If you think David Frost or John Cleese "invented" English satire then I implore you to watch "School for Scoundrels",a cornucopia of gentle and wistful irony at the expense of the arrogant,patronising public school / Oxbridge types that messrs Frost and Cleese usually avoided parodying as they themselves were drawn from their ranks. Mr Ian Carmichael(born to play the meek middle-class doormat)is thwarted in his every move by by the manic Mr Terry-Thomas.In despair he enrolls at Stephen Potter's Colllege of One-Upmanship where shrinking violets are turned into tigers,unravelling the subtle coils of the English Class - System by using the Nobs techniques against them. Mr Carmichael uses the subterfuge he is taught to play those who see themselves as his social superiors at their own game.Unlike Basil Fawlty who merely crawls round those who he sees as his social superiors and whose aspirations are to join that class.Those aspirations are what Cleese satirises,Fawlty's wish to "better"himself is what Cleese despises,quite the opposite to Potter who applauds Carmichael's wish to "better" himself and indeed enables it. Later British satire treated its victims with contempt,subjecting them to heavy-handed humiliation,"School for Scoundrels" merely makes them figures of fun,much more subtle and consequently more effective. Each of Carmichael's tormentors is hoisted with his own petard in a most satisfying manner. Miss J.Scott is innocent and sexy in a 1960 - ish way,Mr Price and Mr Jones incomparable.Mr Sim,first in a field of one,hooded eye and sardonic voice,is perfect as Stephen Potter.But I leave the best to last.Mr Terry-Thomas,leering,loathsome yet strangely child - like, irritatingly good at everything he does,a portrait to join those masterpieces from "Private's Progress" and "I'm All Right,Jack" of the cynical upper-class opportunist who gets his come-uppance. Before satire was written by Oxbridge public school boys for Oxbridge public school boys,British comedy writers believed their audience intelligent enough to appreciate gentle irony without stamping on their heads.It was,and it did.