I was fortunate to have been in the audience at the BBC Television Centre when this was recorded in November of 1974. After the taping was over, Sellers was very gracious and thanked the audience for their attendance at the interview. It was an evening I’ll never forget!
@@roberthowes6219 That was my first time in London. I wanted to visit the BBC, so I phoned them to ask if tours were available. I was told no. Instead I was sent tickets to the Parkinson program. To see Peter Sellers in person was more than a consolation prize!
I watched The Pink Panther Strikes again in a Bangor (North Wales) cinema when it first came out. Constant and continuous laughter. There was no let up. No time for you to breath to get over laughing. When I came out of the cinema I, like most of the rest of the audience, was aching with pain from the laughter. It was and remains the funniest film I've ever seen.
I remember 'The Goon Show' (on the Wireless) as a youngster. My dear Father who was quite a serious Man, would fall about listening to their antics. What a joy it was to see Father enjoying himself so.
RIP Peter Sellers (September 8, 1925 - July 24, 1980), aged 54 And RIP Sir Michael Parkinson (March 28, 1935 - August 16, 2023), aged 88 You both will be remembered as legends.
Even to this day Peter Sellers is just a naturally funny and extremely talented man Very few celebrities will ever match his skills, intelligence and wide ranging talent
Genius indeed, but like most geniuses, bordering on insanity. He and Spike were the essence 1950/60's British humour. Both still make me double up with laughter. Gone too early but never forgotten. RIP Peter Sellers & Spike Milligoon.
that is such a weird statement. Of course there plenty before and since, even now who are as good and better. He was great, but he had so many foibles and they were such an obstacle. A lot of his characters could not be done today.
@Jan van Erven I do agree a bit. Sellers was a perfectionist who wanted total control of all aspects of his life . THe opening skit had been done previously and was taken from the producers. I think the acts in the interview were rehearsed or planned. But the questions about his family and marriages appeared to be spontaneous and natural.
Absolutely. A real gem. I noticed his finger went to the exact same spot in the book , so it was rehearsed. But who cares ? He knew it all by heart. A troubled but great genius.
David B not quite today, but fairly recently. Check out Robin Williams on Inside The Actor's Studio. There was so much material that they made it into a double episode.
I have never seen this Parkinson interview with Peter Sellers before. I just kept saying to myself what a fantastic guest .I never knew Peter Sellers was so funny and the whole interview was so funny, it was pure joy listening to this very charismatic man. He was mesmerising.
If you read Parkinson's autobiography Peter Sellers nearly refused to come on at the last minute. Allowing him to come on as a character and clown around got over his fears, but you could sense a change in confidence as soon as Parkinson started asking any personal questions. A brilliant but complex man.
Martin Another person actors who have died like Peter Sellers who with more knowledge of mild autism now can say he had autism traits. Very good copying people with his great characters in the Goon show and The Pink Panther. He possibly would have been said to be on the spectrum if he was around in today's world.
I finally saw Being There last night. .... The Like of Peter Sellers will NEVER come this way again. .... He was a diverse and dedicated genius..... only 55 when he died..... a truly terrible loss.
😂😂😂😂😂 I absolutely bloody love Peter Sellers! The guy was a genius! Such a shame he was taken away from us too soon! My grandma only had to see a photo of him and start crying with laughter lol
When I was about 14 years old, I watched the pink panther for the first time and I could not stop laughing. Since then I watched all pink panther films many times.
Sellers before he went to Hollywood was just brilliant. I am lucky enough to have seen or heard him on stage screen and radio in the day. I was told by a Hotel Manager present at the time that when touring the British Variety Theatres with the Goons in the 1960s, the after show gatherings in the Hotels they were staying in during the tours were hilarious almost a continuation of the stage show..
He was as close to a genius as any actor could be described..2023 and still how he goes from one character to another, this can not be taught ......many have said he was mad in real life ...thank god for madness I say ..RIP
Two great men. One superb video. Never to be repeated nowadays as a 'Modern Audience' would neither be able to understand the humour, nor would they able to be not offended.
He was a wonderful, talented performer. He gave so much to us, and maybe his personal life was not what he would have wanted. Rest in peace, Peter, we miss you still.
I was lucky enough to have been in the audience at the BBC tv Centre when this was recorded in 1974. Sellers was kind to me, offered me his cigarette, a unfiltered lucky strike.
Imagine Peter Sellers and Robin Williams on the same TV show...it would be absolutely impossible for a host to say one single word:) It would be accents and walking around the set all the time! :)
@Jan van Erven Thanks. Certainly he has the mannerisns of the gifted raconteur (compare the true improviser? Peter Cook, who eyes are sharply alive, engages ,(usually) Dudley More and seems to be just 'finding' the words. In a lowly way I'm an improviser...you made me think. Always good!
I think it was Spike who said first thing in the morning staying at Pete's flat, he heard him quietly going through different voices trying to find his own.
I didn’t know his early work but absolutely loved him in inspector Clouseau and the Pink Panther. Very Sad that he died so young. He had a very unique talent.
I was ten years old when Peter died and like many was terribly saddened. It had seemed to me by the age of 11 that all the genius performers were gone. Elvis, John Lennon and Peter sellers. Rest in peace guy's, boy have I missed you all. Marc
I was twevle when he died. I remember very well he was my comedy hero.as a young man of color,he always made me laugh.there was more to him than just inspector cluesau. What a great comedic character actor.i realize after watching this clip how much I miss him. R.I.P Peter Sellers.
I have already watched this video so many times, and I wish that it was longer. It is one of the best interviews that I have ever seen by anyone. It is so sad to see Peter be so funny, and then to see how serious and sad he gets whenever talking about his personal life. The humanity that he displayed is so heartbreaking. I am one of those however, that believe that pain is what creates the best art, and Peter Sellers proveed that. Thank you so much for posting this video.
There will never be another like Peter Sellers, everything he did was pure gold. The American announcer voice got me laughing so hard. One of my favourite movies of all times is The Ladykillers, Sellers & Alec Guinness are superb, as are all the other cast.
😂 Sellers has made me crackup so many times in Pink Panther movies, the Party, and Being There and of course Dr. Strangelove. Guys like him and Johnathan Winters just like being totally absurd and I love it!
A wonderful comic genius and phenomenal story teller. He suffered for his art and for that we should be thankful for his sharing. I could listen to him for hours.
An amazing talent .. Sadly I was too young to appreciate how funny Peter Sellers was before he passed.... but I've fondly become a big fan since. RIP Peter, you were an amazing talent. God speed.
What a brilliant, amazing talent. This interview showcased his extraordinary range better than any movie I've seen him in, including Dr. Strangelove. And what an emotional ride this interview was ~ from hilarity and awe to some really touching moments. Not just the honesty about his failed marriages, but his seriousness about the moment of creation and nailing a scene. This interview is a gem, and so was Peter Sellers. Thank you so much for posting this. (As an American, I loved his impression of our speech!)
Parkinson tends to bring out the best in his interviewees and even in 1974 was a big hitter. Sellers knew this and produced a perfectly engineered and timeless performance that Sellers recognised would help cement his reputation forever . This wasn't just an interview, but a self-epitaph . Demonstrated by the fact that Sellers continues to mystify and confound people to this day. And this performance is blowing minds nearly fifty years later.
@@fergusdonaghy3124 Mind-blowing, yes! But was it really engineered? It seemed so impromptu to me ~ maybe he had those stories up his sleeve to draw on, but which ones he chose and in what order seemed unrehearsed. In any event, we lost him way too soon. I wish there'd been many more of these showcases for him, engineered or otherwise!
I have this whole interview. It is my oldest VHS recording which I made in 1980 when Peter died and they showed this from 1974. Having watched it several times, I'm convinced there was vodka in the water holder as he started off relatively reserved and got increasingly gregarious as the interview went on. Absolutely wonderful episode of Parky, showcasing Peter's talents.
I agree that is prob not water in the bottle, I'm sure it's brandy tho they mentioned going for a brandy a lot during the goon show intervals 🤔 great interview in any case
God only knows the level of comedic genius we would have seen from sellers had he lived on. He had plenty left to give, death always adds another level to our perspective of someone’s ability, often glorifying it beyond what it was, but with this guy he truly was a genius . Such a shame for him to leave us so soon.
Comic Genius right there - alongside Spike Milligan and Robin Williams. Still making us laugh after all these years. Have to love the brilliance of the Internet - giving younger people like me the opportunity to experience the humour of these brilliant comedians years before I was old enough to appreciate them. I now know exactly why my Mum and Dad would be in hysterics watching these guys. Thanks for sharing!
Back when the licence fee was worth the money. We have just a few like Peter Sellers today. Some of the most gifted people with immeasurable talent and creativity are tortured souls with eccentricities. But Peter's performance here, has probably never been surpassed since. And he was most definitely multi-talented.
Back then we had three channels. Talent was concentrated, quality was high, rubbish very rarely slithered through the commissioning process. Then the Tories pushed through deregulation 30 years ago to weaken the traditional broadcasters (especially the BBC) under the spurious claim of choice and we ended up with the sh%tshow we have today.
I have a couple of diary entries from 1980. They both take up a single page and there is a 3rd page that follows. The first page: Peter Sellers 24th July 1980 The 2nd page: John Lennon 8th December 1980 The 3rd page: All my heroes are gone now It was a very very sad year for me then and 35 years latter there is still a hole in my heart...
Possibly there have been others as good at performing different accents as Sellers, but it's the apparent ease that he slips in and out of them all that is unique and very very funny.
A distinct privilege to be able to watch this in 2022. Such talent and such an entertainer. The Goons was for me the funniest show ever. And Peter Sellars as the Inspector Cluseau (excuse spelling) brings back memories of his acting presence in every scene in those films. A distinct pleasure, thank you Mr Sellars
The greatest performance that never was: Peter Sellers as John Lennon. Likely Lennon was copping Sellers in some of this celebrated moments, but the likeness at times is uncanny.
The quality of his impersonations reveals the depth and capacity for observation he possessed! I suspect he would have been an excellent scientific researcher. Also, despite suddenly being asked to instantly switch from actively entertaining the audience to discussing difficult personal introspection regarding his failed marriages Peter transitions gracefully revealing the integrity of a self actualized man; as he states the truth regarding how difficult he is to live with, even taking responsibility for his infidelity. That is not the behavior of a man lost in his characters, as he is often represented as being, there.
The absolute comic genius of Peter Sellers, really loved this comedian and his humour will live on in clips such as this, thanks for the upload and RIP Peter.
That’s what I thought when I began seeing this interview. They were both manic depressives, almost ADHD. Not being critical, just being observant. I adore both men and wished that they lived longer than they did. They were highly intelligent and had so much more to offer to this sad and dysfunctional world.
Ah the lat e great Peter Sellars. A tortured soul but one of the funniest and most amazing actors on the planet. Such a shame he died so early and the world lost someone so special. I watched just about every Parkinson but I don't remember this interview. It made me laugh a lot to watch this but it also made me feel sad because it was obvious that he was someone who was misunderstood and maybe quite lonely really.
Sad to say I remember this when it was shown live on the BBC. It was the last program of a Saturday night.Parky realised that Peter Sellers was in 'great form'. The program carried on for about half a hour past the supposed finish time. Great Show, Great Guest, and Great Interviewer. Sadly it could not happen today with adverts, etc,
