Clive James interview 1987 2/4 Peter Cook

Cook's anecdotes and opinions here include such topics as spy recruitment at Cambridge, trying to telephone the Kremlin, defecting in East Germany, reliance on television, Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, Raymond Burr, programming the VCR, and television advertisements including the untapped potential of 'negative endorsements'.
This is followed by a lengthy introduction to the next guest, Barry Humphries (see parts 3/4 and 4/4).

[@DenkyManner]

Cook's magic was that he always twisted everything back to being very silly. Too clever to be bothered about trying to be clever.

[@NxDoyle]

He'd be turning 79 this year. Still missed.

[@opencurtin]

I love the way james just pops the questions at cook and lets him satire them .

[@mihaelatudor2417]

A complete delight !!

[@jessiejames7492]

peter cook is such a softie in some ways. He helped Barry Humphries get his first big break..He also helped to propel Frankie Howerd and back into the spotlight after his career was flagging ....When he was in school he wrote comedy for such greats like Kenneth Williams...

[@pigknickers2975]

You're right! And he gave a career to Hislop, Humphries (as you say), Frost, Dudley, the list is very long

[@jopowell2924]

hah bet Peter would be baffled about today's telly I know I am!! love ya Mr Cook

[@francescaruby1150]

Thanks for posting from Barcelona

[@thebresker]

thanks for uploading this.

[@Ingens_Scherz]

Judging by this, I reckon Peter Cook would have taken to the miracle that is the online world like a seagull to a landfill. Perhaps he would have also, just for fun, single-handedly taken the twit out of twitter, a bit like the massively overrated Fry hasn't. Peter Cook is missed.

[@Monkofmagnesia]

Would have love to have seen "A Man Called Bedside"!

[@10kingstreet]

I wish to... defect OOOOh this is SO much nicer than our prisons

[@paulweston6049]

You can listen in when i get through....Hhahahahahaha

[@dullarddom]

There's a film called The Bone Collector which I seem to remember being unnervingly similar. Peter Cook was clearly a true visionary.of bad entertainment.

[@bruce4130]

Peter cook would have liked Alexa?! 5:24

[@PXR05]

What do you mean seldom smokes? What piffle!! Peter would never go to the theatre, because he couldn`t go 2 hours without having a cigarette.

[@Ingens_Scherz]

@bluejeckett I rest my case.

[@katinkiplinkyplonk4933]

5;26 Cookie

[@darkstar223]

Ps most probable by his dad

[@gmakepiece]

I said 'ere Pete, what's all this then? If only he was still around and with Dudley...colonelrobertneville blogspot com

[@jessiejames7492]

could one go by the underground in britain and land in east germany .? serious question. Or is everythng he is saying a big joke..?

[@adamjeffrey3058]

He meant the underground in Berlin... the U-Bahn.

[@jessiejames7492]

Adam Jeffrey thanks for the info.

[@11Kralle]

Subway is "U-[ntergrund]bahn" (below-groundlevel-train) in german.

[@Ingens_Scherz]

@bluejeckett Fry buzzes around genuine talent like a bluebottle around a Sunday roast. I don't give two hoots about how much he pretended to care. He's an expensively over-educated media parasite who thinks he's a national treasure, darling. Did I say Peter Cook is missed? Well, he is. Fry won't be (much).

[@yellowledbutter]

ludocrat he’ll be missed more than you!

[@EricaNernie]

Agree. Fry has outstayed his welcome. He was brilliant as Melchy, but then spent too much time tooting his own horn/erudition on various quiz shows. If I see him on tv, I change channels.

[@bbedford1804]

I think the term "national treasure" is applied by others to Stephen Fry; it's not a term he uses about himself.

[@johnanthonyp]

Big there-no big here-the superstar -avoiding super star-is Peter Cook-not try too hard

[@darkstar223]

That is a lie …he was approached

[@770WT]

Cooke seems defeated by this time . He doesn't have the energy or the optimism as he did a few years before this interview .

[@pigknickers2975]

Yes, he started going to seed about 32 yo. It's a tragic story.