History Creator / PeterCook

Peter Edward Cook (17 November 1937 – 9 January 1995) was an English actor, satirist, writer and comedian. An extremely influential figure in modern British comedy, Cook is regarded as [[Magazine/PrivateEye the leading light]] of the [[Series/ThatWastheWeekThatWas British satire boom]] of the 1960s. He was closely associated with the anti-establishment comedy that emerged in Britain and the United States in the early 1960s. He was the proprietor of Magazine/PrivateEye from soon after its foundation until his death, and contributed both money and jokes to it throughout his life, while staunchly refraining from any [[ExecutiveMeddling editorial interference]]. An {{UsefulNotes/Oxbridge}} graduate, he formed a comic partnership with lifelong friend Creator/DudleyMoore which resulted in the hit revue ''Theatre/BeyondTheFringe'', and then their TV series ''Series/NotOnlyButAlso''; the film ''Film/Bedazzled1967'' (in its original 1967 version), and the notorious taboo-breaking ''Derek And Clive'' comedy albums. Whilst Moore [[BreakupBreakout went on to Hollywood superstardom]], [[TheGarfunkel Cook languished in semi-obscurity]], a state not helped by the drinking problem that eventually killed him.

Peter Edward Cook (17 November 1937 – 9 January 1995) was an English actor, satirist, writer and comedian. An extremely influential figure in modern British comedy, Cook is regarded as [[Magazine/PrivateEye the leading light]] of the [[Series/ThatWastheWeekThatWas British satire boom]] of the 1960s. He was closely associated with the anti-establishment comedy that emerged in Britain and the United States in the early 1960s. He was one of the co-founders of Magazine/PrivateEye alongside fellow satirists such as Creator/WillieRushton, and was one of its major financial backers throughout his life. An {{UsefulNotes/Oxbridge}} graduate, he formed a comic partnership with lifelong friend Creator/DudleyMoore which resulted in the hit revue ''Theatre/BeyondTheFringe'', and then their TV series ''Series/NotOnlyButAlso''; the film ''Film/Bedazzled1967'' (in its original 1967 version), and the notorious taboo-breaking ''Derek And Clive'' comedy albums. Whilst Moore [[BreakupBreakout went on to Hollywood superstardom]], [[TheGarfunkel Cook languished in semi-obscurity]], a state not helped by the drinking problem that eventually killed him.

Peter Edward Cook (17 November 1937 – 9 January 1995) was an English actor, satirist, writer and comedian. An extremely influential figure in modern British comedy, Cook is regarded as [[Magazine/PrivateEye the leading light]] of the [[Series/ThatWastheWeekThatWas British satire boom]] of the 1960s. He was closely associated with the anti-establishment comedy that emerged in Britain and the United States in the early 1960s. He was one of the co-founders of Magazine/PrivateEye alongside fellow satirists such as Creator/WillieRushton, and was one of its major financial backers throughout his life. An {{Oxbridge}} graduate, he formed a comic partnership with lifelong friend Creator/DudleyMoore which resulted in the hit revue ''Theatre/BeyondTheFringe'', and then their TV series ''Series/NotOnlyButAlso''; the film ''Film/Bedazzled1967'' (in its original 1967 version), and the notorious taboo-breaking ''Derek And Clive'' comedy albums. Whilst Moore [[BreakupBreakout went on to Hollywood superstardom]], [[TheGarfunkel Cook languished in semi-obscurity]], a state not helped by the drinking problem that eventually killed him.

* SchoolNewspaperNewsHound; Cook developed his talent for satirical comedy when he edited the school newspaper at Shrewsbury School, always trying to slip in scurrilous and potentially libellious snippets about his teachers, getting them past the radar of school censorship. This developed in later life into ''Magazine/PrivateEye''.
* StartedAtOxbridge: Cook and Moore met at "Footlights College Oxbridge" and went on to star in ''Theatre/BeyondTheFringe''.

Peter Edward Cook (17 November 1937 – 9 January 1995) was an English actor, satirist, writer and comedian. An extremely influential figure in modern British comedy, Cook is regarded as [[Magazine/PrivateEye the leading light]] of the [[Series/ThatWastheWeekThatWas British satire boom]] of the 1960s. He was closely associated with the anti-establishment comedy that emerged in Britain and the United States in the late 1950s. He was one of the co-founders of Magazine/PrivateEye alongside fellow satirists such as Creator/WillieRushton, and was one of its major financial backers throughout his life. An {{Oxbridge}} graduate, he formed a comic partnership with lifelong friend Creator/DudleyMoore which resulted in the hit revue ''Theatre/BeyondTheFringe'', and then their TV series ''Series/NotOnlyButAlso''; the film ''Film/Bedazzled1967'' (in its original 1967 version), and the notorious taboo-breaking ''Derek And Clive'' comedy albums. Whilst Moore [[BreakupBreakout went on to Hollywood superstardom]], [[TheGarfunkel Cook languished in semi-obscurity]], a state not helped by the drinking problem that eventually killed him.

In 1983 Cook had a recurring role in the first series of ''Series/{{Blackadder}}'' in which he [[AgeLift played an annoyed and post-mortem King Richard III]]. In 1987 he had a memorable cameo in ''Film/ThePrincessBride'' as the Impressive Clergyman ("Mawwiage!"). In the same year he appeared on the British version of ''Series/WhoseLineIsItAnyway'' and won.

* NeedsMoreLove

In 1983 Cook had a recurring role in the first series of ''Series/{{Blackadder}}'' in which he [[AgeLift played an annoyed and post-mortem King Richard III]]. In 1987 he had a memorable cameo in ''Film/ThePrincessBride'' as the Impressive Clergyman ("Mawwiage!") In the same year he appeared on the British version of ''Series/WhoseLineIsItAnyway'' and won.

In 1989 he married for the third and last time and under the influence of his new wife he cut down on the drinking and, to a considerable extent, recovered a good deal of his old power.

In 1993, he and Creator/ChrisMorris improvised a fantastically insane series of interviews for BBC Radio, ''Why Bother?'', in which Cook responded to Morris's characteristically aggressive style with increasingly absurd flights of imagination. Around the same time, Cook appeared in character as all four guests on the Channel 4 chat show ''Clive Anderson Talks Back'': Norman House, a meek quality controller who had been abducted by aliens; Alan Latchley, a bluff [[OopNorth Northern]] football manager ("Football is about nothing unless it is about something and what it is about is football!"); Sir James Beauchamp, a ridiculously bigoted upper-class judge ("Capital punishment's been abolished for some time now." "Yes it has. Except in my neck of the woods. It's very much an individual choice, I think, whether one executes") and Eric Daley, an egotistical but talentless veteran rock star ("I just got out of the Henry Ford clinic, and I'm -" "Henry Ford clinic?" "Yes." "Not the Betty Ford clinic?" "No, the Henry Ford one is a much tougher regime. You have to build a car before you're allowed out.") The Clive Anderson appearance featured Cook at his best. However, the following year, the death of Cook's mother caused him to resume drinking heavily and he died in January 1995 from complications related to his alcoholism.

* IceCreamKoan: His final televised appearance was on ''Clive Anderson Talks Back'' as four different characters, one of whom was a football manager prone to these.

In 1983 Cook had a recurring role in the first series of ''Series/{{Blackadder}}'' in which he [[AgeLift played an annoyed and post-mortem King Richard III]]. In 1987 he had a memorable cameo in ''Film/ThePrincessBride'' as the Impressive Clergyman ("Mawwiage!") In the same year he appeared on the British version of ''Series/WhoseLineIsItAnyway'' and won. In 1989 he married for the third and last time and under the influence of his new wife he cut down on the drinking and, to a considerable extent, recovered a good deal of his old power. In 1993, he and Creator/ChrisMorris improvised a fantastically insane series of interviews for BBC Radio, ''Why Bother?'', in which Cook responded to Morris's characteristically aggressive style with increasingly absurd flights of imagination. Around the same time, Cook appeared in character as all four guests on the Channel 4 chat show ''Clive Anderson Talks Back'': Norman House, a meek quality controller who had been abducted by aliens; Alan Latchley, a bluff Northern football manager ("Football is about nothing unless it is about something and what it is about is football!"); Sir James Beauchamp, a ridiculously bigoted upper-class judge ("Capital punishment's been abolished for some time now." "Yes it has. Except in my neck of the woods. It's very much an individual choice, I think, whether one executes") and Eric Daley, an egotistical but talentless veteran rock star ("I just got out of the Henry Ford clinic, and I'm -" "Henry Ford clinic?" "Yes." "Not the Betty Ford clinic?" "No, the Henry Ford one is a much tougher regime. You have to build a car before you're allowed out.") The Clive Anderson appearance featured Cook at his best. However, the following year, the death of Cook's mother caused him to resume drinking heavily and he died in January 1995 from complications related to his alcoholism.

Peter Edward Cook (17 November 1937 – 9 January 1995) was an English actor, satirist, writer and comedian. An extremely influential figure in modern British comedy, Cook is regarded as [[Magazine/PrivateEye the leading light]] of the [[Series/ThatWastheWeekThatWas British satire boom]] of the 1960s. He was closely associated with the anti-establishment comedy that emerged in Britain and the United States in the late 1950s. He was one of the co-founders of Magazine/PrivateEye alongside fellow satirists such as Creator/WillieRushton, and was one of its major financial backers throughout his life. An {{Oxbridge}} graduate, he formed a comic partnership with lifelong friend Creator/DudleyMoore which resulted in the hit revue ''Theatre/BeyondTheFringe'', and then their TV series ''Series/NotOnlyButAlso''; the film ''Film/Bedazzled1967'' (in its original 1967 version), and the notorious taboo-breaking ''Derek And Clive'' comedy albums. Whilst Moore [[BreakupBreakout went on to Hollywood superstardom]], [[TheGarfunkel Cook languished in semi-obscurity]], a state not helped by the drinking problem that eventually killed him, and his last TV work was in the first series of ''Series/{{Blackadder}}'' in which he [[AgeLift played an annoyed and post-mortem King Richard III]].

Peter Edward Cook (17 November 1937 – 9 January 1995) was an English actor, satirist, writer and comedian. An extremely influential figure in modern British comedy, Cook is regarded as [[Magazine/PrivateEye the leading light]] of the [[Series/ThatWastheWeekThatWas British satire boom]] of the 1960s. He was closely associated with the anti-establishment comedy that emerged in Britain and the United States in the late 1950s. He was one of the co-founders of Magazine/PrivateEye alongside fellow satirists such as Creator/WillieRushton, and was one of its major financial backers throughout his life. An {{Oxbridge}} graduate, he formed a comic partnership with lifelong friend Creator/DudleyMoore which resulted in the hit revue ''Theatre/BeyondTheFringe'', and then their TV series ''Series/NotOnlyButAlso''; the film ''Film/Bedazzled1967'' (in its original 1967 version), and the notorious taboo-breaking ''Derek And Clive'' comedy albums. Whilst Moore [[BreakupBreakout went on to Hollywood superstardom]], [[TheGarfunkel Cook languished in semi-obscurity]], a state not helped by the drinking problem that eventually killed him, and his last TV work was in the first series of ''Series/{{Blackadder}}'' in which he played an annoyed and post-mortem King Richard III.

* NeedsMoreLove

Peter Edward Cook (17 November 1937 – 9 January 1995) was an English actor, satirist, writer and comedian. An extremely influential figure in modern British comedy, Cook is regarded as [[Magazine/PrivateEye the leading light]] of the [[Series/ThatWastheWeekThatWas British satire boom]] of the 1960s. He was closely associated with the anti-establishment comedy that emerged in Britain and the United States in the late 1950s. He was one of the co-founders of Magazine/PrivateEye alongside fellow satirists such as Creator/WillieRushton, and was one of its major financial backers throughout his life. An {{Oxbridge}} graduate, he formed a comic partnership with lifelong friend Creator/DudleyMoore which resulted in the hit revue ''Theatre/BeyondTheFringe'', and then their TV series ''Series/NotOnlyButAlso''; the film ''Film/Bedazzled1967'' (in its original 1967 version), and the notorious taboo-breaking ''Derek And Clive'' comedy albums. Whilst Moore went on to Hollywood superstardom, Cook languished in semi-obscurity, a state not helped by the drinking problem that eventually killed him, and his last TV work was in the first series of ''Series/{{Blackadder}}'' in which he played an annoyed and post-mortem King Richard III.

Peter Edward Cook (17 November 1937 – 9 January 1995) was an English actor, satirist, writer and comedian. An extremely influential figure in modern British comedy, Cook is regarded as [[Magazine/PrivateEye the leading light]] of the [[Series/ThatWastheWeekThatWas British satire boom]] of the 1960s. He was closely associated with the anti-establishment comedy that emerged in Britain and the United States in the late 1950s. He was one of the co-founders of Magazine/PrivateEye alongside fellow satirists such as Creator/WillieRushton, and was one of its major financial backers throughout his life. An {{Oxbridge}} graduate, he formed a comic partnership with lifelong friend Creator/DudleyMoore which resulted in the hit revue ''php/Theatre/BeyondTheFringe'', and then their TV series ''Series/NotOnlyButAlso''; the film ''Film/Bedazzled1967'' (in its original 1967 version), and the notorious taboo-breaking ''Derek And Clive'' comedy albums. Whilst Moore went on to Hollywood superstardom, Cook languished in semi-obscurity, a state not helped by the drinking problem that eventually killed him, and his last TV work was in the first series of ''Series/{{Blackadder}}'' in which he played an annoyed and post-mortem King Richard III.

Peter Edward Cook (17 November 1937 – 9 January 1995) was an English actor, satirist, writer and comedian. An extremely influential figure in modern British comedy, Cook is regarded as [[Magazine/PrivateEye the leading light]] of the [[Series/ThatWastheWeekThatWas British satire boom]] of the 1960s. He was closely associated with the anti-establishment comedy that emerged in Britain and the United States in the late 1950s. He was one of the co-founders of Magazine/PrivateEye alongside fellow satirists such as Creator/WillieRushton, and was one of its major financial backers throughout his life. An {{Oxbridge}} graduate, he formed a comic partnership with lifelong friend Creator/DudleyMoore which resulted in the TV series ''Series/NotOnlyButAlso'', the film ''Film/Bedazzled1967'' (in its original 1967 version), and the notorious taboo-breaking ''Derek And Clive'' comedy albums. Whilst Moore went on to Hollywood superstardom, Cook languished in semi-obscurity, a state not helped by the drinking problem that eventually killed him, and his last TV work was in the first series of ''Series/{{Blackadder}}'' in which he played an annoyed and post-mortem King Richard III.

Peter Edward Cook (17 November 1937 – 9 January 1995) was an English actor, satirist, writer and comedian. An extremely influential figure in modern British comedy, Cook is regarded as [[Magazine/PrivateEye the leading light]] of the [[Series/ThatWastheWeekThatWas British satire boom]] of the 1960s. He was closely associated with the anti-establishment comedy that emerged in Britain and the United States in the late 1950s. He was one of the co-founders of Magazine/PrivateEye alongside fellow satirists such as Creator/WillieRushton, and was one of its major financial backers throughout his life. An {{Oxbridge}} graduate, he formed a comic partnership with lifelong friend Creator/DudleyMoore which resulted in the TV series ''Not Only... But Also'', the film ''Film/Bedazzled1967'' (in its original 1967 version), and the notorious taboo-breaking ''Derek And Clive'' comedy albums. Whilst Moore went on to Hollywood superstardom, Cook languished in semi-obscurity, a state not helped by the drinking problem that eventually killed him, and his last TV work was in the first series of ''Series/{{Blackadder}}'' in which he played an annoyed and post-mortem King Richard III.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: ''Derek and Clive'' chose to carpet-bomb the radar with so much crap it overloaded and gave up.

* ClusterFStrike: The ''Derek and Clive'' recordings were the Dresden of cluster F-strikes with the added napalm of multiple references to CountryMatters.
* DrinkingOnDuty: This seriously strained his working partnership with Dudley Moore, who felt he was carrying the act when Cook was too drunk to perform at his best. Cook could also be witheringly scathing and destructive when drunk and Moore felt he was the ButtMonkey for his colleague's cutting scorn. [[note]]When sober, Cook was often remorseful and regretful for things said, and in later life was ruefully appreciative of his part in breaking the friendship and partnership[[/note]]

Peter Edward Cook (17 November 1937 – 9 January 1995) was an English actor, satirist, writer and comedian. An extremely influential figure in modern British comedy, Cook is regarded as [[Magazine/PrivateEye the leading light]] of the [[Series/ThatWastheWeekThatWas British satire boom]] of the 1960s. He was closely associated with the anti-establishment comedy that emerged in Britain and the United States in the late 1950s. He was one of the co-founders of Magazine/PrivateEye alongside fellow satirists such as Creator/WillieRushton, and was one of its major financial backers throughout his life. An {{Oxbridge}} graduate, he formed a comic partnership with lifelong friend Creator/DudleyMoore which resulted in the TV series ''Not Only... But Also'', the film ''Film/{{Bedazzled}}'' (in its original 1967 version), and the notorious taboo-breaking ''Derek And Clive'' comedy albums. Whilst Moore went on to Hollywood superstardom, Cook languished in semi-obscurity, a state not helped by the drinking problem that eventually killed him, and his last TV work was in the first series of ''Series/{{Blackadder}}'' in which he played an annoyed and post-mortem King Richard III.

!!Tropes scowled down upon and treated with withering scorn and self-aware contempt include: