Marty Feldman - One Pair Of Eyes

Marty Feldman - One Pair Of Eyes

From Goon Pod by Goon Pod

June 3, 2026 · 1h 30m · Season 1 · Episode 234

About this episode

The episode discusses Marty Feldman's exploration of comedy through a 1969 BBC2 documentary featuring various comedic figures.

“I don’t find myself funny… it came as a surprise to me that I didn’t really learn anything by watching myself.” In June 1969 BBC2 broadcast a documentary in which comedian and writer Marty Feldman tried to discover the essence of comedy by speaking with some of its leading lights such as Eric Morecambe, Dudley Moore, Denis Norden and... Peter Sellers. According to a critic on The Daily Mirror: “Given the low state of comedy on the box right now – well, there’s Father, Dear Father and The Gnomes of Dulwich to name triers; but no Till Death and no Steptoe – a high-flyer like Marty might have chosen to show us how it’s done. He could have played a few bad jokes off against his writing partner Mr Barry Took (who was present and correct), batted them about, and come up with an extemporary routine or two. But no. Marty was sold on contradiction.” Ignore that grump. The programme was a thoughtful, leisurely exercise in getting to the nub of of a very knotty topic where Marty philosophised and sometimes agonised while smoking a seemingly endless chain of cigarettes. From a bleak fairground in Margate via a kids' Punch & Judy show, a textile factory run by an ex-radio ventriloquist…

People in this episode

Host: Tyler

Guest: Jon Au

Topics covered

  • comedy
  • documentary
  • Marty Feldman
  • interviews
  • philosophy of humor

Keywords

  • Marty Feldman
  • comedy
  • documentary
  • Peter Sellers
  • humor philosophy

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: BBC2, The Daily Mirror

Books & works: The Magic Christian, Father, Dear Father, The Gnomes of Dulwich, Till Death, Steptoe

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