With the simple aim to tell ‘the full official story’, comedy historian Jem Roberts brings us the genius that is Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie’ in Soupy Twists. The ‘all-new narrative guide’ will be timed to mark the 30th anniversary of the debut of the duo’s ‘effortlessly superior sketch show’. The pilot episode of A Bit Of Fry & Laurie premiered in 1987, and then went on to run for four critically acclaimed series.

Speaking to the British Comedy Guide, Roberts says, “The comedy blows anything since out of the water, be it Little Britain, The Mighty Boosh, whatever you like, and reading the ‘new’ material just brings this home to you, taking you right back to when people were actually allowed to be this amusing.”

Roberts, who has previously written books about Blackadder, I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue and The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy, will cover the whole history of the duo’s comedy partnership in the book, as well as their subsequent solo efforts from QI to House.

Roberts has already obtained much material for Soupy Twists!, including “huge databanks” of unseen scripts. The collected documents reveal “a host of tantalizing titbits for fans, including what happened next for Tony & Control, which other shops Mr Dalliard’s friend ran, and the lost Laurie number The Ballad of Neddy Muldoon“.

With the backing of both the comedy stars to write the book, Roberts is using the crowd-funding website Unbound to raise the money required to bring the project to the publication stage. Interested parties should head to Unbound.co.uk to find out more about the project, and to read an excerpt from the book. Those who pledge £10 will get a digital copy of the book when it’s finished, whilst £20 pays for a hardback copy. Other rewards on offer include a facsimile hardcopy of rare, unseen Fry & Laurie material.

If it’s anything close to Roberts’ previous Blackadder work, it will be well worth the read.