, particularly on House, the third season of which I am working my way through on DVD at the moment – so much so that you’ve got to think that anyone who wants to work with him would surely try to plan production when House is in its hiatus.

With any luck this story (though big, big news it is definitely not) might kick some British employers into finding a job for Laurie, who’s clearly keen on such an idea. Frankly, they should be waiting hand and foot on him.