Secret Policeman's Ball: Peter Cook and Dudley Moore 'Frog and Peach'

[@fords_nothere_100]

"I thought, at the time, rightly or wrongly, possibly both..." So many great lines here. These guys will always hold up.

[@commandert5]

I love Dudley Moore's attempts to keep a straight face.

[@cathryncampbell8555]

"The 't' is silent as in 'fox.' " Perfection!

[@irenemax3574]

"Do you feel you have learned from your mistakes?" "Certainly. I have learned from my mistakes and I am sure I can repeat them exactly."

[@bazcuda]

Just for a few delightful minutes we can pretend they're both still with us.

[@shabbysuzannah3702]

Agreed

[@billyhodges7194]

The best of the best

[@thomaspatton3401]

Amen

[@Orphen42O]

Whenever I want to describe something that is "six of one, half a dozen of another" I often used the "frog a la pesche or pesche a la frog" analogy. Back in the late Sixties nobody understood what I meant until the "Secret Policeman's Ball" became more well-known. Now every Baby Boomer sees the humor of "frog a la pesche or pesche a la frog".

[@stooben1]

I've learned from my mistakes and I'm sure I could repeat them exactly.

[@InshushaGroupie]

Some of the funniest comedy I've ever seen is Peter Cook trying to make Dudley Moore laugh.

[@revbenf6870]

And he always succeeded!

[@dinsy512]

This has always been one of my favourite pieces of sketch comedy, and it’s still an absolute cackfest! The writing, the comic timing, the corpsing! My tummy hurts from the laughing!

[@barbarasquyres9563]

Funny guys! I’m trying to find the skit on the one legged man to play tarzan

[@groovygirl23]

I once saw them do this live. Peter Cook was a comic genius.

[@Orphen42O]

I remember when this first came out. At the time, I had trouble explaining these sketches to friends because British comedy was not very popular at the time. The Monty Python Show is a now a classic.

[@waynemarvin5661]

Ahem, Monty Python's Flying Circus!

[@123barriejohn]

"I wrote a letter" - hahahahaha!!!!! In some ways, Peter Cook is unsurpassed. His Clive Anderson characterisations were also brilliant.

[@jayselad]

Those interviews with Clive anderson have been pulled from you tube but I did have the pleasure if seeing them in the past. Brilliant Peter just morphed into character fantastic

[@josh2Sides2]

He took those from his times ringing into Radio shows in different "characters"

[@scottdittmer5597]

"I felt strangely calm, but at the same time Horribly Terrified".... !!

[@markschildberg1667]

Pete ad libbed after that line at one performance: “Dear Sir: Stop it.”

[@BenVarkentine]

More than 25 years since they first worked together, and Peter Cook was still trying to break Dudley Moore onstage.

[@tommototo]

"Seize it."

[@danmagoo]

My hometown (and perhaps others) had an actual restaurant with this name, presumably a tribute to the comedy sketch, which you had to admire for the obscurity of the reference. The menu was pretty normal, though - in fact it was a classy place.

[@rickrose5377]

I have reservations for Friday. (And I feel sure I shall have those reservations always.)

[@123barriejohn]

Such incredible talent. I loved Peter Cook's appearance on the Clive Anderson show, when he portrayed three completely different, lunatic characters!

[@GoteeDevotee]

Five, you must have missed the other two

[@martm216]

Oh yes! The football manager was brilliant. 'Football! She's hard taskmaster and tough mistress. She's in me bloody. She's in me bones. She's in me shoulders . . . Well you see, I'm a Scunny man. And they don't like Scunny men in Hartlepool.'

[@jeanmyers1787]

I think Dud’s first love was as a pianist. My heart goes out to him when he was unable to do that as his disease progressed

[@sylviavasquez9523]

I watch this at least once a month. Perfection.

[@shanewright2772]

Peter Cook was the funniest man who ever drew breath.

[@patavinity7673]

Genius of the first order

[@anthonybygrave889]

Shane Wright he's my all time comedy hero

[@whatshisname3304]

definitely

[@ploppysonofploppy6066]

The way he used his age, his slowing reflexes, his growing confidence, to hone his comic timing - like a sportsman uses experience to slow their game down really! Masterful.

[@fuzzballzz36]

Yes he was!

[@tigerboy1966]

Dud is so easy to crack up and Pete takes full advantage.

[@steinwaygrande3971]

Two wondergul and highly talended men. Gone but no nevert forgotten

[@ransomeblytonbuchan7979]

Is the T in "nevert" silent... like in fox?

[@derekpink]

0:50 even this bit and especially the groan get a big laugh. Comedic geniuses.

[@Kimdino1]

Sir Arthur would make a good politician. Learning from his mistakes to the point where he is sure that he could repeat them exactly.

[@krisscanlon4051]

Moore relished this straight man role! Cook a master of absurdity and language! Frog and peach 🍑 Seize it! Despite having issues these two could deliver the goods...Moore couldn't stop from laughing 😂 years later.

[@krisscanlon4051]

Still watching it😂😅 Moore corpsing😂

[@michaelhands2189]

"...rightly or wrongly, possibly both" X)

[@MaskedMan66]

"It is so... so, what's the word? Uh... It's down there, isn't it?" LOL

[@JonnyRollin]

Cook had a way with words like no other comedian.

[@111oooo]

They did a comedy album called Good Evening, this was one of the sketches. The whole album is hilarious

[@nigeldepledge3790]

Pete & Dud at their absolute finest here!

[@Grondiron]

The writing and performance is outstanding. British comedy is the best in the world, no doubt about it.

[@Macca-rb5ok]

That's a very, very difficult claim to prove. You'd have to travel the world and listen to/ observe the comedy of every other nation for starters...as an example, the Congolese are extremely funny.

[@alisongilmore9814]

​@@Macca-rb5ok🎉😅

[@alisongilmore9814]

😂😂❤

[@alisongilmore9814]

It hurts2much❤

[@123barriejohn]

"Capital punishment's been abolished for some time now." "Yes it has, Except in my neck of the woods." "Who better to take the law into their own hands than a judge?" I'm still laughing!

[@darylcumming7119]

Thank you for the upload. 😊

[@cathywilson3146]

Absolute brilliance.

[@louisethompson8579]

Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful.

[@reded1905]

One of the funniest teams of all time, any country, any time, any where.

[@larrymclarnon-pd8xf]

A couple of absolute treasures.

[@HugoHackenbush-jq7hl]

I was there. Got hold of 4 tickets from the box office in person, for the grand old price of £20 (that's a mighty £5 a ticket) Myself, girlfriend and kid brother. Sold the spare outside face value, 5 quid, to a long haired bloke into The Who, because he'd heard, "Pete Townshend was gonna be there." Great night. Never bettered.

[@anthonyvaughan6470]

BRILLIANT !!!

[@123barriejohn]

I have a feeling that this is from "The Secret Policeman's Biggest Ball" in 1989, when the show returned to its comedic roots, and the two definitely appeared together, but I'm not sure!

[@BlookbugIV]

Yes that’s correct. The Secret Policeman's Biggest Ball in 89. They did their One Leg Too Few sketch for it too.

[@SneakyShark]

"The T is silent, as in 'Fox'" - such a daft line delivered in a perfectly deadpan way :)

[@andersonsmith979]

Excuse me, the 'T' is silent as in 'Ftox.'

[@ColtraneTaylor]

Still don't get it. Even by absurd standards isn't that silly? Having a T in a word that has no T. Would have sounded better imo if it was a word that resembled Streeb Greebling.

[@rickrose5377]

@@ColtraneTaylor Excuse me, but there are few Ts so silent as the one in 'fox'.

[@jonathanwhalley8471]

@@rickrose5377 ....or the P is silent as in swimming!

[@ColtraneTaylor]

@George Leech It's kind of aggravating because I enjoy almost anything absurd but this one just escapes my grasp. Looks like I have a logical streak.

[@exclusivemaintenancecompan8015]

Your mum sounds a great character and I will be using “frog a la peshe” and vice versa going forward

[@Gamble661]

This may very well be a Mandela Effect thing but I distinctly recall seeing this sketch many years ago and Peter Cook talks about lowering his wife into a well to catch the frogs. Something like; his wife hates doing it....and the frogs don't care for it much either. I recall that as the funniest line in the sketch!

[@thezealouscellist1966]

Yes, this line appeared in a version of the script I uncovered. About 15 years ago, the private school one of my music students went to announced that they were putting together an evening of British comedy and I signed up to perform in this sketch. Sadly, I was unable to reconcile the rehearsal schedule with the rest of my busy life and had to drop it before rehearsals had even begun. I considered it the opportunity of a lifetime sorely missed.

[@martinclark8162]

Kevdude you're right, for sure his name was Greeb Streebling before they turned CERN on - world's gone nuts.

[@BlookbugIV]

I’ve got a version with the wife down the well on my iPod, doesn’t have a live audience.

[@BlookbugIV]

Here’s a live version includes the wife down the well kzbin.info/www/bejne/lXqUoKaEntaWmKs Smaller venue.

[@Elitist20]

'Of course, she's not a well woman.' 'No?' 'Not a well woman at all, so she very much resents having to go down the well every morning.'

[@MrRolandMichel]

Yup kids, that is Comedy, take note!

[@azapro911]

Nearly twenty years apart and Peter can still get Dudley to corpse. 😂

[@aryehfinklestein9041]

Brilliant!!!

[@isammolina4842]

Que lindo verlo a Dudley .Esta emocionado por los aplausos. Y por reencontrarse con Cook. 😆😃

[@grahamobrienverynicex9804]

They were brill xx

[@barryispuzzled]

Great chemistry between these two.

[@wgb01001]

Seize it!

[@dielaughing73]

"It's enough to put you off your food, which is a damn good thing considering what the food is like"

[@macpdm]

Pure brilliance

[@TheMorbius1]

You are most correct!!

[@boosh90]

yes well I wrote a letter

[@RobJazzful]

Connor Hutcheon but, it took so long to get there...

[@RobJazzful]

Connor Hutcheon Dear sirs, STOP IT!!

[@aldershot5100]

great they got back together after their rift

[@mrjw6701]

Brilliant double act in someways they were way ahead of their time. Looking at this it’s hard to believe that Dudley was nearly 2 years older than Peter.

[@vangroover1903]

Yes, Peter Cook doesn't look a day under 75 there.

[@duncanpearce7499]

the funniest thing ive ever seen

[@AC-ih7jc]

IIRC, there used to be a pub in the Smithtown, NY area called "The Frog and Peach" back in the 1980s or so. I don't know if it had any connection to this routine. Can any Long Islanders back me up on this?

[@scottrooney8954]

Brilliant 🤩

[@ruiseartalcorn]

Geniuses! :)

[@jameseddison5356]

Old school hilarious.

[@soeffingwhat]

Thats correct from September 1989, I have it on CD.

[@esmeephillips5888]

After 'Arthur 2' there was little left for Dudley but to resume his role as Cook's stooge.

[@PaulDavies-r5w]

Ello Dud, Ello Pete class above comedy!😂

[@alexfletcher5192]

I forget who it was who said Cook had 'funniness' like some people have 'beauty' and it's enough to make Dudley Moore - at this point even a Hollywood attraction - crack up.

[@lycian123]

I can’t quite believe Cook. No one can be that funny. He seems genuinely very funny but to me it’s impossible. How can a man have that ability?

[@voraciousreader3341]

Gosh....Cook was only 52 here, but he looks 15 years older. His voice sounds that way, too, from smoking so much for so long. He died only 6 years later than this benefit, which puts his health in a better perspective for dying so young.

[@NJTDover]

True and clean comedy unlike today's rubbish.

[@philiptaylor7902]

You never heard Derek & Clive then! Not that I suggest you do - it's only suitable for those with a strong stomach.

[@trackdaybob]

Genius.

[@billmilligan1705]

There is an actual restaurant in the states called the frog and peach.

[@bbmcrae]

LOVE this sketch. What year is it from?

[@chanilastname7217]

1989, if I am not mistaken.

[@stephaniehand503]

great

[@darkelectric2024]

Guess you had to be there !

[@billmilligan1705]

There is an actual restaurant in New Jersey called the frog and peach.

[@reded1905]

There's brilliance, and then there's this. Abbott and Costello's Who's On First and Andy Griffiths What It Was Was Football are it's only competition.

[@argelbargel7680]

The good old F & P.

[@pldinfobox]

Why.... Why do we lose the ones we love...

[@charbelbader1]

the waiter ??! very often yes

[@patrikwright2658]

Classic

[@UserName-sj8fg]

Can't control the sound volume!

[@TheAutisticCat]

In what year was this filmed please Sir?

[@PointsofData]

1989

[@jimmyd.]

“Yes well, I wrote a letter”...

[@gaylasmith5279]

Bloody brilliant line!

[@writeract2]

what year is this?

[@steenthorse8579]

When is this from

[@raspel31]

Peter Cook the greatest comic mind of all time- but a sad reminder of how alcohol killed him. Not his best. So sad.

[@LJY08]

Fuck these two are funny. It's that beautiful British tradition of not wanting to offend anyone, even if they are a complete tool box.

[@Thursdaym2]

Yesteryear...sheer talent. These days....rubbish.

[@ozzie-sk9dh]

Well I wrote a letter!

[@terryperring104]

When WAS this??

[@HughTerry69]

1989 - the 'Biggest Ball' I think.

[@deborahgonzalezknight168]

Dudley was gorgeous.

[@dandanz7877]

Ethal the frog and super mario peach

[@MrClingclong]

Does anyone think we will be watching videos of Nish Kumar, Josh Widdecombe and Sarah Millican in thirty years time? Me neither.

[@thumbsgherkin8742]

At the speed of thought it isn’t minder

[@landrightsforgaywhales5766]

The body language here is telling - why is Moore leaning away from Cook in that manner?

[@jamespfitz]

If it's telling, why are you asking?

[@simmo5071]

Just a thought frog and peach, yuk, now toad and peach, yummy

[@marcm4192]

“The T is silent as in fox”

[@hugohackenbush1554]

"Pêche a la frog."

[@elicohen6348]

No he wasn’t. Stewart Lee told me that

[@RockinAtheist]

A frog with a peach in its mouth - yummy!

[@frankmurphyburr3598]

...well i wrote a letter

[@douglashartley4552]

Hï

[@helipeek2736]

Yorkshire moors? I can see your problem, the original was on Dartmoor, much better for passing trade.

[@theseeker3771]

Dudley Moore is amazingly funny.... he never was a straight-man, he just didn't have to speak as much to be funny.