Peter Cook: "Lord Stockton: A Life" + Twisted Sister (1986)

In this "Saturday Live" sketch Peter Cook plays an old Conservative from the House of Lords, interviewed by John Bird in the autumn of his years. ("Nearly dead, yes.")
Although not named directly, "Lord Stockton" was the former UK Prime Minister Harold MacMillan ( tinyurl.com/l4nyy ), which explains the "Macmillan Publishing" in-joke. And he was indeed "nearly dead", dying (at the ripe old age of 92) not long after this program was broadcast, although the two events are presumably unconnected. When MacMillan was Prime Minister, he became the first UK head of government to be impersonated in a satirical show. Indeed he turned up at a performance of the show, "Beyond the Fringe", specifically to see himself impersonated. The person doing this ground-breaking impersonation? Peter Cook. ( tinyurl.com/e86j3 )
This sketch links directly into a live performance of "I am, I'm Me" performed by Twisted Sister. (NB This performance is actually from later in the show. The actual performance Cook linked into was a pisspoor cover of "Leader of the Pack". This performance was much better though. :) )
80s POP CULTURE REFERENCES:
* 4 million unemployed!!
* Thatcher
* Sunday Trading laws

[@trevorkeyes6067]

love the rising chair😂😂

[@AchtungEnglander]

That is when TV took some risks and comedy was golden.

[@MilesB1975]

Peter Cook AND Twisted Sister in the same sentence. Truth really is stranger than fiction.

[@rhythman69uk]

This is fantastic! I must be one of the very few to adore Twisted Sister and have all the L.P.'s and seen them live and also love Peter Cook and Dudley Moore too. My favourite double act of all time. But this track is from 1983, being sung in 1986. Odd that a song that was a hit three years earlier, should turn up then.

[@richardbrown1189]

Great impersonation of Harold Macmillan.

[@MrSkywalker153]

Peter Cook a genius and one hell of a geezer him & Dudley the dogs bollocks you can't replace that kind of talent not in today's world anyway

[@billysinge8977]

Lord Stockton was my great-great-great uncle.

[@Happyheart146]

Are you rich and when can we get married lol!

[@FranssensM]

This is brilliant. I wish Peter had done more of these. The writing and the acting are perfect.

[@alexfletcher5192]

In my book, there are two major British comedy geniuses and I can never decide whether he is No.1.

[@trevorkeyes6067]

rising chair.😂😂😂

[@trevorkeyes6067]

Brilliant 😂😂😂😂

[@Idol2Idol]

Love seeing Twisted Sister

[@trevorkeyes6067]

someone trying to assassinate me

[@SparkieGoth]

He looks like David Lloyd George instead of Macmillan. Still, you've got to laugh. The bit where he says "I can't control the bloody thing is absolutely hilarious!! I love swear words said in a posh voice.

[@orson12]

It's worth saying that at this time, Harold Macmillan WAS 'Lord Stockton' - he had been made the Earl of Stockton in 1984.

[@thiagoalvesalves7673]

Peter Cook!

[@superacesnare]

Comedy genius

[@stephaniehand503]

thanks

[@reknawfiend]

what a bloody racket. lovely.

[@riazahmed9580]

Timeless 🤣

[@pigknickers]

God that was funny. And accurate!

[@jacklinks1854]

Really how so because Macmillan was a loved Man ....?

[@bleckrocks]

Awesome!!! How i tried to please u live the way you said, do the things like u do like the living dead Then the truth hit me got me off my knees ITS MY LIFE IM LIVING I'LL LIVE AS I PLEASE LIVE IT LOVE IT All for Twisted Sister xoxo Bleckrocks

[@alephnaughtpix]

genyouwin: Peter Cook and Twisted were both on the same show, and Cook introduced them at the end of the sketch. Check the info for more details.

[@TyrSkyFatherOfTheGods]

Dead-on imitation of Macmillan.

[@jacklinks1854]

Oh come on ...Macmillan was a,top Man

[@alephnaughtpix]

I don't think that particular night was ever filmed. That would be pretty early on when it was still a stage show and was just starting in the London West End. The sketch itself was filmed much later for a "Beyond..." TV special though. Should be able to get that on DVD, if it's not already on here. :)

[@yinoveryang4246]

Also appreciate both of these very diverse art-forms. Shortly after this in the UK at least, Twisted Sister had to tone down the "huge great blonde tart" component of their act, to appeal to British audiences of the time, the UK just wasn't ready for it. This poor qualty video, that someone recorded on their video player, which has been uploaded and recompressed by KZbin many times, may now be the only surviving copy.

[@chrischown]

I have the feeling it was recorded on audio though, as I remember hearing it on a documentary...

[@roryfyfesmith8342]

What was Harold MacMillan's fave football team? m ACMillan. .

[@timelordvictorious]

feel peter cook was born funny

[@colinsmyth99]

I saw you like peter cook and twisted sister and that's why they're included, to see if it gives you the horn and of course it has done.

[@alephnaughtpix]

Come on Dave. Thin Lizzy, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Motorhead. With bands like that in the UK, a lot of US rock (at least until Metallica etc) *did* look a bit camp and watered down in comparision. Having said that, Twisted Sister put in a blinding performance in clip.

[@alephnaughtpix]

Funny you should say that, they did "Leader of the Pack" earlier in the show. Click the "more" link on the video infor more details...

[@victorcreed3]

what song is twisted performing?

[@holtby91]

Does anyone find this really weird? An iconic 60s satirist and an 80s hair metal band on the same show. It would be like Stormzy performing on a formal BBC 4 Documentary.

[@alephnaughtpix]

Good point, although I would consider "Lord Stockton" to be less of a direct name for "Harold MacMillian" than, say "Mr MacMillan". But that's the honours system for you..

[@jacklinks1854]

SHAME ON YOU ...Lord Stockton Macmillan was a Great Man..and loved Britain tirelessly but he might have had a laugh at this...

[@Elitist20]

I don't call her ghastly just because she's a woman. And I don't call her a woman just because she's ghastly. But she is a woman. And she is ghastly.

[@colinsmyth99]

behave yourself when witnessing genius

[@jlkenney]

Er, Macmillan *is* named directly - he had been created Earl of Stockton in 1984, so "Lord Stockton" was just the correct way of referring to him.

[@jacklinks1854]

Not created ..A Highland Lord where in the devil you get created. It's beyond me ..Macmillan is Ghille Macmaolain ...Related in blood to Cormack And in reality Macbeth ,Maolbeatha.....YOU SEE AND KENNETH Macalpine..

[@normwho7]

THE SONG IS CALLED "I AM I'M ME"

[@guywholovesmovies]

holy shit wtf? who the fuck is the bass player? that aint no mark mendoza

[@normanmeharry58]

Cook looks worryingly unwell here.

[@rondon9897]

Did peter blink at any time through this?

[@josephinebennington7247]

I’ve been catching up with PC and DM on KZbin recently, through 2019. PC does not blink. I think he did one long blink at the start of this sketch. I’ve never seen another at any time. And I’ve been looking for them too.

[@guywholovesmovies]

damn i posted that comment a long ass time ago and shortly after that, i found out that he just grew a beard sry dude

[@junipree]

soccer?twisted sister?

[@bigboxbobby2]

Arent Twisted Sister awful?

[@DaveyMulholland]

Shame about the band

[@voraciousreader3341]

An absolutely hilarious sketch completely ruined by that horrible band, just AWFUL.