Monty Python's Personal Best on PBS.
 

Anyone watching this? Tonights was about Chapman, each of the python's will talk about their personal best episodes and sketches.

“Monty Python’s Personal Best,” a series of six outrageous one-hour specials showcasing the groundbreaking comedians with new footage and original clips, will premiere on PBS February 22, 2006.

Each episode will include members of the original Monty Python troupe performing in favorite clips from their unorthodox television series, “Monty Python’s Flying Circus,” repurposed with exclusive new material. Each of the five living Pythons — John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin — produced and wrote his own episode, and collaborated to create the sixth special in honor of deceased member Graham Chapman. The episodes will air over a three week period in two-hour blocks on PBS on February 22, March 1 and March 8.

I recorded it last night. It looks like these specials have either been released this week or will be next week on DVD.

I was watching this morning, I thought it was an commerical first but then I saw it was PBS. It was actually pretty good. :up:

I've got a season pass for all the episodes. The reviews I've read have been good. Interested to see how they do Chapman's episode. I'm sure it'll be especially rude a la the mini-reunion they had a few years back where they spilled his ashes all over the stage. :lol:

I've been watching them too. I enjoy any chance to revisit Python.

das

In Dallas we got both Eric Idle's and Graham Chapmans last night (and I think they will do 2 a nite henceforth)

Although I liked it, I was hoping for more interview footage, or behind the scenes. What I saw was just a greatest hits. At least Graham's has new interview footage with the rest of them talking about Graham. I'd prefered they'd all been like that, all of them talking about the others.

cfg

These seem a bit disjointed.
I'll wait for April when they begin airing the original episodes again.

They did that here in OKC, also. I think it's because they are having the month-long "Festival" pledge drive in March. It's odd because they usually show the worst crap of the year during the pledge drive: Lawrence Welk, 50's Doo-Wop marathon concerts that last 4 hours, and very long shows about health and wellness. They must get most of their money from old folks because these are the type of shows that would go over big at the retirement center.

Not all of the stuff they showed last night was from from the original episodes. Some of hte footage was from stage shows. They showed the "Lumberjack" skit on stage.

I'm still laughing about the smallest bladder marathon runners.

~M~

I saw this last night and boy did they all look old! :lol:

But then again when I first discovered them in 1976 on PBS, I was 15 and now I'm 45! :(

I can tell you today, that if a comedy group tried to do half of the things that Monty Python did with their brilliant series, most of it would not get on American television.

It always helps to have a gay member in the group, when you are constantly making fun of the gay lifestyle. :lol:

My personal belief is that Monty Python is the greatest comedy group (or duo) of all time, but I couldn't even think of a recent (last 25 years) comedy group that could be considered a great comedy group. You really can't count SNL because it's been a rotating membership since day 1.

But when you think of the greats you think of Laurel & Hardy, The Marx Brothers, The Three Stooges (guilty favorite), Abbott & Costello, etc. etc. But I cannot think of any groups or duo's that come close to their genius.

I could be wrong.

Chris

I just caught the end of the Chapman segment last night. Was the marathon bit actually small bladder, or was it for incontinence? Sometimes they redo the sketches with small changes like that, so I'm just curious...

A very good show. I'll be sure to see the rest.

Kids In The Hall came close, didnt they?

I never saw them, but you could be right!

Chris

These are just broadcasts of separate DVDs that either are already out or will be soon. Eric Idle's Personal Best and Michael Palin's Bersonal Best have been out on DVD for a while and, by the end of March, each of the Pythons will have a DVD of his Personal Best episodes. Check amazon.com for details.

I think so. They really pushed the limits with some of their stuff when it was on CBC. I don't know if it all made it to to the U.S. broadcasts or not.

I'd definitely consider them a great comedy group of the last 25 years. And, if it matters, they did have one gay member, so I guess they were qualified to make fun of the lifestyle. -wink-

"There's a rumour going around town, down at the docks. They're saying Scott isn't gay anymore." rotfl

The State was great in its first season on MTV. who can forget I'm Doug and I'm outta heeerrreeeeee. Or I'd dip my balls in it.
I wish they would put that first season on DVD. I'd buy it. Most of them went on to Reno 911 and the guy who does the VH1 stuff.

quote: In Dallas we got both Eric Idle's and Graham Chapmans last night (and I think they will do 2 a nite henceforth)


That's how they're doing it in my area. I just watched the Chapman ep and will check out the Idle one Friday.

HBO aired the episodes uncut. However, Comedy Central did make edits to the episodes.

Yikes, John Cleese really didn't look well with that Panama hat and unshaven. He looks like an old haggard grandpa now. I'm sure someone here knows how old they all are now, I'm too busy (lazy) to look them all up right now. However, their wit hasn't dulled at all. I've been renting At Last the 1948 show, Do Not Adjust your Set and Ripping Yarns from Netflix because I knew these were coming soon. I usually gothrough a Monty Python spell about once a year where I stack up all of their DVD's and go through them. Looks like this year's marathon is going to start early.

<TABLE BORDER> <TH COLSPAN=12> <b>Monty Python </b>
<TR> </TH> <TH> Actor </TH> <TH> Born </TH> <TH> Died </TH> <TH> Age </TH> </TR>
<TR> </TD> <TD ALIGN = right> Graham Chapman </TD> <TD ALIGN = right> 01/08/41 </TD> <TD ALIGN = left> 10/4/1989 </TD> <TD ALIGN = left> 48 </TD> </TR>
<TR> </TD> <TD ALIGN = right> John Cleese </TD> <TD ALIGN = right> 10/27/39 </TD> <TD ALIGN = left> . </TD> <TD ALIGN = left> 66 </TD> </TR>
<TR> </TD> <TD ALIGN = right> Terry Gilliam </TD> <TD ALIGN = right> 11/22/40 </TD> <TD ALIGN = left> . </TD> <TD ALIGN = left> 65 </TD> </TR>
<TR> </TD> <TD ALIGN = right> Eric Idle </TD> <TD ALIGN = right> 03/29/43 </TD> <TD ALIGN = left> . </TD> <TD ALIGN = left> 62 </TD> </TR>
<TR> </TD> <TD ALIGN = right> Terry Jones </TD> <TD ALIGN = right> 02/01/42 </TD> <TD ALIGN = left> . </TD> <TD ALIGN = left> 64 </TD> </TR>
<TR> </TD> <TD ALIGN = right> Michael Palin </TD> <TD ALIGN = right> 05/05/43 </TD> <TD ALIGN = left> . </TD> <TD ALIGN = left> 62 </TD> </TR>
<TR> </TD> <TD ALIGN = right> Carol Cleveland </TD> <TD ALIGN = right> 01/12/42 </TD> <TD ALIGN = left> . </TD> <TD ALIGN = left> 64 </TABLE>

</TH>

Chris

The beginning segment in Idle's gave me a couple good laughs: the camera going around the shed/bush and his "mom" saying "the bastard!". :lol:

Dammit Ive been missing it!! I gotta catch these.

A python was gay? Ive never heard that, who was it?

Side note, whos ever done this? I was at Petsmart the other day and had just seen Holy Grail. There in the reptile area was houses made out of carved out coconut. Needless to say my sister was there with me and we grabbed those bastards and made the gallop sound pretty loud. People came out of the isles and kept looking at us. I even over heard an old chick saying she thought she heard a horse!!

Graham Chapman

http://glutter.typepad.com/glutter/i...pic1-thumb.jpg

Chris

Wow, I didnt even know he was dead.

I just looked him up and he even had a son with his companion. Looks like he had a hard life at the end. Fucked up. RIP

Just watched the Idle and Chapman episodes tonight (the only ones my affiliate has aired so far). It was great seeing some of those sketches again. I didn't really find the new stuff by Idle all that funny, though.

I've been a Python fan for well over a decade (seems like everyone gets into them in high school) and I had no clue Chapman was gay until watching his episode.