The United States of Fry

Introduction

Stephen Fry is a national treasure. He is a brilliant, best-selling, author (I can highly recommend The Liar, Making History and The Stars' Tennis Balls). He was one half of the brilliant comedy double act Fry & Laurie. He presented an excellent documentary on the Gutenberg press. He was riveting on Who Do You Think You Are. Excellent on Room 101. He presented an insightful programme about his own mental health problems. He writes excellent blogs. He has a great podcast. And of course, he presents QI.



I think that's enough Fry-love for now. A very brief synposis of the show presented on this DVD. The premise is simple. Fry visited America because he "wanted to find out what it is that makes the United States of America so unique, so diverse, so very American..."

In order to do this he visits each and every one of America's states in a black London cab (a left hand drive version built in America), meeting people and finding out about their country.

Video and Audio

A 1.78:1 anamorphic transfer, as first broadcast, and just as good if not better than that broadcast. Some sumptuous scenery to be seen here, and everything looks good. As for the audio, we get Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, again very much as broadcast.

Extra Features

Extra footage not broadcast on TV, around 20 minutes spread between 6 scenes. They vary in length but are all interesting. Good to see the second BBC appearance of the Peabody ducks waddling around their hotel (previously seen when Keith Floyd and his trail of ethanol fumes visited the US). Not the same ducks though, as they only stay at the hotel for three months and then a whole new set of ducks come in to take their place.

Conclusion

This programme has only just finished its first broadcast run but already it is available on DVD (as with much modern TV output).

I thoroughly enjoyed watching it, Fry is an excellent travel guide because he has so much knowledge and wants to share it with the world. He is interested in everyone he meets and can converse with them on any level. And his thirst for knowledge leads him to ask further questions and find out as much as he can, whether visiting a distillery in Kentucky, basket weaving with the Navajo, talking to a brothel owner in Nevada, sailing in Rhode Island or stepping gingerly around a body farm.

This DVD is perfect for anyone who enjoys Stephen Fry, whether you've seen the programme on TV or not. And if you want to know some more about the real America, this is an excellent place to learn.

Recommended.