The Best of... What's Left of... Not Only... But Also... (2008)

Wonderful satires - comic masterpieces !

Great comics have said that without Peter Cook, there wouldn't have been Monty Phython.
John Cleese called him a genius.
And Pete and Dud were great, great at work !
And their corpsing (particularly Duddley's) during shows is also very funny !
November 24, 2008

Not Only...But Darn it!

I loved Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, especially together. This DVD showcases the beautiful black and white [and some color] program they were well known for, not so much here in America back in the mid 1960's, but mostly in England. Being a John Lennon fan since 1964 it is wonderful to see a near mint copy of the visualization of the poem from his first book, In His Own Write, that being, Def Ted,Danoota and Me.
For fans, old and new alike, it breaks your heart when you read in the enclosed booklet that the BBC erased [wiped is the technical term] the master video tapes in the early 1970's due to some silly notion that they, the BBC, couldn't afford new reels of videotape and Peter Cook himself offered to BUY NEW REELS in order to keep the BBC from wiping the tapes, hence, the program, Not Only..But Also, would be eliminated like it never had been in the first place.
I don't really know how the material on this DVD survived, it must have hidden itself in a warehouse somewhere under the title "BBC Documentary:
How To Tell When It's Raining".
Shame on them for destroying the masters of this funny, funny, series.
Now, with both men gone forever, if you enjoyed their unique humor as I have, buy this DVD and enjoy what once was. We'll never see their likes again. Darn it! October 12, 2008

Hilarious

If you know of this, nothing more said...if not, get to know it. *****+ October 3, 2008

A Nice Chunk of Pete & Dud

In the early 90s the BBC released a ninety minute videotape called 'The Best Of ... What's Left Of ... Not Only ... But Also'. It was a greatest hits compilation of the few sketches that remained of the show. This DVD takes a different approach and re-creates six episodes.

Working from memory it looks as if all the material from the videotape has been included here EXCEPT for the Pete & Dud reunion sketch they recorded for the release of the video. The sketch is short, not terribly great, but it was nice to see the two of them together again. That's the reason for my four star review instead of five; that sketch should have been included here.

Having said that what's here is quite good. All of their most famous sketches from the series are here (nuns on trampolines, a handful of Pete & Dud sketches, Superthunderstingcar, Peter as Garbo, teaching ravens to fly underwater, Peter as a dad having a sex talk with his boy Dudley) and it's a lot of fun. A bit less fun are the jazz trio pieces and the female singers that occasionally perform with them. There's also a somewhat interesting bonus feature entitled 'Success Story' that includes some nice clips (One Leg Too Few) and an interview with the boys from the 1970s.

All in all it's great slice of mid-60s British sketch comedy. Although Monty Python would come along in a few short years and destroy this format, there's something very sweet, silly and ultimately quite satisfying about Peter Cook and Dudley Moore.

Don't hesitate to pick up this DVD and if you enjoy it then immediately head for the 'Beyond The Fringe' disc as well. You won't be disappointed. September 19, 2008

This is a MUST HAVE!!!!

I ordered this yesterday and it should arrive tomorrow. This is exactly what the title says. A bit of history. Not Only but Also is a classic live sketch show staring Peter Cook and Dudley Moore. The first two series (1965-1966) were live in front of an audience in black and white. The last series is mostly filmed segments, but still great stuff! The reason full episodes aren't part of this is someone at the BBC accidentally erased some of the original elements. So (as the title says) this is what's left. Most importantly, there were two cameos by John Lennon and these should be included on here. HIGHLY recommended. September 15, 2008

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