'I'm afraid of Peter Cook's talent'

Terry Clement chooses his comedy favourties

Peter Cook & Chris Morris: Why Bother?

For me, this is like Jimi Hendrix forming a band with Prince! I love every bit of shuffled paper and adjusted seat.

Peter Cook in general

Be it E.L. Wisty, Derek and Clive or Sir Arthur, Cook has a weird hold over me when I watch him. I'm afraid of his talent. Whenever I need to bring myself back down to earth, I watch Cook.

Weird Al Yankovic: Bob

I often judge whether I find a bit funny or not by if I feel jealous of the person for having written it. That is exactly how I felt when I heard Bob by Weird Al.

Brother Theodore: David Letterman appearances

The man with the ‘stand-up tragedy’ routine. Most people know Brother Theodore from his role in the movie The Burbs, but he also had a weekly live show in New York. His writing seems so far ahead of its time that it almost detracts from what he's saying.

Sam Kinison: First HBO special

I love how unlikely a superhero Kinison is... he's older than a lot of his fans, fat and has a comb-over hiding under his beret during this special, yet he exudes such supreme confidence you never notice. As a kid, I had a Sam Kinison T-shirt made for me. The lady at the store was reluctant because she said that he looked ‘unsavoury’. Which, of course, just made me love him more.

South Park movie: Bigger, Longer and Uncut

I don't think I've ever laughed harder in a movie theatre than I did when this thing came out. I had been a fan of the show for years but the movie pushed it over the top. I respect the work of Trey Parker and Matt Stone quite a lot. Even their first movie, Cannibal The Musical is a favourite of mine. But the South Park movie came out at the perfect time for me, when I wasn't jaded by the business at all and I laughed unconsciously.