Peter Cook biased judge

Peter Cook satiric interpretation of a judge during the Jeremy Thorpe trial (1979)

[@mfrost71w]

Cook wrote this the night of the judge's summing up in the Thorpe trial and performed it the next day - absolute comic genius

[@Hammerton32]

fantastic. spot on.

[@thethirdman225]

I don’t know how he wasn’t charged with scandalising the court. Bloody funny though.

[@JupiterThunder]

Miriam Thrope

[@andrewshields5525]

Having watched 'A Very English Scandal', this is indeed blistering stuff.

[@cpa2788]

A top-notch drama, for sure.

[@johnawakening9908]

More than that surely.

[@zyltch1]

Peter Cook at his absolute best - the most devastatingly hilarious send-up of establishment figures since the Savoy Operas.

[@tigerboy1966]

At the time no-one would have believed that this sketch would last as it was choc-full of highly specific and topical references to the Thorpe trial, It does still work however, as Cook is satirising an archetype of corrupt and incompetent authority. The line "so flimsy", which doesn't get a laugh here, was always the one that cracked me up.

[@olamarvin]

You are so right. I found this sketch before I knew about the affair (I am a pagan foreigner). The praise put upon Peter Cook made me look it up. I read about the affair, then realized how fantastic it was. I have watched it many times and I think it's one of the highlights of satire, world wide, all time.

[@johnawakening9908]

My criticism is only that the left has become the right, the female has been entirely ignored and anything goes.

[@digbychickenceaser9908]

A stunning piece of satire for ANY era. As good now as it was thirty years ago.

[@SimonFoston]

True, you don't really need to know about the case or the individuals referred to for it to be hilarious every time you watch it again.

[@SuperKurashima]

Tremendous stuff. Easily one of the greatest comic talents the country has ever seen.

[@jeanmyers1787]

If I’m having a bad day this is one of my go to’s. Sheer brilliance!

[@andyrowlands50029]

One of Peter Cook's finest moments. From the 1979 Secret Policeman's Ball I think. "A self confessed player of the pink Oboe..."

[@AnthonyEmery1970]

as he about to walk out to make this speech he asked if anyone had a good phrase for masturbation - and Billy Connolly piped up with 'playing the pink oboe' - and he used it!

[@jaolin6042]

@@AnthonyEmery1970 Masturbation? Surely it must refer to fellatio.

[@AnthonyEmery1970]

@@jaolin6042 page 371 of Harry Thompson's biography of Peter Cook. I was right with the story but it's about being homosexual, not masturbation (or fellatio).

[@jaolin6042]

@@AnthonyEmery1970 Still, it clearly refers to fellatio, just like, e.g., "play the skin flute".

[@AnthonyEmery1970]

@@jaolin6042 Yeah ok fair enough, haha - love Cook, love the sketch - cheers mate :-)

[@335fusion]

Sir Joseph Donaldson Cantley, OBE (8 August 1910 - 6 January 1993) was an English barrister and later a High Court judge. He is most notable for presiding over the trial of Jeremy Thorpe in 1979

[@GOGOLH]

Billy Connolly came up with the "pink oboe" line.

[@MantisCFS]

I first watched this sketch when I was 12 in 2002, part of some comp/doc night about SPB. I was watching purely because I'd slipped downstairs and my parents hadn't caught me. I didnt have a clue who "Mrs. Thrope" was or Cook, save a vague name recognition, but I cried with laughter. Chasing this sketch tonight, I came across Stephen Fry's epitaph of Cook who described him as "supernaturally funny". I couldn't agree more. I definately appreciate this sketch more 20 years later, but in terms of pure belly laughs? Hasn't changed a jot.

[@honeybeebadger]

A Very English Scandal brought me here

[@MichaelJones-xk3rb]

An absolute scream! I don't know how Coole got away with it with his stinging satire of an establishment high court judge at the time of the notorious Thorpe trial, but he did and we are the better for that.

[@Tom-kt8lu]

‘Carefully to consider’

[@ganeshr66]

Hilarious, top quality satire! Even to someone unfamiliar withe the background. British comedy rules!

[@davidjeffcock3576]

Essentially written by the late Christopher Booker, for Private Eye, brilliantly riffed by the genius Peter Cook

[@mr.evasion]

The "D. Frost and leave to Cook" Christipher Booker?

[@morenofranco9235]

I so love Peter Cook. A true Genius! I now need psychiatric help!

[@dancochrane617]

How could he do this while keeping a straight face? 😂

[@TheAspadistra]

Great stuff. I was too young to appreciate it at the time.

[@Smudgie]

The sketch is alluding to the Jeremy Thorpe scandal of the time. Marvellous stuff!

[@Gruntol5]

Never saw this before. Absolutely brilliant.

[@davej1952]

Comic genius. That sketch has never been bettered

[@RichardIIfan]

I miss satire. In modern humourless PC Britain the new political class admits of no criticism

[@geoffpoole483]

Plenty of non-PC comedians about, who choose to punch down. What's sad about this sketch is how little has changed. When it comes to attacking privilege and power, the crude cudgel (Frankie Boyle et al) is no match for the deft rapier.

[@thethirdman225]

Satire is PC proof anyway. That's kind of the point.

[@computersolutions164]

RIP Peter

[@199422adam]

The work of Genius. Superb!

[@nosnibor800]

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. The establishment carries on.

[@insomnia3201]

genius, miss him so much, who is there today???

[@insomnia3201]

we published a book about Thorpe, everybopdy was a dog, it didnt sell but was fun doing

[@davidwatson3035]

Now THAT'S satire!

[@sail1948]

Scott of the Arseantics.

[@LePrince1890]

I would have loved to have been in an actual court listening to this bilge. Thorpe was damned fortunate he was part of the establishment. But note - after the trial nobody touched him.

[@geoffpoole483]

He was found not guilty; the reality is he was ostracised after the trial.

[@cheesechoker]

Look up "pillow-biter" on Wiktionary. I'd link to the entry here, but KZbin won't let me.

[@barleyarrish]

sorely missed

[@leejenkins3688]

Pure genius!

[@routeman680]

Exquisite satire.

[@DeafIaint]

This top drawer quality !

[@rogerdeacon5878]

lmao..still funny decades later..miss you Pete.

[@soundbeings1]

Class !

[@dancochrane617]

Excellent example of extreme eloquent and extremely extraordinary elaborated emotional embellishments. Excruciating excrement at it’s finest 😂😂

[@eagle5fox20]

Rob Schneider sent me!

[@9783geezer]

@neohip which is just why it IS funny? Sadly....

[@tigerboy1966]

RIP Jeremy Thorpe.

[@ZootBurger]

(っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ Τα κουνελάκια μπορούν και θα πάνε στη Γαλλία ♥

[@leonardfleet50]

A really funny sketch, but the truth is funnier... in magistrates courts, the court clerk, prosecutor & magistrate, all work together for the state against the defendant & practice Maritime Law on Land!... How funny is that?!

[@anonUK]

"British justice must be done, Not only done but seen, And now that it's been done to me, I know how done I've been."

[@geoffpoole483]

Fuck off you sovereign citizen/freeman of the land twat.