Michael Palin Movies

A spin-off of the enormously successful British radio sketch series I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again, BBC1's Twice a Fortnight was the first major TV effort of "the Goodies," aka Graeme Garden, Bill Oddie, and Tim Brooke-Taylor. While all three funsters appeared on camera, only Garden and Oddie were credited as writers. The series' ten half-hour episodes also featured the talents of BBC newsreader Ron Fletcher, whose function was to provide a deadpan contrast to the zany goings-on à la Gary Owens on Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In; in addition, Britain's biggest rock stars, including the Who and Cream, made guest appearances. Rounding out the hilarity was a smattering of filmed sketches, written by and starring future "Monty Pythonite" Michael Palin (previously published reports that Palin's writing partner Terry Jones also appeared are apparently erroneous). Twice a Fortnight originally aired from October 21 to December 23, 1967. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Created in 1969 as the British Broadcasting Corporation's answer to America's Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (one of its guiding forces was BBC executive and former Laugh-In writer Barry Took), Monty Python's Flying Circus was both the title of the series and the name of the comedy troupe appearing in the show. (The name was chosen precisely because it didn't mean anything!) The cast -- Cambridge and Oxford graduates all -- included John Cleese, Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin. A sixth Python, American-born Terry Gilliam, provided the series' zany, non sequitur animated sequences and occasionally appeared on camera. Most of the female roles were handled by Connie Booth (Cleese's then-wife) and Carol Cleveland. Virtually indescribable to anyone who hasn't seen it, the series (which opened each week to the tune of John Philip Sousa's "Liberty Bell March") was a wild, irreverent collection of open-ended comedy sketches, sometimes tenuously tied in with a single theme. The individual sketches were usually connected only by the sonorous announcement, "And now for something completely different," which also served as the title for the group's first theatrical feature film. Favorite Python targets included dull BBC talk shows and documentaries, idiotic legal restrictions, bean-counting bureaucrats, incomprehensible foreigners, and venerated British traditions. For some curious reason, all of the Pythonites enjoyed dressing up in women's clothing, usually portraying frumpy, strident-voiced suburban housewives. Among the series' more famous bits were "The Pet Shop," "The Lumberjack Song," "The Spanish Inquisition," "Department of Silly Walks," "The World's Deadliest Joke," "Hell's Grannies," "The Annual Twit of the Year Awards," and a lengthy science fiction movie parody in which evil aliens (who looked like French pastries) transformed all British subjects into Scotsmen, the better to win the annual Wimbledon tennis match (a premise which, in context, makes perfect sense). Though the 45-episode series enjoyed an enormous following in England, it didn't arrive in America until 1974, when the package was picked up by PBS (ABC had evinced interest in the property, but insisted upon cutting all the "naughty bits" and arbitrarily inserting commercials). In addition to making stars out of virtually all its cast members, Monty Python's Flying Circus has spawned several comedy record albums, movie spin-offs, and many solo projects like Fawlty Towers. In 1999, the series, long available on videocassette, was picked up for yet another go-round by the Arts and Entertainment cable network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

"Part 2: The Llama Live From Golders Green" is followed by a man with a tape recorder up his nose (he later returns in stereo). Double-visioned Sir George Head hires Arthur Wilson for a mountain-climbing expedition, then hires Arthur Wilson for a mountain-climbing expedition. Incompetent Bevis the barber never wanted to be Bevis the barber, as he and the Mountie Chorus explain in "The Lumberjack Song." Ken Buddha and his Inflatable Knees fill in for Harry Fink. And sweethearts Victor and Iris play host to Arthur Name, Brian and Audrey Equatol, an Old Man and His Goat, and six singing Miners. One of the most famous of all episodes of Monty Python's Flying Circus (thanks in great part to the vocal stylings of The Fred Tomlinson Singers, not to mention Carol Cleveland and Connie Booth), "The Ant -- an Introduction" made its British TV bow on December 21, 1969. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this episode, listeners protest as the sounds of the Warsaw Concerto are heard wafting from the bathroom. "The World of History" introduces a solemn team of undertakers who wend their way throughout the rest of the episode. The murder of Inspector Tiger is investigated by Assistant Chief Constable There's a Man Behind You and Constable Fire. Football player Jimmy Buzzard is interviewed, sort of. This week's cast of "Interesting People" includes Mr. Howard Stools, half an inch tall; Ali Bayan of Egypt, who's stark raving mad; the Rachel Toovey Bicycle Bell Choir; a cat with influenza; the invisible Mr. Thomas Waters; and the self-explanatory Keith Maniac of Guatemala. And "The World of History" features a reenactment of the Battle of Pearl Harbor, performed by Mrs. Rita Fairbanks and her Townswomen's Guild. Carol Cleveland and Ian Davidson make significant appearances in this January 4, 1970, episode of Monty Python's Flying Circus. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A desperate suburban couple summons Confuse-a-Cat, Ltd. ("Thank God we've arrived in time!") A Customs Official bypasses a confessed smuggler in favor of strip-searching a vicar, leading to a round-table discussion of customs enforcement with a duck, a cat, and a lizard. Actor Sandy Camp surrenders an illicit bag of sandwiches. A BBC newsreader incriminates himself. "Edited Highlights of Tonight's Romantic Movie" offers a montage of such phallic symbols as a tossed caber. The Head of the Careers Advisory Board is no help at all. And a burglar suffers the fate reserved for all encyclopedia salesmen. Also featuring Carol Cleveland, this episode of Monty Python's Flying Circus was originally broadcast November 23, 1969. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

An unsuccessful yeti spotter becomes an unsuccessful camel spotter. Dracula stops being fun anymore when his fangs drop out. Nor is Wilkins any fun when he embezzles a penny from the one-shilling gross of the Multi-Million Pound Corporation. In "Science Fiction," aliens from the planet Skyron transform all Earthlings into Scotsmen, a voracious Blancmange terrorizes the countryside, and Mr. and Mrs. Brainsample determine the outcome at Wimbledon in 1984. And where is Mr. Subways when you need him? Donna Redding plays the Sexy Girl in "Oh, You're No Fun Anymore," which first aired December 7, 1969. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This first episode of Monty Python's Flying Circus originally aired October 5, 1969. The host of "It's Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart" showcases the deaths of famous historical characters -- and one squealing pig. On "It's the Arts," emcee Tim interviews film director Sir Edward "Eddie Baby" Ross and composer Arthur "Two Sheds" Jackson. The English win WWII with the help of The Deadliest Joke in the World. And Pablo Picasso bicycles along the Guilford Bypass. Billed as guest stars were Python cartoonist Terry Gilliam (later a full-fledged regular) and Carol Cleveland. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The first tree to be recognized from quite a long way away is the Larch -- Harold Larch, who, after being hauled into court on a parking offense, summons Cardinal Richelieu as a character witness. Bicycle Repairman once more comes to the rescue. A children's fairy tale segues into a litany of sexual perversion. A diner complains about a dirty fork, and it's a good thing he didn't mention the dirty knife. A milkman pays the price for lustful desire. Anchorman Michael Queen comes to "The End of the News." And Norm asks a stranger about his wife, wink wink, nudge nudge, say no more, say no more. Originally titled "Bunn, Wackett, Buzzard, Stubble and Boot," this episode of Monty Python's Flying Circus was originally telecast October 19, 1969. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Neither Lady Mountbank nor Reg the Miller were expecting the Spanish Inquisition. In fact, in the words of Cardinal Ximenez, " Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!" -- nor do they expect to be tortured with a dishwashing rack or the dreaded Comfy Chair. Meanwhile, Reg answers a door and welcomes in a joke salesman, only to suffer mightily for failing to provide a punch line. A huge tax is levied on "thingy," prompting Mr. Gumby to request more sketches on taxation. Twentieth Century Vole unveils its latest epic, "Semaphore Version of Wuthering Heights." And a judge performs charades while sentencing a man to burn at the stake -- and he didn't expect the Spanish Inquisition, either. This landmark episode of Monty Python's Flying Circus featured Carol Cleveland and Marjorie Wilde in the supporting cast, and was first broadcast September 22, 1970. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide