Who Dares Wins - The Peter Cook Book Plug

In the pantheon of Who Dares Wins celebrity guests this has to be one of the very best. Peter Cook graces us with his comedy presence and then shamelessly uses the opportunity to plug his latest book, which we all take as a green light for our own pet projects. Jimmy is predictably shocked and appalled #whodareswins #sketchcomedy #vintagecomedy #the80s #classiccomedy #comedysketch #comedy #80s #80scomedy #funny #petercook

[@14rnr]

Timeless

[@richardevans2954]

That must have been a thrill, working with such a legend as Peter Cook ❤

[@julia_hills]

It was indeed - comedy royalty

[@TheLyricalDavidJames]

Bit of a coup to get both Demis Roussos and Gilbert O'Sullivan in the audience behind Peter !

[@julia_hills]

Ha ha ha - they were big fans of the show tbf 🤣

[@JasonC1782]

McGrath supports Arsenal. He and Peter Cook (a Tottenham supporter) used to have a friendly rivalry over their respective clubs. On the night that Cook died in January 1995, Tottenham had beaten Arsenal. McGrath found out about his friend's death after failing to receive Cook's usual abusive phonecall the next morning.

[@julia_hills]

Oh wow - I know Rory is a big Arsenal fan but I didn't know this 😬

[@42Crows]

Dear Points of View. Why oh why oh why hasn't there been a DVD release of all the episodes of Who Dares Wins...? Me and my crowmies would love to see it again.

[@julia_hills]

Sadly I think Channel 4 deleted all the tapes and salvaged VHS recordings is all we've got 😒

[@42Crows]

@@julia_hills depressing, it was important, the first post pub tv, the first time tv was regularly dangerous, which leads onto The Word. Love looking at it now, with the camera looking back at the audience, interesting and ground breaking at the time. Everybody was great in it, a proper ensemble sketch show which we now hardly ever get, as its all crappy cheap panel shows (with no visual content and should be on radio) but then how independent production companies have ruined comedy is another topic :D

[@julia_hills]

@@42Crows This is so true. Looking back it really was quite uniqie and a real shared experience with the audience - you're right about the camera aspect - it cast the audience as players for an at home audience and they were as much a part of the performance as us. I can't think of many other shows other than saturday morning kids tele and The Word, as you say, that did that. My daughter's a stand up comedian and sketch writer and she is convinced there is room for a show like this now, but would anyone be brave enough to make it? I doubt it

[@42Crows]

@@julia_hills I mean I'd welcome a return of the format, it was something different. Get you guys in for guest appearances every now and then? But it wouldn't work with well known names, you need another ensemble cast of borderline unknowns. But that doesn't wash in this world of cheap repetitive tour promotion pieces dressed up as "panel shows" - which due to a lack of a visual component should be on radio anyway. And the audience seem to be happy with what is basically the same thing week after week.