That this disc continues the ignoble tradition should come as no great surprise. After all, the BBC wiped most of the episodes of 'Not Only, But Also' years ago, and it's a habit they obviously can't get out of. While the surviving episodes were broadcast in their entirety a decade or so ago, these were edited as one 100-minute programme for a video release as 'The Best of What's Left of Not Only But Also.' When it was reissued again with remade credits as 'The Classic Peter Cook and Dudley Moore,' they actually cut out even more material - in this case a not particularly funny but visually amazing sequence on London's Tower Bridge. Naturally, the sequence is missing on the DVD - as are any extras (and the BBC produced some superb tributes to Cook after his death that would have made ideal companion pieces).

There is a brief introductory sketch with Cook and Moore shot for the first video that is uncomfortable viewing - there's more of the vitriol and barely repressed hatred of Derek ands Clive than the charming matter of fact delusion of the pair at their prime - but otherwise the Beeb haven't even bothered to include the pair's brief but amusing video sleeve notes. Even the transfer quality disappoints: the colour sequences are an improvement on the video issues, but the black and white ones are not quite as sharp. Obviously the BBC's restoration budget is reserved for Doctor Who.

There are many great sketches here - including the spot-on Superthunderstingcar, the facts of life, the head-to-heads and the leaping nuns of St Beryl - but there are some inexplicable omissions: how can you have a disc calling itself 'The Best of Peter Cook and Dudley Moore' without the unidexter Tarzan audition? Another disappointing and criminally lazy disc from the BBC comedy collection, redeemed only by the genius of the material. This could and should have been a great disc. As it is, it's definitely worth buying, but you might want to write a letter of complaint to the BBC once you've seen it in the vain hope of stopping them mucking up the next comedy classic they release.


Great, but...   August 26, 2004
 110 out of 112 found this review helpful

...why do BBC Video keep on screwing up their classic comedy DVDs? Their Hancock DVD included five episodes from his last TV series for the Beeb but inexplicably omitted the sixth, Son and Heir (his last for the BBC). They put the pilot episode for Porridge not on series one but on series two. Their Very Best of Dad's Army discs have lost an episode each in the transfer from their video releases, while even their extras are edited versions. They heavily cut the last series of The Fast Show. And while US customers have been able to enjoy Monty Python's Flying Circus in its entirety for years, we have to put up with mediocre compilations.

That this disc continues the ignoble tradition should come as no great surprise. After all, the BBC wiped most of the episodes of 'Not Only, But Also' years ago, and it's a habit they obviously can't get out of. While the surviving episodes were broadcast in their entirety a decade or so ago, these were edited as one 100-minute programme for a video release as 'The Best of What's Left of Not Only But Also.' When it was reissued again with remade credits as 'The Classic Peter Cook and Dudley Moore,' they actually cut out even more material - in this case a not particularly funny but visually amazing sequence on London's Tower Bridge. Naturally, the sequence is missing on the DVD - as are any extras (and the BBC produced some superb tributes to Cook after his death that would have made ideal companion pieces).

There is a brief introductory sketch with Cook and Moore shot for the first video that is uncomfortable viewing - there's more of the vitriol and barely repressed hatred of Derek ands Clive than the charming matter of fact delusion of the pair at their prime - but otherwise the Beeb haven't even bothered to include the pair's brief but amusing video sleeve notes. Even the transfer quality disappoints: the colour sequences are an improvement on the video issues, but the black and white ones are not quite as sharp. Obviously the BBC's restoration budget is reserved for Doctor Who.

There are many great sketches here - including the spot-on Superthunderstingcar, the facts of life, the head-to-heads and the leaping nuns of St Beryl - but there are some inexplicable omissions: how can you have a disc calling itself 'The Best of Peter Cook and Dudley Moore' without the unidexter Tarzan audition? Another disappointing and criminally lazy disc from the BBC comedy collection, redeemed only by the genius of the material. This could and should have been a great disc. As it is, it's definitely worth buying, but you might want to write a letter of complaint to the BBC once you've seen it in the vain hope of stopping them mucking up the next comedy classic they release.


Could have been so much better   January 22, 2004
 38 out of 41 found this review helpful

This DVD gets off to a storming start with a fantastic sketch about Pete and Dud reuniting, twenty years after their last meeting. Pete launches into an all-out assault on Dud for no particular reason other than that he isn't saying much, andgoes to great lengths to tear apart his argument that he can't get a word in edgeways.

Unfortunately, it all goes downhill from there.

What's left is some of the pair's most famous sketches, such as the excrutiatingly brilliant "A bit of a chat", and some of Pete and Dud's chinwags (incuding the Art Gallery and the Zoo encounters). The rest seems to consist of some long drawn out sketches that outstay their welcome, and then stay a little longer. "Bo Dudley", "The Glydd of Glood", "Superthunderstingcar", and Dudley's Beethoven sketch go on seemingly forever, and don't really do anything but fill space.

What I had hoped for was some of the sketches that relied on Cook's brilliant wordplay and ability to veer wildly off into surreal flights of fancy, while Dudley corpsed uncontrollably. Unfortunately, this is in short supply here. Classic sketches ommitted include "Beethoven's Fifth by Tuesday Week" and, believe it or not, "One Leg Too Few".

Overall, apart from the fantastic opening sketch, this is probably one more for the newcomer to Cook & Moore. For existing fans, this will be a disappointment.