199 Peter Cook videos
October 29, 2007 5:39 PM   Subscribe

199 Peter Cook videos (in case you don't know who Peter Cook is, he's often considered the funniest English comedian of the 20th Century, this myspace page has a concise biography).
posted by Kattullus (16 comments total) 18 users marked this as a favorite
 
He and Dud did a nice turn in The Wrong Box as well. (Didn't see it mentioned link three). Good stuff. Well, it would be, wouldn't it?
posted by IndigoJones at 5:48 PM on October 29, 2007


"...in case you don't know who Peter Cook is, he's was often considered..."

Freakily, myspace says I can add him to my extended network. But he's DEAD. How do I do this?
posted by mattoxic at 5:50 PM on October 29, 2007


Peter Cook was was most certainly not the funniest English comedian of the 20th Century -- and NOT because he wasn't funny. He was very funny. He's not the funniest English comedian of the 20th century because there are so many funny English comedians in the 20th century, that it's simply impossible to set any one of the top ten over the others. See this previous Metafilter post. They're all -- Peter Cook included -- really funny.
posted by Faze at 5:57 PM on October 29, 2007


I've got Jimmy Hoffa in my basement. Anything is possible.

I always loved Peter Cook. Thanks!
posted by maudlin at 5:57 PM on October 29, 2007


The wheel on the Windows Vista unicycle goes 'round and 'round..........and 'round......
posted by longsleeves at 6:23 PM on October 29, 2007


"and now comes the wry twist..."
posted by edgeways at 6:46 PM on October 29, 2007


Hardly a week has gone by in the past 20 years that the word "unidexter" hasn't crossed my mind. (I probably see a lot more amputees than you do.)
posted by neuron at 7:31 PM on October 29, 2007


Thanks, Kattullus. Peter Cook was indeed very very funny, as we noted here last month. (A post noted for its rigor.) These videos will be great to watch when I get home from tomorrow night's late supper at the Frog & Peach.

He and Dud did a nice turn in The Wrong Box as well.

Even better was the original Bedazzled.
posted by LeLiLo at 8:23 PM on October 29, 2007


Oh my goodness gracious.
posted by Sticherbeast at 9:07 PM on October 29, 2007


He and Dud did a nice turn in The Wrong Box as well.

A film that has somehow failed to make it to DVD for far too long.
posted by oneirodynia at 9:25 PM on October 29, 2007


sorry, not funnier than John Cleese.
posted by caddis at 1:43 AM on October 30, 2007


Not to mention their totally outrageous Derek and Clive.
posted by arzakh at 3:28 AM on October 30, 2007


Peter Cook is definitely up there with the funniest English comedians. I don't think there's anyone better.
Great post.
posted by greytape at 4:53 AM on October 30, 2007


caddis: sorry, not funnier than John Cleese.

One might explain the poll's discrepancy from objective reality by mentioning that Peter Cook was the deceased childhood hero of the comedy generation most polled, never got his due, satire being the highest form of humor etc. etc. blah blah blah.

Or one could say that humor is by definition subjective, that one's own opinion is not the be all and end all of everyone's sense of humor, but it is the be all and end all of one's own. Furthermore, tastes in humor evolve over time and differ between cultures. In fact, should this list be dug up and pondered a hundred years from now the denizens of the 22nd Century may well wonder how on Earth these 50 people were chosen when clearly the greatest comedian of all times was not only still living, but still making yearly TV broadcasts. Where on this list, the posthumans might wonder, is Jerry Lewis?

The past is a different country and the future is France.
posted by Kattullus at 5:17 AM on October 30, 2007


sorry, not funnier than John Cleese.

Apparently, in person, he totally was.
posted by Sparx at 5:30 AM on October 30, 2007


I should actually qualify my previous comment by noting that in the Cook biography "Tragically I was an only twin", it's noted that Cook was a natural wit and could just sit there and be jaw-droppingly funny off the cuff - which was hugely useful whenever Private Eye, the satire magazine he was involved with, was running short of material. John Cleese, OTOH, IIRC, prefers to work of a script. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
posted by Sparx at 6:07 AM on October 30, 2007


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