There’s nowt wrong wi’ gala luncheons

Caroline — Tue, 31 May 2005 01:42:18 +0000

Apparently Python’s out of fash’, Mr Hg informs me. No longer part of every day conversation and considered passed on, no more, ceased to be, expired and gone to meet its maker in its country of origin. Fortunately we’ve been spared John Cleese’s corporate training videos and the larger part of Palin’s awful travel shows in my country so they haven’t had a chance to tarnish the memory. Unlike Polly, Python’s quite alive to me and a day after I had my Python talk with Mr Hg, a Python quote (‘… and now for something completely different.’) did pop up in conversation at work. Proof it’s still part of our Dutch collective concience.

Elvis Presley was a fan, apparently, and would quote the ‘Knights that say NI’ scene from The Holy Grail. My own Python-years came twice. Once during their first run on Dutch television. (Early Seventies?) The second time was when I went to college and a lot of the series were repeated on the BBC. I bought the transcript books then, which I’ve since sold since you can find everything online anyway.

These last two weeks I’ve been enjoying this their back catalogue whot I acquired both legally and illegally. Their DVD’s are filled to the brim with extra-funny, extra-unseen footage. The sketches still make me laugh and I’ve become quite fond of Gilliam’s animation. I didn’t like them much as a child. Too creepy, I think. Back then, ‘The Ministry of Silly walks’ and Cleese were my favourites, now I am quite keen on Terry Jones’s female impersonations (and his marvelously toff self) and Chapman’s mad genius.

If I could, I’d buy the 14 disc ‘The Complete Monty Python’s Flying Circus Megaset’, but that’s a USA release only and I reckon Dutch customs would make me pay through the neck, so I made do with sharply priced (57 euro) The Best of Monty Python’s Flying Circus Volumes 1-3 which features all the ‘best’ sketches.

Quotes I still use or hear used:

‘She’s a witch, she’s made of wood!’
‘… and now for something completely different.’
‘NI!’
‘I didn’t expect the Spanish Inquisition!’
‘I’ve had a terrible feeling fo déjà vu!’
‘SPAM, SPAM, SPAM’
‘Mind if I call you Bruce?’

Some of my favourite sketches are: ‘The Bishop’, ‘Crunchy Frog’, ‘Dead Indian’, ‘The Masons’, ‘Northern Playwright’ and ‘Spanish Inquisition’. How about yours? (Look ‘em up.)

Wink, wink, nudge, nudge, know what I mean? (http://orangecow.org/pythonet/sketches/n..)
Marcel (link) – 30 May 2005 – 16:46

I don’t know if this played in London first, but it is a huge hit on Broadway right now, Monty Python’s Spamalot (a Broadway musical based on Monty Python and the Holy Grail). So I think they are still part of the cool culture here, or this is at least reviving them.
ModSue – 30 May 2005 – 17:25

Sadly, it took me about two paragraphs to figure out that you weren’t talking about the programming language Python. I kept thinking, John Cleese did an instructional programming video!?

I hope they’re not really out of fashion! I still love the dead parrot..
ghani (link) – 30 May 2005 – 18:41

The Blancmange sketch, Ms Ann Elk, and the Cheese Shop, oh and Spam, it’s the vikings :)
Herb (link) – 30 May 2005 – 18:44

Oh, the Blancmange sketch! I love that one too. I don’t think it’s on this compilation DVD (bastards).
Caroline (link) – 30 May 2005 – 18:57

Fork handles/ Four candles.

Still goes on in our house – it’s a bit like very very specific Tourettes.
[Rogue] – 31 May 2005 – 06:49

I hate to disillusion you, Rogue, but that one’s from The Two Ronnies :-)
Hg (link) – 31 May 2005 – 09:36

Some of my favorites: Communist Quiz, Batley Townswomans Guild presents…, Hell’s Grannies and Climbing the north face of the Uxbridge road. The Utrecht branch of Boudisque has the complete Monty Python set (14 DVD’s) in stock for €149.99.
Martijn (link) – 31 May 2005 – 10:35

Nudge Nudge, Army Protection Racket: I’m the senior officer here and I haven’t had a funny line yet. Hee! :)
And lots, lots more, of course.
Low (link) – 31 May 2005 – 11:04

Martijn: awesome! If I get the chance I’ll come pick it up.
Caroline (link) – 31 May 2005 – 11:11

Mind you, that was some weeks ago. I’d give them a ring if I were you.
Martijn (link) – 31 May 2005 – 11:24

I just gave them a ring, they have several in store. Brilliant.
Caroline (link) – 31 May 2005 – 11:30

Hg: How red is my face right now? sheepish

We do the dead parrot and the funny walk too, if that helps.
[Rogue] – 31 May 2005 – 20:44

Well, since you’re coming to NYC in November, you really should see Spamalot. Caught it in previews here and it was loads of fun (they did a test run in Chicago before that, so it got here almost completely polished).
lia (link) – 02 June 2005 – 23:05

prolific.org » unseen footage

There’s nowt wrong wi’ gala luncheons