Clive Anderson interviews Griff Rhys Jones and Peter Cook

Circa 1990

[@gavaniacono]

The contrast between the 2 comedians is a shocking reminder of how good we had it.

[@ShadSimm]

One comedian and Griff Rhys Jones…

[@austenj4539]

The ultimate "Bucket of Love!" - when Peter Cook comes on, he completely obliterates the 'new generation' in the form of G.R. Jones. As a 49 year old, I grew up with 'Not the Nine O'Clock News, Ben Elton, Harry Enfield, etc - nothing can compare with their predecessors - the monster talent of Peter Cook and Dudley Moore.

[@RatelHBadger]

Add to that Peter Sellers

[@artvanwag3257]

Nice to see Mr Jolly on TV Again..😄😄

[@hamonryechinaski180]

Thank you for upload

[@philodonoghue3062]

Poor Rhys Jones. He should fire his manager for booking him the same night as Peter Cook.

[@11Kralle]

FYI: Peter Cook was imprisoned in East-Berlin once when he was young. It was (a.f.a.i.k.) in the first half of 1957 - before the Berlin Wall was built - and caused by him falling asleep in a train, thus entering the soviet sector illegally.

[@classicartfoundation639]

The days when you could light a ciggie up on a chat show, RIP good old days

[@odw_99]

Although if he were alive today- I’m sure Peter Cook would still do that now and nobody would dare stop him!

[@1000WinstonSmith]

Loved that chat show

[@offwiththefairies77]

I met Griff Rhys Jones years ago, lovely bloke. ;)

[@burtcocain1986]

Is that sarcasm? I'd heard he was an absolute shit in real life.

[@googleisgay3289]

This is what it is to have ever breathed terrestrial air in a universe constantly dissolving.

[@johnking5174]

4:42 - Sweet Jesus Clive that touched a nerve there - anyone remember the Two Ninnies sketch Mel and Griff did on Not the Nine O'clock News? Clive had to go there, and I like it.

[@charlieprice4072]

Roger Mellie...The man on the telly

[@tufty7026]

Hello, good evening and bollxxks.

[@johnking5174]

If this was 1990, Griff mentioned there will be a new series of Alas Smith and Jones in "the autumn", In fact the first episode of their new series aired on Thursday 22nd November 1990 - the day Margaret Thatcher was ousted from office as Prime Minister.

[@classicartfoundation639]

I loved that show, good times

[@MrClingclong]

Peter Cook appearing on various chat shows was always a treat. I loved his direct, no-holds barred approach to every subject. I sometimes wonder what he would make of the dried-up, pc, identity politics, blm, snowflakes of today? Making fun of the idiots I suppose.

[@ricjones5749]

I would love to be either of the Two Ronnies

[@ShadSimm]

The Viz is still doing very well. Good old Pete…

[@ysgol3]

One's the funniest man in ever and one's as funny as a shadow on a lung X-ray.

[@matbelli]

Thanks! Do you have more with Peter Cook?

[@harryradley]

This channel has another interview with he and Clive. I'm too lazy to find and link it for you though, you'll have to hunt it down yourself.

[@stillben]

GR Jones takes the piss taking well

[@djassassinuk]

Funny how negative some people are here about Clive. He knew Peter Cook personally by 1990 and they got on pretty well. Clive had worked side by side with Jones at a few of the original UK alternative comedy venues along with the likes of Rik Mayall & Ade Edmonson, Alexi Sayle and French & Saunders and is part of that wave. I loved Peter Cook but I've always been a fan of Clive too having initially watched him while I was growing up on Whose Line Is It Any Way? and seeing a lot more of his work since.

[@vhsvideovault]

One of the weirdest things I've found when putting these clips up is how many people really seem to dislike Clive. Maybe we were used to his style, and people who just see the odd clip don't really realise that part of the show was Clive making jokes and poking fun. Also, there was a day a few weeks ago when two separate people posted to two separate Clive Anderson videos making comments that implied he had died. I had to double check it wasn't true. So strange.

[@djassassinuk]

@@vhsvideovault I've seen the comments on some of your other videos too. Perhaps a lack of context is misleading for those not already familiar with his career. I've always been a fan myself and as for that Bes Gees interview I was an still am amused by the fact that he wound up Barry Gibb . It was almost as good as that time Mark Lamarr interviewed Dannii Minogie on The Word .. lol I've got more time and respect for Clive than Barry Gibb too :o)

[@ricjones5749]

Last man on telly to smoke

[@MLB9000]

Chris Langham was a writer on this show, which leads me to suspect that his appearance was the result of one of the other guests not turning up.

[@malcolmhartley5031]

Same reason he appeared on The Muppets

[@danielg7204]

Peter mimicked Griff's voice a bit

[@bradders3949]

Petes obviously a bit tipsy, he's put a tie over a polo shirt!

[@jeffstone2136]

The booze killed him.

[@jrbs]

😂😂

[@regplasma7906]

Peter actually look like Buster Keaton here.

[@HammerDownUnder]

if you look up 'tries to hard' in the dictionary it just has a picture of Clive Anderson

[@roberttownsend8696]

Both Peter and Dudley were really gifted fella's but they had no luck and they went through hell in their final years: although Peters decline started long before Dudley's. Still they left us some great stuff.

[@andrewmorton3344]

I don't think Peter went "through hell". He kind of bounced along, one day choose to go to hospital because he felt tired, then one day went through a bad 48 hours before dying. Normal stuff.

[@tomitstube]

peter cook was a thatcherite? oh no, we can't be having that.

[@Nounismisation]

He certainly, certainly was not! So, be of good cheer comrade!

[@jeremywhitehorn1228]

I forgot how patronising CA was to his guests, all of whom, pretty much, had done more interesting things than him

[@johnking5174]

Jeremy you have to remember Clive is doing an act. His persona in real life is a very nice one. He was a barrister, a great lawyer. However when he was offered the talk show, he decided his persona should change, and instead of being a fawning sycophant like Michael Parkinson or Russell Harty, he would be much more harder and edgy with his guests.

[@jeremywhitehorn1228]

@@johnking5174 Sure, I understand that; who wants an unctuous interviewer? And of course barristers are the court jesters, or at any rate, showmen. But in this particular interview there wasn't one comment from CA which didn't attempt in some way to undermine PC & GRJ. No doubt the slightly more-combative-than-usual slant of this interview was pre-mapped. But for me it just lacked light & shade, that's all, and made CA look like an arsehole - none of which would have bothered when younger.

[@shaunpatrick8345]

If you think this was bad, try his Bee Gees interview!

[@malcolmlyndsell5009]

Pete and Dud would have obliterated wokism

[@jeffstone2136]

Clive Anderson, like many humourists of modest talent, reacts to people who are clearly better than him at being funny with passive aggressive 'quips'. A way to try to bash them down to his not very impressive level. Anderson *looks* clever and witty, he's traded on that surface impression for decades. And he is to a certain degree - he is certainly not stupid - but he's nobody's idea of a genius. Cook clearly despises him.

[@ShadSimm]

Cook dealt with him very well on all occasions. His dryness was hard to overcome. He was too quick witted for most..Rhys Jones is the polar opposite of Peter Cook. Fckin dreadful…

[@Nounismisation]

Does anyone actually like Clive Anderson? Seems a bit venimous to me.

[@johnking5174]

You have to remember Clive is doing an act. His persona in real life is a very nice one. He was a barrister, a great lawyer. However when he was offered the talk show, he decided his persona should change, and instead of being a fawning sycophant like Michael Parkinson or Russell Harty, he would be much more harder and edgy with his guests.

[@burtcocain1986]

@@johnking5174 Yeah, I was only a kid when he was on and we didn't watch Channel 4 in our house (not my choice but whatever). I've only seen a couple of his interviews, eg. Bill Hicks and the Bee Gees. He seems kind of sarcastic and spikey and I can imagine it was a worthy little gimmick back in the 90's. I don't think it'd fly these days where Graham Norton is the celebrity interview guy and tends to get the best out of his guests without being prickly or fawning. I'd imagine Clive Anderson would have a difficult time getting guests these days.

[@Gerard_2024]

@John King .... No, I thought he was an obnoxious smart-alec, who thought he was clever by knocking celebrities who turned up in good faith for an interview on the basis that everything would be on the level (e.g. the Beegees).

[@maxwellfan55]

@@johnking5174 Excellent comment, I agree. Fawning sycophant is an accurate way to describe Parkinson and many others in that chair. Less so R Harty who I quite liked, although he played the media game with emphasis on orientation to get away with what he felt like, whenever he liked. Anderson could often appear cynical and abrasive, but equally appreciative and informed regards the achievements of the guests he interviewed. So it's easy to dismiss his style, he simply tried to get a more accurate picture, avoiding the predictable and ever present media-star schmaltz. Maybe that's the lawyer in him. Of course with Cook sharpness, there was no trouble. Cook was already self-effacing and ready with a swift and thoughtful answer every time. Perhaps I'm not getting my message clear, but I Iiked Anderson, particularly the time he exposed Barry Gibb's (BeeGees) band hierarchy and egotism among his brothers.

[@nimmichagger165]

Clive Anderson was a terrible host.

[@johnwh1039]

the only person more overated than Clive Anderson is .... Peter Cook

[@jalijali8448]

Absurd, Cook was a bloody genius

[@kobylee911]

I think it was rhetorical

[@markbailey1970]

Sort of agree in terms of Anderson but Cook was magnificent

[@petermills542]

John Wh My ratings are: Peter Cook 100 , Clive Anderson 0.01 , John Wh 0.00

[@aliofly]

John Wh get a grip John

[@timjones6204]

love griff.