Why Bother? was a series of five 10-minute long radio interviews for BBC Ra… Read Full Bio ↴Why Bother? was a series of five 10-minute long radio interviews for BBC Radio 3, between Chris Morris and Peter Cook's character Sir Arthur Streeb-Greebling in 1994. The complete series has been released on a CD by the BBC. Cook received the sole writing credit whilst Morris also produced the series.

Morris played a variation on the abrasive interviewer character he had perfected on The Day Today, cleverly prompting Cook into some of his best work. The short pieces provide further insights into the Streeb-Greebling character that Cook had created for Not Only... But Also in 1965. Topics of conversation include Streeb-Greebling's work with eels, his role in the racial violence following the Rodney King trial, his military career and his habit of strangling his business partners. The listener learns that Streeb-Greebling was put in prison by his father at the age of four and hears of his next project: cloning from the fossilised remains of the infant Christ with the assistance of BMW, Honda and Sony.

Talks About Death Of Peter Cook
Peter Cook & Chris Morris Lyrics

We have lyrics for these tracks by Chris Morris:

Forever Forever Doesn't seem so long with you I'm in love …
Get a Hold of Yourself What a whirlwind, she ain't a friend Sit in an…
Higher Out of the blue, there was you Speaking in a…
I Fell for U I took a step You took one closer I kissed…

Let Your Hair Down Let Your Hair Down And take it slow Let Your Hair Down And…
Let's Get Out of Here Let's Get Out Of Here Let's Get Out Of Here…
Paradise Everybody needs a little time away When you feel it’s time…

Sunshine in the Rain Today I let the darkness bring me down I promise…

The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos

TRACKS

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Comments from YouTube:

Gordon M.

7y↑22

Pure improvisation.

Cook made this up second to second.

Genius comedy!

peter morningsnow

7y↑3

Yes, his improvisation thrives the more on listening. Whereas Chris Morris writes his ideas out before and drives to the point. They're both impressive, but the one who scrambles in the moment, and comes up with something brilliant, is the more obviously impressive.

Dan Jacobs

4y↑12

The lightning response of Honda was absolute perfection

azapro911

2y↑1

Peter Cook might be the most naturally gifted comic ever, 57 years old here and still the sharpest improv.

emma jones

1y↑1

Oh my word this really is the funniest thing I’ve ever heard. I discovered it years ago and keep coming back.

stravinskyrocks

12y↑3

Cook was a genius. You can feel him doing a quick WTF? when Morris ambushes him with with the petrified Christ, but then Peter bounces it back at him and extemporizes on it brilliantly.

Simon Collett

5y↑1

"Extemporizes". A perfectly cromulant word if ever I heard one.

AutPen38

13y↑11

- It's quite an interesting anecdote. - It sounds REALLY DULL to me! Both comics are so quick at reacting to each other's curve-balls. This series was almost completely unscripted or rehearsed.

Anna Binta Diallo

12y↑3

brilliant upload, I had not appreciated peter cooks brilliance up until hearing this. not laughed this much for ages

Dr Strangelove

9y↑8

Probably the funniest thing ive ever heard. Pure genius.

AlephNeil

12y↑1

The section from 1:17 to 1:30 is just beautiful. I like to refer to it to explain how I see the relation between the real world and set theory.

yosuf younis

14y↑8

Chris Morris I just wanted to write his name down because of my massive respect for him

farleigh17

15y↑4

'He'll be pretty lost without the batteries.' Amazing man.

Three Six Nine

"He was practicing the resurrection". Genius.

theeverlastingspiral

7y↑15

'it will be his warped ideas not mine' LOL - brilliant

Gordon M

theeverlastingspiral

One of my favourite lines in all of comedy!

KingKaitain

12y↑2

@annabintadiallo Probably the single best thing he did in the final ten years of his life. When he was on form, he was almost untouchable.

Wolshanze1944

4y↑2

Two of my favourites !!!!!

Elephantstone

7y↑8

Fantastic. "Not as if he just flapped his wings and said, hello boys!"

Matt Tidswell

12y

The all spark of humour. Morris and Cook.

thebresker

13y

best thing on the internert, ever. Rip cOOK. and come back Morris!

Nigel

4y↑1

This is so very very funny. How do you define genius like this? Just sit back and enjoy.

Retrosta

9y↑8

"I'm wondering If you'll be using him as a conduit for your own warped ideas.
No, no, they'll be his warped ideas"

Adam Livett

4y↑1

What a find, priceless.

nanoshed

11y↑22

I love how Chris Morris starts off dominating, but then, upon realising quite how incredible Peter Cook is going to be, takes a back seat and merely feeds him with encouraging little nudges. Chris Morris could be the sharpest comic mind of our time, but as this recording proves, perhaps not ALL time :-)

EBGBeee

5y↑2

He's playing the straight man. So that's what he has to do, by definition.

peter morningsnow

That's a little bit shallow, as a reading of Chris Morris's technique. Bears aren't strictly vegetarian. He's going for the kill and only changing tactics as he grows confused as to what to do next, and this in hopes of confusing his desired prey, and so getting back on top. Old comic hack. He does carry it well, for all his not carrying the charming aspect.

robert harriman

Haven't listened to this for years, two heavyweights exchanging beautiful blows. Its difficult to see who's going to carry the mantle.

msmith1845

16y↑1

Thanks for uploading these.

saitama

13y↑3

I used to be into bee-keeping, started with one, it attracted another, then we had a swarm.....

Mr Worry

14y↑2

Aha! Now I understand the Two Lone Swordsmen song title "Cloned Christ on a Hover Donkey: Be Thankful".

A small amount of peas

9y↑26

The passing of the comedy genius torch occurred here

Conor Nutt

Wow,thanks mate,i've seen the other series of episodes but didn't know there was a new series.I'll definitely check out the rest :-)

Dissociated Women Incorporated

Conor Nutt, Jesus, how did I forget Brooklyn Nine-Nine? Although that show's so popular I'm sure you've at least heard of it already. But it actually lives up to the hype, or at least has thoroughly earnt its widespread popularity (and immediate pickup by NBC after Fox cancelled it). Hey, Fox cancelled it, that's pretty much a guarantee something's great!

Dissociated Women Incorporated

Conor Nutt, I've not seen the latest season yet but I've really been enjoying "Episodes" over the past few years. On the animated side, my two favourite cartoons of all time are The Venture Bros and Steven Universe (though with the latter, the comedy often takes a back seat to emotional character growth, to the sci-fi/fantasy storyline, to action/drama, etc... not that that's at all a bad thing), and I'm also really loving Star vs. the Forces of Evil. I maybe should stop now that two of my cartoon recommendations have been kids cartoons, though it is quite hilarious how much they (especially Star) sneak past the radar at times, and it seems finally TV producers have realised it's worth the effort to put proper, engaging plots into kid's cartoons. Whoever would've thought plot would help TV shows? 😁 Back to live action, The New Legends of Monkey was really pretty funny, and surreal enough that a little herbal medication definitely enhances the experience. Otherwise, one of my friends has recommended I try out "Glow", but I'm super woozy this morning and my brain is mush so I'm probably missing out on some excellent recommendations.

Conor Nutt

Indeed.Any of you good comedy fans wanna give me a recommendation of something to watch next? (either current or obscure,or i've probably seen it),last great thing i watched was Julia Davis's "Camping".

5 More Replies...

nick b

14y↑5

I actually think this is superior to most of the Derek and Clive stuff.......Morris is better at keeping it together,i.e.,not laughing,and is funnier than Dudley,in my opinion..........Fantastic!

Gordon M.

John Hurt will provide the voice posthumously.

David Sumtinelse

What are the implications? I think Peter's is the genuine tiny christ. He was a beautiful and brilliant man.

peter morningsnow

7y↑1

Tiny little worm form. I remember that stage, right before Freudian apathy, before teenage angst, before the disappointment of zen motorcycle riders. Everybody was just dogs back in the day. Today, some hear dogs and are envious. Others pretend never to hear them, and feed them at regular intervals. Some choose to beat dogs without mercy, the estimable assholes. I hear this radio program and imagine something I created once upon a time, but only if I were unfortunate enough to be immortal.

Boko Bokolis

brilliant

peter morningsnow

"I put them to rest making honey." A good way to get rid of bees. I control these things and I don't know why. Why should the queen be as essentially empty as all the bees around me are?

peter morningsnow

6y↑1

I disagree. Looking back at this comment I wrote eight months ago, I think: Who is that Peter? I wish I was that Peter. I'm envious. I might be eight months ago younger already. I might drain my bank accounts more truly. There's nothing and no one to pass them onto, which is unfortunate. The approximation doesn't make up for the giver, generally speaking, and sometimes, just sometimes, the giver's just too big. But it's a mistake to confuse oneself with whatever oneself is not - the self-sacrificing thing. This isn't wisdom. This is stereoscopic vanity.

lunadotexe

ITS GONNA HURT ME, ITS GONNA KILL WHEN YOU DESERT ME

noyouyesme

Amazing

Oliver Picton

11y

Genius

Stephen Robinson

An audio video starring, Peter Morris and Chris Cook.

Ed O'Meara

13y↑3

"I think St Paul mentions it in passing!"

Educate Me

Haha

Clive Ellis

12y

chris morris is supposed to be out doing cook in these interviews.

thebresker

13y↑3

"wave his hands like they do on channel 4" :) :)

peter mills

'Sounds dull to me' " Well it's very life like "

balist0

12y↑1

Dude check out 'Derek and Clive: Live' for more Peter Cook hilarity

Michael Lavin

10y↑3

Christopher Priest stole this idea for "The Prestige"!

jarzhinio

13y

"Hello sir Arthur how are you?" "Fine, I had some bees in my youth and I put them to work making honey..." "Now in your address tomorrow..."

Free Thinking

7y↑11

fossilised remains of the infant Christ lol

lalal278

3y↑1

crawling across the desert in search of um... followers really

peter mills

7y↑2

Who would provide the voice.....Martin Jarvis! lol

Mintsauce27

11y

"...you were saying?.." (laughs)

jim mc

11y↑1

i think saint paul mentions it in passing.

David Davies

10y↑18

HONDA!!!

Philip Church

4y↑4

I've told you, it's out of my hands now. The Honda people are very hard to please.

R. ROOKSBY

12y↑9

"Bishops."

EBGBeee

I can't think of any other single word answer that makes me howl with laughter so much.

Dissociated Women Incorporated

6y↑1

"Bishops, yes."

Andrew Leyden

"Sony Corporation are interested in a sort of hover donkey"

peter morningsnow

7y↑1

"You're rather pre-empting my address." The organs come in by the same way as the food, conventionally. Through a tiny little supplied tube.

peter morningsnow

Is it really two years ago I wrote this? Grow some Zeibalds, Peter, some Rings of Saturn. Sit on the planet's orbit and earn yourself the love of the thing you love without needing the love of the thing.

Arron Guy Lampard

12y

Genius....0000 Rw

Peter D

Hover donkey .....lmao

peter mills

Hover donkey ! lol

projectcyclops

12y↑1

Go down to the YMCA and have a swim. Fancy a stroll first?

Oscar301

10y↑12

sounds dull.... it's very lifelike

artorwar

11y

Perfect comment.

John Doe

4y↑2

I really wish they'd dig deeper into the idea of Jesus having to slaughter 17 of his other selves. I thought that was fxking brilliant

marythemoose155

11y↑3

'Honda' :D

kolba

14y↑3

Honda.

Paul Charlesworth

Bishops

Walter Evans

5y↑1

'HOVER DONKEY' ?????????????.......Hahahaha....Miniature Christ ??...'He'll be pretty lost without the batteries.'..'Strole to the YMCA to have a swim'.......Peter Cooks surreal brain left even Chris Morris in the dust...lol

Will Byrne

5y↑1

"Honda"

barry soetoro

13y

GAY JESUS

Supersammys

Honda

mikki p

chris morris is a pygmy in comparison to cook... he should stop interfering..

Blatherskite

5y↑4

I think you misunderstand the relationship in these "interviews"... Cook is Morris' comedy hero; there is nothing but respect for Cook here. This is the nearest you'll get to Chris Morris playing the "straight man" role, feeding material to Cook for him to riff on.

The antagonistic "rude" interviewer persona is just the role Morris is playing here, while Cook is playing his time-honoured "Sir Arthur Streeb-Greebling" character, which he had created in various similar "interviews" througout his long career.

Check this out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhS35f015SQ

It's a vintage Streeb-Greebling interview, with Dudley Moore in the Chris Morris interviewer role. It will make it clearer what Chris Morris and Peter Cooke were doing here. If anything, Dudley Moore is a lot ruder - "Shut up, Sir Arthur" :)