by PETER TATCHELL (reprinted from LAUGH MAGAZINE #2, 1991)
In late 1990 BBC video released The Best Of … What’s Left Of … Not Only … But Also, containing 100 minutes of highlights of the acclaimed Peter Cook and Dudley Moore television series of the 1960s. The title drew attention to the fact that many episodes of the program are now no longer in existence, victims of an era when films were junked and tapes were wiped simply to save space.
Peter Cook and Dudley Moore first worked together in the stage show Beyond the Fringe along with Alan Bennett and Jonathan Miller. From its West End opening in May 1961 and its subsequent transfer to Broadway the following year, the production was a resounding success. In 1964 Moore was offered a BBC special, and invited Cook to appear and help with the writing of the sketches. Their rapport so impressed the powers that be that the special was expanded to a series of seven 45-minute shows called Not Only… But Also… which was screened by BBC 2 on a fortnightly basis in early 1965. A follow-up series of seven half-hour editions was shown the following year (along with a Christmas special) before the team branched out into films. In 1968 they appeared in four Goodbye Again specials for commercial company ATV, then returned to the BBC in 1970 for a third season of Not Only… But Also (now in colour). There were also two half-hour shows filmed in Australia a year later, and a Christmas 1974 encore presentation back in Britain.
In the mid-1960s the BBC distributed programs overseas on 16mm film (copies which were returned to them when the contract had expired). By the end of the decade, colour video tape became the standard (although countries still transmitting in black-and-white continued to receive shows on film). Material on tape was likely to be erased and recorded over when its saleability was at an end and many items from the late 1960s and early 1970s were simply wiped without any thought of preservation for later generations, in the case of Not Only… But Also, only six editions from the first two series remained, and a mere handful of the pre-filmed items from the third (colour) season. None of the segments recorded in front of the studio audience from that series survive as a result (thus all seven colour Pete and Dud sketches are now lost visually). Both of the two Australian episodes are known to exist as well.
Dialogue played an important part in the success of Not Only… But Also, and over the years a number of LP records have been issued featuring soundtrack extracts (in some cases, taken from shows which no longer survive in vision). Several amateur sound recordings were also taken off the air as the programs were being transmitted (in varying degrees of fidelity). In addition, Cook and Moore can be heard in the studio sessions of the show’s Goodbye-ee song and other vocal offerings inspired by the series, and the duo’s appearance at the 1965 Royal Variety performance has been released on EP.
In the early 1970s various publishing houses saw commercial potential in compiling collections of classic radio and television scripts and Methuen and Co. assembled twelve Pete and Dud sketches in a volume called The Dagenham Dialogues. Two others were featured in the anthology No More Curried Eggs for Me and Son Of Curried Eggs. (In recent years, the books Tragically I Was An Only Twin – The Complete Peter Cook and Goodbye Again – The Definitive Peter Cook And Dudley Moore were published, with further selections of Not Only … But Also scripts.)
Cook and Moore also performed Not only… But Also material in later ventures. In 1971 they put together a stage show Behind the Fridge which premiered in Australia before transferring to the West End and Broadway (where it was retitled Good Evening). The sketches Six Of the Best and Frog and Peach were featured during the run, and may be heard on the American original cast album of the production. The latter sketch was also performed at the 1989 Amnesty International fundraising concert The Secret Policeman’s Biggest Ball, and indeed the character of Sir Arthur Streeb-Greebling turned up in a series of twelve segments A Life in Pieces screened on BBC2 at the end of 1990 and in a BBC Radio 3 series called Why Bother? in 1994.
The following relates to Peter Cook and Dudley Moore in the television series Not Only. .. But Also. It does not attempt to itemise their collaboration in Beyond The Fringe, Bedazzled, Behind The Fridge or the Derek And Clive series of LPs.
EPISODE GUIDE
The BBC Written Archives Centre at Caversham (near Reading) has scripts for programmes from the 2nd and 3rd seasons (but not series 1)
SERIES 1
45 minute editions shown fortnightly on BBC 2:
January 9, 1965
Guests: Diahann Carroll, John Lennon, Professor Bruce Lacey.
Includes
The Ravens
Initials
John Lennon’s Poetry
(exists on 16m film. The Ravens and Initials soundtracks released on LP).
January 23, 1965
Guests: Goldie And The Gingerbreads, Roddy Maude Roxby, Barry Humphnes.
Includes
A Painter At Work
The North Circular Road
Pete & Dud: Sex Fantasies
(exists on 16mm film).
February 6, 1965
Guests: June Christy, Joe Melia, John Wells, Barry Humphnes.
Includes
Menswear Shop
Pete & Dud: Worst Things
Alan A’Dale
(exists on 16mm film).
February 20, 1965
Guests: Anna Quayle, Marian Montgomery, Barry Humphries.
Includes
Tramponuns
My Aged Uncle Arly
Pete & Dud: Art Gallery
(exists on 16mm film. Tramponuns and Art Gallery released on LP)
March 6, 1965
Guest: Mel Torme.
includes
Pete & Dud: On The Bus
(amateur soundtrack recording exists of this sketch)
March 20, 1965
Guests: Peter Sellers, T-Bone Walker
Includes
The Gourmet
Pete & Dud: Superstition
(recently located on 16mm film. Superstition released on LP)
April 3, 1965
Guests: Eric Sykes, Blossom Dearie.
Includes
Film Studio
Pete & Dud: Religions
(amateur soundtrack recording exists for most of this show. Religions released on LP)
SERIES 2
30 minute editions shown weekly on BBC 2
January 15,1966
Guests: Cilla Black, Henry Cooper, Joe Melia, Terry Downs
Includes
Pete & Dud: At The Zoo
Fights Of The Century
A Bit Of A Chat
(exists on 16mm film. At The Zoo and A Bit Of A Chat released on LP).
January 22, 1966
Guests: Alan Freeman, Catherine Boyle, Percy Thrower, Jacqui Chan.
Includes
Six Of The Best
Pete & Dud: Disease
Headmaster
(Six Of The Best released on LP. amateur recording exists of Disease)
January 29, 1966
Guest: Emily Yancy.
Old Man River (b/w version)
Blue Movie
Pete & Dud: Music
No known recordings.
February 5, 1966
Guest: Blossom Dearie.
Includes
Pete & Dud At The Seaside
The Frog And Peach
Commercials
Slapstick
(The Frog And Peach released on LP)
February 12, 1966
Guest: Dionne Warwick.
Psychiatrist
The Epic That Never Was
Father And Son
(Psychiatrist and Father And Son released on LP)
February 19, 1966
Guest: Dusty Springfield
Includes
The Music Teacher
The Walrus and the Carpenter
Pete & Dud: Sex
(The Walrus and the Carpenter survives, Music Teacher and Sex released on LP)
February 26, 1966
Guest: Marian Montgomery.
Includes
Bo Dudley
Superthunderstingcar
Pete & Dud: The Afterlife
(exists on 16mm film. A studio remake of Bo Dudley released on disc)
Christmas Edition
50 minute special shown on BBC 2 December 26, 1966
Guest: John Lennon.
The Hunt
Tinkerbell (aka Fairy Bootmaker)
Golf
Pete & Dud: Dreams
Swinging London
(exists on 16mm film)
LATE NIGHT LINE-UP
the 1000th edition (of June 30 1967) starred Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, along with the Dudley Moore Trio and their regular NOBA vocalist Marian Montgomery, in a special programme that for all intention purposes might have been an edition of their regular programme.
(exists on 16mm film)
SERIES 3
45 minute editions shown fortnightly on BBC 1
(all contain a Poets Cornered segment with the guest, all of which survive in amateur soundtracks except that for episode 2)
February 18, 1970
Guest: Spike Milligan.
Includes
Bargo
Pete & Dud: Dud Dreams (aka The Wardrobe)
The Piano Tuner
(Bargo exists on 16mm film, Dud Dreams was released on LP,
amateur soundtrack exists for most of the show)
March 4, 1970
Guest: Will Rushton.
Includes
Tits And Bums
The Glidd Of Glood
Pete & Dud: OODud
(The Glidd Of Glood exists on 16mm film, 00 Dud was released on LP, amateur soundtrack exists for Tits And Bums)
March 18, 1970
Guest: Barry Humphries.
Includes
Sir Arthur Streeb-Greebling: Worms
Train Conductor
Pete & Dud: Racial Prejudice
(amateur soundtrack exists for Worms and Racial Prejudice)
April 1, 1970
Guest: Frank Muir.
Includes
Psycho
In The Club
Good vs. Evil Cricket Match
Pete & Dud: The Futility Of Life
(Cricket Match exists on 16mm film. In The Club released on LP, amateur soundtrack exists for The Futility Of Life)
April 15, 1970
Guest: Ronnie Barker.
Includes
Permission To Wed
Sir Arthur Streeb-Greebling: Flowers
Undercover Doctor
Pete & Dud: Writing A Bestseller
This Is Ludwig Van Beethoven
(part of This Is Ludwig exists on 16mm film, amateur soundtrack exists for the above sketches)
April 29, 1970
Guest: Denis Norden.
Includes
The Ex-Con
Lengths
Pete & Dud: As Nature Intended
(Lengths released on LP, amateur soundtrack exists for The Ex-Con and As Nature Intended)
May 13, 1970
Guest: Alan Bennett.
Includes
Cyclist On Ark Royal
Jumbo And Teddy
Pete & Dud: Sex Manual
The Making Of A Movie
(The Making Of A Movie exists on 16mm film and LP, Cyclist On Ark Royal exists on 16mm film, amateur soundtrack exists for Jumbo And Teddy and Sex Manual)
AUSTRALIAN SPECIALS
Two 30-minute programs originally shown on the A.B.C. on February 8 and 15, 1971.
June 18, 1971
Guest: Barry Humphries.
Includes
Pete & Dud: Going Through Customs
Pete & Dud At The Cricket
The Shirt Shop
Colonel Bogey
One Leg Too Few
(exists on 16mm film)
June 25, 1971
Guest: Barry Humphries
Includes
Pete & Dud On The Beach
Sir Arthur Streeb Greebling Teaching Funnel Web Spiders To Swim
Job Interview
Bollard
Pete & Dud: Homeward Bound
(exists on 16mm film).
The Best Of Not Only … But Also (aka Success Story)
40 minute special shown on BBC 2 December 24, 1974
includes new footage (shot in New York) plus extracts from
One Leg Too Few*
Job Interview*
Sir Arthur Streeb Greebling Teaching Funnel Web Spiders To Swim*
Bo Dudley
Super-Thunder-Sting-Car
Art Gallery
(* from the Australian specials)
The Best of What’s Left of Not Only But Also
6 x 30 min compilations – BBC2 November 4 to December 9 1990
#1 all the sketches from series 2, show 1
#2 all the sketches from series 2, show 7
#3 all the sketches from series 1, show 4
#4 sketches from series 1, show 2 (A Painter at Work, Sex Fantasies),
series 3, show 7 (Ark Royal opening/closing),
series 3, show 1 (Bargo)
#5 sketches from series 1, show 3 (Alan A’Dale),
the 1966 Christmas special (Fairy Cobbler),
series 3, show 1 (Tower Bridge),
series 3, show 7 (Making of a Movie).
1970s stage footage (Ol’ Man River)
#6 sketches from series 1, show 1 (Ravens, John Lennon’s Poetry*),
series 1, show 2 (North Circular Road*),
series 3, show 5 (This is Ludwig Van Beethoven)
(* these sketches deleted from overseas editions of the compilation series
and replaced with Initials and The Walrus and the Carpenter)
Recordings
Not Only Peter Cook But Also Dudley Moore (series 1 soundtracks)
Decca LP LK 4703
The Ravens
Superstitions
Tramponuns
Art Gallery
Initials
Religions
Once Moore With Cook (series 2 soundtracks)
Decca LP LK 4785
Dud And Pete On Sex
Father And Son
The Frog And Peach
Six Of The Best
The Music Teacher
A Bit Of A Chat
Dud And Pete At The Zoo
The Psychiatrist
Not Only … But Also (series 3 soundtracks)
Decca LP LK 5080
Dud Dreams
In The Club
Lengths
This Is Ludwig Van Beethoven
The Making Of A Movie
00 Dud
By Appointment (the 1965 Royal Variety Performance)
Decca EP DFE 8644
Studio recordings …
Goodbyee/Not Only … But Also (instrumental)
Decca single F 12158
The Ballad Of Spotty Muldoon/Lovely Lady Of The Roses (both Peter Cook only)
Decca single F 12182
Isn’t She A Sweetie/Bo Dudley
Decca single F 12380
The L.S. Bumble Bee/The Bee Side
Decca single F 12551
Reissues of above material …
The World Of Peter Cook And Dudley Moore
Decca LP PA 311, Laughing Stock CD
Art Gallery
A Bit Of A Chat
Lengths
Dud Dreams
The Ravens
Father And Son
Six Of The Best
The Clean Tapes
Pye/Cube LP HIFLY 26
The Newsreel Overture (instrumental)
The Music Teacher
Tramponuns
Lovely Lady Of The Roses
Dud And Pete On Sex
Isn’t She A Sweetie
The Real Stuff (Dudley Moore piano vocal)
Aversion Therapy (from Goodbye Again)
Father And Son
Lengths
Goodbyee
Goodbyee/The Music Teacher
Pye/Cube single BUG 79
Books
Dud & Pete: The Dagenham Dialogues
Methuen & Co., 1971
contains the Not Only … But Also Pete & Dud scripts:
Superstitions
On Music
On Sex
The Futility Of Life
At The Zoo
At The Art Gallery
On The Bus
By Appointment (from the 1965 Royal Command Performance)
As Nature Intended
Worst Things
The Wardrobe (aka Dud Dreams)
Religions
No More Curried Eggs For Me
Methuen, 1982, compiled by Roger Wilmut.
contains the Not Only … But Also script:
Sex Fantasies
Son Of Curried Eggs
Methuen, 1984, compiled by Roger Wilmut.
contains the Not Only … But Also script:
Disease
The Book Of Comedy Sketches
Elm Tree Books, 1984, compiled by Frank Muir and Simon Brett.
contains the Not Only … But Also scripts for:
The Ravens
Pete & Dud: At The Art Gallery
Six Of The Best
Tragically I Was An Only Twin – The Complete Peter Cook
Century books 2002, compiled by William Cook.
contains the Not Only … But Also scripts for:
Tramponuns
The Facts Of Life
Father And Son
The Psychiatrist
The Ravens
Worms
Flowers
Pete & Dud: Film Stars (aka Sex Fantasies)
Pete & Dud: Art Gallery
Pete & Dud: On The Bus
Pete & Dud: Religion
Pete & Dud: At The Zoo
Pete & Dud: Sex
Pete & Dud: The Futility Of Life
Goodbye Again – The Definitive Peter Cook And Dudley Moore
Century books, 2004, compiled by William Cook.
contains the Not Only … But Also scripts for:
The Glidd Of Glood
The Piano Tuner
The Scriptwriter
In The Club
Permission To Marry
Lengths
Conman
The Lunch Party
The Making Of A Movie
Pseudoline
Shirt Shop
Pete & Dud: Diseases
Pete & Dud: Music
Pete & Dud: In Heaven
Pete & Dud: The Unexplained
Pete & Dud: A Spot Of The Usual Trouble
Pete & Dud: Dreams
Pete & Dud: Double O Dud
Pete & Dud: Racial Prejudice
Pete & Dud: Bestseller
Pete & Dud: The Art Of Seduction
Pete & Dud: Women’s Wrights
Tailor Shop
The Frog And Peach
The Funnel Web Spider
Video/DVD
The Best Of … What’s Left Of … Not Only… But Also
BBC Video BBCV 4430, BBC DVD
Cyclist On Ark Royal
Pete & Dud: Sex Fantasies
Bo Dudley
The Making Of A Movie
A Bit Of A Chat
Cavemen (opening)
Pete & Dud: At The Zoo
Superthunderstingcar
Alan A’Dale
The Glidd Of Glood
Bargo
Tower Bridge (opening)
Tramponuns
The North Circular Road
This Is Ludwig Van Beethoven
Pete & Dud: At The Art Gallery
Goodbyee
The Best of … What’s Left of … Not Only … But Also
BBC DVD BO-1736-9 (2009)
contains the 6 half hour compilations aired on BBC2 (Nov 4 to Dec 9 1990)
plus Success Story (30-min, 1974) documentary-compilation.
Unfortunately there are a couple of edits in the compilations …
the Ol’ Man River sequence has been removed from programme 5
and the North Circular Road sketch in programme 6 is now missing a 90 sec. segment, previously included on the above DVD release.
(both are possibly related to song copyright clearance)
Two additional sketches (Initials and The Walrus and the Carpenter) used as replacements when “The Best of …” series was sold overseas, are not included in this release.
GOODBYE AGAIN
In 1968, British commercial television company A.T.V. signed Peter Cook and Dudley Moore for a series of four one hour specials of similar style to Not Only … But Also. Each show featured a Pete and Dud sketch, and included top musical names to help the program’s saleability to the American market. It is believed all four survive.
#1: ITV August 18 1968
Guests Georgie Fame, Selena Jones, Warren Mitchell, Una Stubbs
The Scarlet Pimpernel
Pete & Dud: The Trial
Nature World: The Householder
Long Distance
#2: ITV August 24 1968
Guests Ike and Tina Turner, Donovan
Sherlock Holmes
Aversion Therapy
Pete & Dud: Mrs. Woolley’s Curse
War Correspondent
#3: ITV September 14 1968
Guests Traffic, John Cleese, John Wells, Rodney Bewes
Sherwood Forest
Alan A’Dale (remake)
Pete & Dud: Workout
Herman Hermitz Reports: Violence
Edward’s Fiancee
Production Line
#4: ITV August 3 1969
Guests Anne Bancroft, Mel Torme
The Great Plunger-Jarvis
Army Rain Detection
Accident Prevention
Insurance Salesman
Pete & Dud: Sex Fantasies (remake)
DISCOGRAPHY
Goodbye Again
Decca LP LK 4981
The Trial
Long Distance
Mrs. Woolley’s Curse
Aversion Therapy
Workout
War Correspondent
DVD
The Very Best of Goodbye Again
Granada DVD 37115 07323 (2004)
Accident Prevention
Hermin Hermit Reports
Pete and Dud on Remand
Psychiatrist Visit
Sherlock Holmes
Pete and Dud in Hospital
Wonderful World of Nature
Pete and Dud in the Pub
Posh Father and Son
The Production Line
Robin Hood
Pete and Dud in Gym
Scarlet Pimpernel
Pete and Dud at Home (Long Distance)
Dingling Brothers Circus
War Report
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