The Greatest Living Englishman is Guilty

by Harry on March 19, 2009

Most of you have probably seen this when it first aired on BBC 4, but just in case anyone mentioned it I thought I’d link to it anyway. Part 1, part 2 and, perhaps best of all, part 3. Unsurprisingly, he is a man of great discernment, listing Stanley Unwin, Georgette Heyer, Delia Smith and Led Zeppelin. And you’ll never feel bad about swearing again (he makes me feel a bit better about the fact that one of the little monster‘s first sentences, when asked to do something, was a very calm and direct, “F**k it, Dadda do it”). Hugh Laurie fans? well, there’s a lot of him in it too.

{ 14 comments }

1

lindsey 03.19.09 at 5:58 pm

Did he really say that? No way. Too funny.

2

Stuart 03.19.09 at 5:59 pm

Hugh Laurie fans? well, there’s a lot of him in it too.

Or equally Hugh Laurie haters, as he is getting punched in about half the clips.

3

Russell Arben Fox 03.19.09 at 6:02 pm

Wait–Led Zeppelin and ABBA? Well, of course! My respect and affection for Stephen Fry has just increased tenfold, if that is even possible.

4

Warren Terra 03.19.09 at 6:08 pm

For Stephen Fry fans, he’s also presenting a three-part series entitled “Third Reich & Roll” on BBC Radio 2, about the Nazi history of audio recording or some such (I haven’t listened to it yet). Typical BBC deal, you can listen to each episode for seven days after broadcast online. It started Monday night and the episodes are broadcast weekly, so if you’re interested you have four days left to listen to part one.

5

Harry 03.19.09 at 7:48 pm

He really did. More than once. He has stopped swearing now, though.

6

Nick 03.19.09 at 9:58 pm

Third Reich & Roll
Shurely Swingtime For Hilter?
I hope the Residents are getting a royalty on that title.

7

lindsey 03.20.09 at 12:45 am

He picked it up from you didn’t he? ;)

8

JamesP 03.20.09 at 2:18 am

Bah. Alan Moore is clearly the Greatest Living Englishman. Though he may have transcended the material plane and moved into some inchoate state of spirit-being by now, come to think of it, which would give Fry a shot.

9

josh 03.20.09 at 5:21 am

Agreed on SF’s status.
And Harry, if you’ve not seen this, it seems right up your alley:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oh0XeFjvwB4
Alas, only the first 9 minutes of a longer speech are included …

10

Gustav Holmberg 03.20.09 at 12:22 pm

Stephen Fry, love him!

In case you’ve missed, he makes podcasts available.

11

roac 03.20.09 at 2:25 pm

I saw this and thought “Stanley Unwin the publisher?” Had never heard of the other one.

Just a data point for anyone studying transatlantic cultural diffusion and lack thereof.

12

Interositor 03.22.09 at 5:56 am

#8 Alan Moore is clearly the Greatest Living Englishman

That’s what I was thinking, though Fry is certainly the runner up. Not sure if it was Neil Gaiman who gave me that idea or just exposure to Moore himself.

13

astrongmaybe 03.22.09 at 6:25 am

Hmm… Greatest Living Englishman? Patrick Leigh Fermor.

14

tom s. 03.23.09 at 2:27 am

#8, 12. Billy Bragg is the GLE.

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