Happy Birthday Python.

[si]

Forty Years! And they’re still not all dead.

I was lucky enough to meet the nice one (Michael Palin – he’s a Sheffield United fan, you know) at a book signing in Cardiff, where, bizarrely, I saw Neville Southall was wondering round the bookshop.

So – I know it was forty years ago today that the first episode was broadcast, but has anyone got any idea of an exact time? Cause I can’t find one.

Topic

[Nick R]

> I don?t think I?ve ever given anything as much chances as I?ve given Monty Python. I?ve seen all the movies, seen a huge amount of sketches?and nothing. Not a smile.

What do you think of Terry Gilliam’s animations? IMO they’re some of the most consistently funny bits of the series (although admittedly I haven’t really seen many full episodes of the TV series: I’m mainly only familiar with the most popular sketches – the ones that were remade in And Now For Something Completely Different, were included on the “best of” Region 2 DVDs that came out before the full series was available, and always get repeated as clips in comedy documentaries).

> Now could have been a great opportunity what with the new Hitchhikers book out on Monday

Well that’s crept up on me! I haven’t kept up with news about it since its initial announcement. At that time, I was sceptical about it (I haven’t read any of the Artemis Fowl books), but I wasn’t outraged by the idea of someone other than Douglas writing the series.

[Alex]

Well that?s crept up on me! I haven?t kept up with news about it since its initial announcement. At that time, I was sceptical about it (I haven?t read any of the Artemis Fowl books), but I wasn?t outraged by the idea of someone other than Douglas writing the series.

Nor me and the frenzy that some people have worked themselves into over it is hysterically funny at times. If it turns out to be no good then it doesn?t matter to me as it?s not going to spoil my enjoyment of the previous books, and if it happens to be a good end to the series all the better. I haven?t read any of Colfer?s previous work either but I have been following the interviews he?s been doing on writing the new book over the last few months and his humour in them seems quite apt for Hitchhikers plus I?ve also come across a few extracts from the book which seem quite good so I?ll happily give it a go.

[Jonsmad]

Ten great Python moments (not mentioned in the great ones mentioned so far)

1. The Argument sketch
2. What have the roman’s ever done for us
3. The pram animation that eats people
4. Eric the half a bee song
5. The Fish Slapping Dance
6. World hide and seek championships
7. The Killer Rabbit
8. Mr Creosote
9. The bit where john cleese says the programme is too short while standing
on a beach dressed as a solider or something
10. The 3 grooved matching tie and hankercheif vynil album & packaging
& the Medival history sketch on it.

[si]

I love the Fish slapping dance.

[hummingbird]

> For those who are attending Dj this year. Expect a singalong session during the piss-up on Saturday evening.

We forgot to sing this one
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxVKtNkQAtw&feature=related

[Danny Stephenson]

We forgot to sing this one
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxVKtNkQAtw&feature=related

In all honesty. I planned to play that one. But the timing of the chords is rather strange for that song. Definetely doing it again next year though!

[Jonsmad]

Had a great evening at the Royal Albert Hall show of Not The Messiah (Oratorio).
Was handed an electric candle with score waving instructions on it, on the way in, in order that the sell out crowd could make one of the songs a Python-proms experience on cue, “Blessed are the Candle holders” proclaimed the T-shirts of the staff handing these out.

It’s a joy to see Palin’s appearances in tonights 40th year celebrating show, wether in a ball gown, toga or Lumberjack shirt, he was the female narator, Wepwised his wole as pwoblem word weticing wo-man Ceaser, and sang the classic transvestite logman antheme as the evenings mountied encore beyond the main new musical peice. Jones appeared during a song that was a welsh choral version of the followers of Brian, and Gilliam’s role as the “I’m not” individual was so brilliantly overplayed for this 2 word solo that it brought the biggest cheers. The high point of the actual new work music work from Idle and Du Prez was probably part of the first peice called “we love sheep” which took the carol of shepards and the film’s deleted scene into a new place glorifying sheep shaggers. Equally enjoyable was the use of the choir as argumental opposites, or the opera soloists as verbal orgasmic sex. What have the roman’s ever done for us, stays solid an idea when turned into a song, and The People’s Front of Judea part is a nice tune too, though as a whole it’s not surprising that the overall musical peice is just that, more musical and more dramatic and a little silly rather than hilarious or brilliant comedy. It’s on par with rutland weekend TV or idle’s spamalot songs, but strays a bit from the film or is too sentimental or straight to be as brilliant as the python stuff it so frequently references. A fun and interesting 40th year treat none the less, I’m really happy to witnessed it and seen so many of my hero’s including carol cleeveland operating pantomime sheep.

[Author]

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