View source for Unidentified Pat Coombs commercial (lost unfinished advertisement for muesli product; 1973)

{{InfoboxLost 
|title=<center>Unidentified Pat Coombs commercial</center> 
|image=Patcoombs1.jpg
|imagecaption=Pat Coombs.
|status=<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''</span> 
}}
In 1973, British actress Pat Coombs was tasked to promote a cereal product for a television advertisement. After 28 takes, it became apparent that the commercial would never be finished, as Coombs was consistently unable to remember the muesli's name. It was labelled as "The Most Unsuccessful TV Commercial" by ''The Book of Heroic Failures''.<ref name="heroic">[https://archive.org/details/bookofheroicfail00pile/page/24/mode/2up? ''The Book of Heroic Failures'' declaring Coombs' unfinished advert as "The Most Unsuccessful TV Commercial (p.g. 24-25).] Retrieved 15th May '24</ref> '''No footage from these aborted takes has publicly resurfaced'''.

==Background==
Pat Coombs is frequently credited for her strong supporting roles in British radio and television comedy shows.<ref name="comedycoombs">[https://www.comedy.co.uk/features/comedy_chronicles/pat-coombs/ ''British Comedy Guide'' reflecting on the career of Coombs.] Retrieved 15th May '24</ref><ref name="guardcoombs">[https://www.theguardian.com/news/2002/may/28/guardianobituaries.arts ''The Guardian'' obituary for Coombs.] Retrieved 15th May '24</ref><ref name="bbccoombs">[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/2010986.stm ''BBC News'' obituary for Coombs.] Retrieved 15th May '24</ref> She typically portrayed down-and-out, shy and pea-brained women, who often caused issues for and got on the nerves of the main characters.<ref name="guardcoombs"/><ref name="bbccoombs"/> After appearing in ''Hancock's Half Hour'', she soon featured in ''Carry On'' films and television shows like ''[[Dad's Army (partially lost episodes and sketches of BBC sitcom; 1968-1970)|Dad's Army]]'' and ''On the Buses''.<ref name="guardcoombs"/><ref name="bbccoombs"/> Coombs also enjoyed a successful partnership with Peggy Mount, with the pair having starred in several ITV sitcoms.<ref name="comedycoombs"/> Their most notable programme was ''You're Only Young Twice'', which ran for four series from 1977 to 1981.<ref name="young">[https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/youre_only_young_twice/ ''British Comedy Guide'' summarising ''You're Only Young Twice''.] Retrieved 15th May '24</ref> It starred Mount and Coombs as Flora Petty and Cissie Lupin respectively, two residents involved in countless antics at the Paradise Lodge retirement home.<ref name="young"/><ref name="guardcoombs"/> Following this, Coombs appeared in ''EastEnders'' as Marge Green,<ref name="guardcoombs"/> who is noted for being one of the show's uncommon comedic characters.<ref>[https://archive.org/details/eastendersfirstt0000brak/page/90/mode/2up? ''EastEnders: The First Ten Years: A Celebration'' summarising Coombs' character Marge Green as comic relief for the show (p.g. 90).] Retrieved 15th May '24</ref> Coombs was also praised as a very popular figure behind the scenes.<ref name="comedycoombs"/>

Throughout her career, Coombs appeared in a number of television advertisements.<ref name="comedycoombs"/> Some of the more notable (and publicly available) ones included an advert for Heinz Souperday in 1965;<ref>[https://youtu.be/GmLLt1O6t54 Heinz Souperday advert featuring Coombs.] Retrieved 15th May '24</ref> a British Eggs commercial alongside Tony Hancock;<ref>[https://youtu.be/QmfyCySc0N8 British Eggs advert featuring Coombs.] Retrieved 15th May '24</ref> voiceover roles for Just Musk perfume and Vortex bleach;<ref>[https://youtu.be/4_DMffILNjI Just Musk advert featuring Coombs' voiceover.] Retrieved 15th May '24</ref><ref>[https://youtu.be/F4lM0Rs0Kl4 Vortex advert featuring Coombs' voiceover.] Retrieved 15th May '24</ref> a 1984 Typhoo commercial;<ref>[https://youtu.be/bo_O0sSz7Uc Typhoo advert featuring Coombs.] Retrieved 15th May '24</ref> and, perhaps most famously, a "Naughty - but nice!" advert for Lyons cream cakes.<ref>[https://youtu.be/8KyFQX6pcO4 Lyons cream cakes advert featuring Coombs.] Retrieved 15th May '24</ref> With this consistent track record, it is perhaps unsurprising that Coombs was invited to promote a breakfast cereal in 1973.<ref name="guinness">[https://archive.org/details/guinnessbookofwo00boeh/page/178/mode/2up? Guinness Book of World Records 1984 awarding Coombs for having the "Most Takes for a TV Commercial" (p.g. 179).] Retrieved 15th May '24</ref><ref name="heroic"/> According to ''The Book of Heroic Failures'', Coombs discussed the advert in 1978.<ref name="heroic"/> Exactly where she made said interview is unclear, though one possibility is that it arose during her 1978 ''This Is Your Life'' appearance.<ref>[https://spam.bigredbook.info/pat_coombs.html ''Big Red Book'' summarising Coombs' appearance on ''This Is Your Life''.] Retrieved 15th May '24</ref> Regardless, Coombs' attempts to record the commercial ended in complete disaster.<ref name="heroic"/><ref name="guinness"/> 

According to Coombs, the advert was for a "practically unpronounceable" muesli product.<ref name="heroic"/> Whenever it came time for her to announce the product, she ultimately forgot its name.<ref name="heroic"/><ref name="guinness"/> The production crew were nevertheless friendly and patient, allowing her to try again for a further 27 times.<ref name="heroic"/><ref name="guinness"/> During these other takes, Coombs became increasingly overwhelmed with stage fright, making it impossible for her to promote the muesli on camera.<ref name="heroic"/> She jokingly remarked that the ordeal "put me off cereal for life".<ref name="heroic"/> In the end, filming for the commercial ceased without a viable recording being made, which likely hastened the product's swift discontinuation.<ref name="heroic"/> For this, ''The Book of Heroic Failures'' proclaimed the unaired advert as "The Most Unsuccessful TV Commercial".<ref name="heroic"/> Meanwhile, ''The Guinness Book of World Records'' recognised Coombs for requiring the "Most Takes for a TV Commercial" at 28.<ref name="guinness"/> Nevertheless, Coombs' later commercial appearances proved the faux pas had no real impact on her future employability.<ref name="comedycoombs"/> Her career continued up until her death on 25th May 2002 from emphysema, aged 75.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/2010748.stm ''BBC News'' reporting on the death of Coombs.] Retrieved 15th May '24</ref><ref name="guardcoombs"/>

==Availability==
Information regarding Coombs' aborted muesli commercial is limited, with almost all of it originating from ''The Book of Heroic Failures''.<ref name="heroic"/> The product's identity remains unknown but the fact it was discontinued sometime in the early 1970s may help to narrow the possible candidates.<ref name="heroic"/> No footage nor images from the 28 takes are known to have publicly resurfaced.

==Gallery==
===Videos===
{{Video|perrow  =3
  |service1     =youtube
  |id1          =8KyFQX6pcO4
  |description1 =Lyons cream cakes advert featuring Coombs.
  |service2     =youtube
  |id2          =GmLLt1O6t54
  |description2 =Heinz Souperday advert featuring Coombs.
  |service3     =youtube
  |id3          =QmfyCySc0N8
  |description3 =British Eggs advert featuring Coombs.
}}
{{Video|perrow  =3
  |service1     =youtube
  |id1          =bo_O0sSz7Uc
  |description1 =Typhoo advert featuring Coombs.
  |service2     =youtube
  |id2          =4_DMffILNjI
  |description2 =Just Musk advert featuring Coombs' voiceover.
  |service3     =youtube
  |id3          =F4lM0Rs0Kl4
  |description3 =Vortex advert featuring Coombs' voiceover.
}}

==See Also==
*[[Desert Island Discs (lost unaired BBC Radio 4 interview with Alistair MacLean; 1972)]]

==External Links==
*[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0177711/ IMDB page for Pat Coombs].

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Lost advertising and interstitial material]]
[[Category:Lost TV]]
[[Category:Completely lost media]]