Not Only... But Also (1965–1970) User Reviews

Pete & Dud's mixed bag!

[Rabical-91 · 8/10 · 25 October 2023]

I have mixed feelings about 'Not Only But Also'. Some of the sketches, particularly those of Pete and Dud as a couple of flat capped idiots having hypothetical and highly illogical discussions about various subjects, do tickle my funny bone however others have a tendency to carry on for too long with very little pay off, in particular the spoof interview or musical sequences.

I like Peter Cook, very much in fact, Dudley Moore not so much, his high pitched wailing voice I found grating and off putting.

The best sketches included Pete and Dud sitting in art gallery discussing Leonardo Da Vinci ( mainly for Pete and Dud's corpsing ), 'The Immortal Bargo' ( pretty good for a spoof sketch ) which was a tale about reclusive film star Emma Bargo', Pete and Dud arriving in heaven, which leads Peter to exclaim "Bloody hell!" and Pete and Dud standing on deck The Ark Royal singing 'Goodbyeee!', only then to end up being catapulted into the sea!

Pete and Dud eventually parted company. Apparently their relationship had been suffering for some time due to Cook's alcoholism. Moore went on to make films. Cook later landed a single show for London Weekend Television entitled 'Peter Cook & Co' and later landed a memorable role alongside Rik Mayall and Ade Edmondson in the wonderful 'Mr. Jolly Lives Next Door', an edition of 'The Comic Strip Presents' from 1988.

Very little of 'Not Only But Also' exists complete ( even scripts have known to be destroyed too ). What does exist was put together as a compilation entitled 'The Best Of What's Left Of Not Only But Also'. I don't in any way regard this show as a classic but it is vastly superior to Pete and Dud's dreadful 'Goodbye Again'.

Dangerously funny bizarre exotica.

[mingmongmail · 5 April 2002]

Not Only But Also... achieved the holy comedic grail of appealing to a mass prime team audience whilst still being breath-takingly original. The paralysing funny, but extraordinarily mundane, flat hat and macintoshed characters of Pete N Dud, philosophise about the universe and all it's contents, and how they have the nerve to intrude on the duo's trivial lives, all fuelled by vast quantities of doorstep thick sarnies and murky beer, devoured in a variety of locations, the zoo, the art gallery, the pub, even heaven.

A mixture of script and improvisation creates a joyous spontaneious anarchy between Peter Cook, Dudley Moore, and the audience, an electricity which takes them all on a delightfully unpredictable ride through the esoteric recesses of Cook's mind, with inspired dud hanging on whilst sporting a look of horrific fascination - only by his ace clown's fingertips. You could write a series about this series. Highly quotable, dangerously funny, and that's just the Pete N Dud dialogues. Bizarre exotica which also includes leaping nuns.

"My Aunt Dolly would've done it for nothing!"

[ShadeGrenade · 10/10 · 19 February 2010]

Originally conceived as a solo vehicle for Dudley Moore, 'Not Only...But Also' saw his ex-'Beyond The Fringe' collaborator Peter Cook guest on the first show, and so well received was it the controller of B.B.C.-2 insisted that he be on it every week from then on. They were a classic comedy team - Cook was tall, handsome and witty, while Dudley was short, charismatic, and musically gifted. The sketch that brought the house down had them in a pub, wearing flat caps and mufflers, fantasising about movie stars such as Jane Russell and Greta Garbo. It remains one of the most hilarious skits of all time, and even when Cook corpses it still holds together well.

Those characters - idiot Pete and even-bigger idiot Dud - found their way into every episode of the show proper, seen in a different setting, such as a zoo or an art gallery. In the latter, they munched sandwiches while discussing works of art. "That Leonardo DaVinci cartoon...I don't see the joke!", says Dud. Pete points out that when it was first unveiled it probably had people in fits. Dud nearly chokes on his repast. "You really are enjoying those sandwiches!", ad libs Cook. The pair bounced their humour off each other in a way that was joyous to behold. The sketches themselves set new standards for comedy, standards that would not be matched until the arrival of 'Monty Python'.

As the show's popularity increased, so did the quality of the guest stars. Peter Sellers for instance, and John Lennon, the latter presenting a filmed item based on his poem 'Deaf Ted, Danoota, & Me'. 'One Leg Too Few' - had Dud as 'George Spigott' ( a name later re-used in the film 'Bedazzled' ), a one-legged man, who hops into the office of film producer Cook to audition for the role of 'Tarzan'. Cook tries to let him down as best as he can. "I've nothing against your right leg!", he says. "The trouble is - neither have you!".

Dud would on occasion interview the eccentric Sir Arthur Streeb-Greebling ( Cook ), who when he was not teaching ravens to fly underwater, was planning on opening a restaurant called 'The Frog & The Peach'. Another classic was 'The Leaping Nuns' ( also reused in 'Bedazzled' ). But my all-time favourite has to be 'Superthunderstingcar', a wickedly funny ( and accurate ) parody of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson's 'Thunderbirds'. Pete and Dud played all the roles, with the latter making a fetching 'Lady Penelope'. 'Ludwig' had Ludwig Van Beethoven as the star of a 'This Is Tom Jones' style variety show. 'The Immortal Bargo' was a spoof documentary on the life of reclusive movie star 'Emma Bargo'. In an unforgettable moment, she drove through London, bellowing through a loudhailer: "I want to be alone!".

A Season 3 feature was 'Poets Cornered' with the likes of Ronnie Barker, Spike Milligan, Barry Humphries, Willie Rushton and others suspended over a gunge tank. They each had to improvise the line of a poem, and anyone failing to make it rhyme wound up in the nasty stuff.

Three seasons were made in all, produced ( at different times ) by Joe McGrath, Dick Clement and Jimmy Gilbert. Sadly very few editions survive. To make matters worse, the scripts were destroyed as well. It beggars belief that this situation was allowed to happen.

The show ended in 1970. The comics then hit Broadway, made the infamous 'Derek & Clive' tapes, but Cook's ever-increasing alcoholism broke them apart. Eight years later, Cook announced that a new series was in the offing, but it turned out to be wishful thinking on his part. His ex-partner was making films in America, and had no intention of working with Cook again ( not at that time anyway ).

Enough footage was scraped together for a season of B.B.C.-2 repeats in the early '90's. As expected, some items had not held up as well as others. Cook died in 1995, and by way of a tribute the B.B.C put together a programme compiled from various 'Parkinson' interviews and 'Not Only...But Also' shows. It ended rather appropriately with Pete and Dud finding themselves in Heaven. "Bloody Hell!", exclaimed the latter. Moore passed on in 2002.

Not Only Dudley Moore but Also Peter Cook

[Dock-Ock · 10 September 2001]

Not only But Also is a turning point in British Comedy. It can be said and believed that it was The Goons who started Satire in Britain and made popular the way we laugh at things. Well it WAS The Goons there at the begining. But they merely planted the Seeds, and what grew was the bastard child that became Pete and Dud. And with them came Not Only But Also. You may be a fan of Dudley Moore's solo excursions in Hollywood [10,Arthur, Micki+Maude] and detest Peter Cook because of the dire solo work he done in later life . On the other hand you may be greatly irritated by Dudley Moore,hating his solo excursions into Hollywood and be a fan of the genius and wit, and father of Alternative Comedy, Peter Cook and love his stuff [Derek and Clive, Peter Cook and Co, The Secret Policemans Ball]. Whatever camp you happen to be in Not Only But Also is worth a look. There are things in here that were never seen before, nor can be done as funnily again. My personal favourites include, The Alan A'Dale Sketch, Pete and Dud in the Pub, Pete and Dud in the Zoo, The Leaping Nuns sketch, The Glid of Gloob and of course Superthunderstingcar, an hillarious mock on the over hyped work of Geery Anderson. Also watch out for the likes of John Lennon, Peter Sellers et all making fleeting appearances. One more thing, if you watched this and was offended by ANYTHING, do NOT, i repeat NOT, watch under any circumstances ANY tapes or videos of two individuals known as DEREK and Clive. Who remarkably look rather similar to Pete and Dud. Doubt they are any relation though. Thank you!

Brilliant and hilarious

[Corgie · 26 March 2001]

This is Pete and Dud at their finest, folks. I don't know how many times I've watched my Best of What's Left of Not Only...But Also tape and I still laugh out loud. The bit with the father and son ("Your Uncle Bertie is a dirty, dirty man") and the scene in the art gallery ("Have a sandwich; my feet are killing me") are classics. The dynamic between Peter Cook and Dudley Moore is fantastic and watching Pete drive Dud to giggles with what he says or by the way he stares at him (most notably in the art gallery and the reptile house) is just a riot. There's some pretty bizarre British humor here so it may be kind of an acquired taste for those of us here in the States, but if that's your thing, you can't miss Not Only...But Also. That sounded like a pitch, didn't it? :-)

What about the soapsuds?

[dblomberg · 8 May 2004]

I agree with the other commentators about the significance of this show. I think it is a tragedy that the BBC was so funding poor that it had to re-use the videotapes! But what about Poet's Corner, when the cream of Brit comedy would have to sit in a dunking chair and versify without skipping a beat--or else! Yes, The Goons started it, and Monty Python completed it, but perhaps it was consummated in Yes, Minister! If only Americans could develop this sense of humour, the world would be a different place. (But some of my best friends are Americans.) (When I tried to post this, I was told I needed to provide at least ten lines in my comment, or else it would't be posted. Does that strike you as something that Pete and Dud, Spike, and the Pythons would have parodied?)