1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:04,162 WWW.MY-SUBS.CO 1 00:00:06,727 --> 00:00:10,515 And now, a short introduction from the producers' legal representative, 2 00:00:10,567 --> 00:00:12,125 Mr Abe Appenheimer. 3 00:00:12,167 --> 00:00:15,318 Hello, and welcome to this documentary, 4 00:00:15,367 --> 00:00:17,801 containing new and exclusive interviews 5 00:00:17,847 --> 00:00:20,600 with the five surviving members of Monty Python. 6 00:00:20,647 --> 00:00:24,242 The producers wish to make it clear that any opinions expressed herein 7 00:00:24,287 --> 00:00:27,484 are those of the individuals speaking and hold no truth whatsoever. 8 00:00:27,527 --> 00:00:29,404 Pursuant, therefore, to clause 4.6 9 00:00:29,447 --> 00:00:32,519 of the Broadcasting, Video, Television Act, 1989, 10 00:00:32,567 --> 00:00:35,240 subsection four, three and two... 11 00:00:46,047 --> 00:00:48,481 ..subject to clause 4.123, 12 00:00:48,527 --> 00:00:52,236 no viewer or watcher may copy, repeat, impersonate, mime, 13 00:00:52,287 --> 00:00:54,755 either contextually or noncontextually, 14 00:00:54,807 --> 00:00:57,480 any material whatsoever in any public place, 15 00:00:57,527 --> 00:01:02,442 such as a street, pub, club, hotel, oil rig, Baptist church... 16 00:01:20,607 --> 00:01:22,837 Python 17 00:01:22,887 --> 00:01:25,879 So you think you know Python 18 00:01:27,007 --> 00:01:29,396 Well, you don't 19 00:01:29,447 --> 00:01:32,996 But you will if you keep watching this documentary 20 00:01:33,047 --> 00:01:36,005 That is all about Python 21 00:01:36,047 --> 00:01:39,323 At last the truth can be told 22 00:01:39,367 --> 00:01:42,837 Now they're all fucking old 23 00:01:42,887 --> 00:01:45,447 But at least they're not dead yet 24 00:01:45,487 --> 00:01:47,159 Ha! Well, one is 25 00:01:47,207 --> 00:01:51,519 And the others look dodgy 26 00:01:53,047 --> 00:02:04,800 So this is the ultimate and final documentary of Python 27 00:02:09,847 --> 00:02:12,236 Yeah, till the next one. 28 00:02:32,407 --> 00:02:37,322 The BBC announce that the next scene is not considered suitable for family viewing. 29 00:02:37,367 --> 00:02:38,959 lt contains scenes of violence 30 00:02:39,007 --> 00:02:41,362 involving people's heads and arms getting chopped off, 31 00:02:41,407 --> 00:02:45,446 their ears nailed to trees, and toenails pulled out in slow motion. 32 00:02:45,487 --> 00:02:48,763 There are also scenes of naked women with floppy breasts. 33 00:02:48,807 --> 00:02:51,401 Also, at one point you can see a pair of buttocks. 34 00:02:51,447 --> 00:02:54,086 And there's a bit where l swear you can see everything. 35 00:02:54,127 --> 00:02:57,244 My friend says it's just the way he's holding the spear. 36 00:02:59,407 --> 00:03:03,366 Because of the unsuitability of the scene, the BBC will be replacing it 37 00:03:03,407 --> 00:03:07,116 with a scene from a repeat of Gardening Club for 1958. 38 00:03:21,047 --> 00:03:22,321 Cut. That's it! 39 00:03:22,367 --> 00:03:25,916 We're not about to allow this sort of smut to be shown on screen. 40 00:03:27,767 --> 00:03:31,726 The battles over what we should say and what the shows should be like, 41 00:03:31,767 --> 00:03:34,725 didn't happen, really, until the second or third series, 42 00:03:34,767 --> 00:03:37,918 because the BBC let us get on with it. 43 00:03:37,967 --> 00:03:42,802 Then the show won some awards, it came second at Montreux. 44 00:03:42,847 --> 00:03:45,600 And the BBC brought it forward a bit, 45 00:03:45,647 --> 00:03:47,683 and then it was discussed more. 46 00:03:47,727 --> 00:03:50,480 lt was suddenly more vulnerable 47 00:03:50,527 --> 00:03:54,805 to those who wanted to see exactly what it was about and change it. 48 00:03:54,847 --> 00:03:58,203 By the last... the third series of Python, 49 00:03:58,247 --> 00:04:02,081 we were all hauled into Paul Fox's office, 50 00:04:02,127 --> 00:04:05,119 to deal with some really serious matter here. 51 00:04:05,167 --> 00:04:07,681 We may need some censorship from the BBC, 52 00:04:07,727 --> 00:04:12,755 because we're putting such foul and disgusting things in the show. 53 00:04:12,807 --> 00:04:15,799 The Zambezis is one, it's the Curry's brain. 54 00:04:15,847 --> 00:04:18,566 A man comes in and says, ''Here, sign this.'' 55 00:04:18,607 --> 00:04:21,917 We got a note from the BBC saying we had to cut the penis. 56 00:04:21,967 --> 00:04:23,036 We went, ''What?'' 57 00:04:23,087 --> 00:04:25,396 Would you sign this, please? 58 00:04:25,447 --> 00:04:27,199 - Yes. - Thank you very much. 59 00:04:30,007 --> 00:04:32,441 lt's not a giant penis, it's a severed leg. 60 00:04:32,487 --> 00:04:35,524 But, in their minds it was a giant penis. 61 00:04:35,567 --> 00:04:37,523 The one l remember the best of all 62 00:04:37,567 --> 00:04:43,358 was in the Summarize Proust sketch, 63 00:04:43,407 --> 00:04:46,285 which was one of my favourites. 64 00:04:46,327 --> 00:04:49,285 All these people having to summarize Proust in 15 seconds. 65 00:04:49,327 --> 00:04:54,242 And on the Proust-ometer here you can see exactly how far he gets. 66 00:04:54,287 --> 00:04:57,518 Let's crack straight on with our first contestant tonight. 67 00:04:57,567 --> 00:05:02,561 He's last year's semi-finalist, from Luton, Mr Harry Bagot. 68 00:05:02,607 --> 00:05:05,804 As it was done like a beauty pageant, they'd be asked things, 69 00:05:05,847 --> 00:05:06,916 where are they from. 70 00:05:06,967 --> 00:05:09,322 - You're from Luton? - Yes, Arthur. Yes. 71 00:05:09,367 --> 00:05:12,916 Now, Harry, what made you want to start summarizing Proust? 72 00:05:12,967 --> 00:05:16,004 l first entered a seaside Summarizing Proust competition 73 00:05:16,047 --> 00:05:17,685 on holiday in Bournemouth. 74 00:05:17,727 --> 00:05:18,876 One man gave his hobbies as... 75 00:05:18,927 --> 00:05:21,964 Strangling animals, golf and masturbating. 76 00:05:22,007 --> 00:05:24,805 We recorded this huge laugh from the audience. 77 00:05:24,847 --> 00:05:29,796 Someone at the BBC heard about this, and said, ''You just can't say...'' 78 00:05:29,847 --> 00:05:32,407 lt was interesting, if you want to be semantic, 79 00:05:32,447 --> 00:05:34,802 that strangling animals seemed to be OK. 80 00:05:34,847 --> 00:05:37,805 ''Oh, yeah, that's all right, but masturbating, no!'' 81 00:05:37,847 --> 00:05:42,523 And this lead to a most glorious Python deputation 82 00:05:42,567 --> 00:05:45,764 to see Duncan Wood, who was Head of Comedy at the time, 83 00:05:45,807 --> 00:05:47,559 in his office to... 84 00:05:48,607 --> 00:05:53,681 ..ask for the retention of masturbating, or something like that. 85 00:05:53,727 --> 00:05:55,763 We all sat around. lt was just terrific. 86 00:05:55,807 --> 00:05:59,561 And Terry Jones who was very zealous about these things, 87 00:05:59,607 --> 00:06:02,565 getting very, very exercised about it and saying, 88 00:06:02,607 --> 00:06:04,325 ''What's wrong with masturbating? 89 00:06:04,367 --> 00:06:07,120 ''l masturbate, you masturbate, we all masturbate!'' 90 00:06:07,167 --> 00:06:10,398 We're sitting around, l remember Duncan Wood crossing his legs, 91 00:06:10,447 --> 00:06:14,838 taking a drag on his cigarette and saying yes. 92 00:06:14,887 --> 00:06:19,005 l often found myself opposed to two or three of the Pythons. 93 00:06:19,047 --> 00:06:21,686 Terry Gilliam, for example, 94 00:06:21,727 --> 00:06:25,276 thought that there was nothing that was sacred, 95 00:06:25,327 --> 00:06:28,763 and l thought there were just a small number of things. 96 00:06:28,807 --> 00:06:31,196 When we were doing the television series, 97 00:06:31,247 --> 00:06:35,957 two or three times l sided with the BBC, 98 00:06:36,007 --> 00:06:41,877 in the sense that l agreed with cuts that they demanded. 99 00:06:41,927 --> 00:06:44,725 Eric wrote a prolonged sketch about wee-wee. 100 00:06:44,767 --> 00:06:47,327 Eric is a wine maker. 101 00:06:47,367 --> 00:06:49,005 lt's a wine cellar and all that. 102 00:06:49,047 --> 00:06:51,800 Terry goes around sampling his white wines. 103 00:06:51,847 --> 00:06:54,600 ''Mm, yes, so it's from the...'' 104 00:06:54,647 --> 00:06:57,241 ''Oh, yes, this is a Chardonnay. lt's from the...'' 105 00:06:57,287 --> 00:06:59,357 ''Comes from the north side of the hill.'' 106 00:06:59,407 --> 00:07:02,399 ''Yes, l'd probably say Sancerre,'' He'd say... 107 00:07:02,447 --> 00:07:04,642 ''No-no. lt's wee-wee.'' ''Ah, of course!'' 108 00:07:04,687 --> 00:07:06,678 He'd come on again, ''What's this one?'' 109 00:07:06,727 --> 00:07:11,676 ''Ah, now this is much better. This is fuller, it's got a rounder...'' 110 00:07:11,727 --> 00:07:15,083 ''No-no. lt's wee-wee.'' ''Ah, wrong again.'' 111 00:07:15,127 --> 00:07:18,437 So everything Terry is drinking is wee-wee, basically. 112 00:07:18,487 --> 00:07:19,806 lt's so childish. 113 00:07:19,847 --> 00:07:22,839 Which l found really slightly distasteful. 114 00:07:22,887 --> 00:07:27,642 But apparently one of the glasses of wine had a rose tint to it, 115 00:07:27,687 --> 00:07:31,475 which, to the BBC's mind, this was menstrual urine. 116 00:07:31,527 --> 00:07:34,246 We hadn't said anything about it being menstrual fluid! 117 00:07:34,287 --> 00:07:36,960 They assumed that was it. ''Oh, my God. How appalling.'' 118 00:07:37,007 --> 00:07:40,443 Everything they came up with was more and more absurd, 119 00:07:40,487 --> 00:07:42,523 and you realise how their minds work. 120 00:07:42,567 --> 00:07:46,560 We were like innocents. We were just being silly and funny. 121 00:07:46,607 --> 00:07:48,006 They were really twisted. 122 00:07:48,047 --> 00:07:52,165 So you have to worry about some of the people who do this censorship. 123 00:07:52,207 --> 00:07:54,675 They're a lot battier than we were. 124 00:07:54,727 --> 00:07:56,843 The BBC, in the early days, 125 00:07:56,887 --> 00:08:01,563 had only a limited amount of tape, it seems to me, for recording shows. 126 00:08:01,607 --> 00:08:05,202 And all the Q series of Spike Milligan was wiped! 127 00:08:05,247 --> 00:08:07,636 Many great classic shows have been lost because of that. 128 00:08:07,687 --> 00:08:11,236 There's an arrogance about how unimportant it was. 129 00:08:11,287 --> 00:08:15,917 Peter Cook did the show with Dudley called Not Only...But Also, 130 00:08:15,967 --> 00:08:18,435 which the BBC, in its wisdom, wiped... 131 00:08:19,927 --> 00:08:23,636 ..to save money on the tapes, which were 90 pounds each, 132 00:08:23,687 --> 00:08:27,839 so they could reuse them for football and Horse of the Year show. 133 00:08:27,887 --> 00:08:29,957 Python, the same thing was about to happen. 134 00:08:30,007 --> 00:08:31,076 Terry spotted that. 135 00:08:31,127 --> 00:08:35,917 The BBC were going to wipe the tapes, and he heard about this, 136 00:08:35,967 --> 00:08:38,037 and bought the tapes from the BBC. 137 00:08:38,087 --> 00:08:42,046 Bought the video tapes of the early Monty Python stuff, 138 00:08:42,087 --> 00:08:44,555 the master tapes, and kept them in his attic. 139 00:08:44,607 --> 00:08:48,680 l remember, one day somebody called me up from the BBC and said, 140 00:08:48,727 --> 00:08:51,366 ''We have a lot of film here. Do you want these?'' 141 00:08:51,407 --> 00:08:54,240 lt was all my animation being thrown out the back door. 142 00:08:54,287 --> 00:08:57,916 The BBC at that point seemed to have no understanding 143 00:08:57,967 --> 00:08:59,764 of what the world was waiting for, 144 00:08:59,807 --> 00:09:01,604 as far as the things they were doing 145 00:09:01,647 --> 00:09:03,797 and whether there'd be a market for them. 146 00:09:03,847 --> 00:09:06,839 lt was only years later the BBC... everyone would say, 147 00:09:06,887 --> 00:09:09,447 ''What happened to Monty Python? Why can't we see those shows again?'' 148 00:09:09,487 --> 00:09:12,081 The BBC went, ''Oh, we haven't got them.'' 149 00:09:12,127 --> 00:09:17,884 And they asked Terry if they could borrow his tapes to broadcast. 150 00:09:19,727 --> 00:09:23,083 Yeah, so, it's staggering to think that, 151 00:09:23,127 --> 00:09:26,517 hey, you have to rescue your own programme from the BBC. 152 00:09:26,567 --> 00:09:27,886 That's what he did. 153 00:09:27,927 --> 00:09:30,077 Very strange time. 154 00:09:30,127 --> 00:09:31,879 lt was probably that same attitude 155 00:09:31,927 --> 00:09:35,283 was the reason Python was able to get made. 156 00:09:40,047 --> 00:09:41,275 Good evening. 157 00:09:41,327 --> 00:09:45,559 We apologise most sincerely to those of you who have bought this record 158 00:09:45,607 --> 00:09:48,201 under the impression that it was in any way connected 159 00:09:48,247 --> 00:09:52,445 with the television programme Monty Python's Flying Circus. 160 00:09:52,487 --> 00:09:56,002 This was due to an error in the printing stage of the album cover. 161 00:09:56,047 --> 00:09:59,005 This album is in fact called Pleasures Of The Dance, 162 00:09:59,047 --> 00:10:02,801 a collection of Norwegian carpenters' songs compiled by Oscar Tritt. 163 00:10:02,847 --> 00:10:06,476 The thing before the programme was the albums. 164 00:10:06,527 --> 00:10:09,041 l listened to the albums more than the programme. 165 00:10:09,087 --> 00:10:13,080 The albums really consolidated what it was they were about. 166 00:10:13,127 --> 00:10:16,437 Although there was no VCRs or tapes or DVDs in those days, 167 00:10:16,487 --> 00:10:19,718 vinyl was how you became au fait with comedy. 168 00:10:19,767 --> 00:10:24,761 l think with it being an auditory experience, 169 00:10:24,807 --> 00:10:27,037 it just kind of got into you a bit deeper. 170 00:10:27,087 --> 00:10:30,716 Not this record! Not this record! 171 00:10:30,767 --> 00:10:32,280 Not this record... 172 00:10:34,087 --> 00:10:38,399 After we completed the first Python album, 173 00:10:38,447 --> 00:10:42,406 which was Monty Python's Previous Record, 174 00:10:42,447 --> 00:10:47,999 we were at Apple cutting the disk, and l gave Dave a call, and saying, 175 00:10:48,047 --> 00:10:53,075 ''You know, Dave, what we ought to do is, we ought to have our own studio.'' 176 00:10:53,127 --> 00:10:56,005 Andre Jacquemin at that moment, l think had a... 177 00:10:56,047 --> 00:11:00,882 He'd set up a recording studio in his father's garden shed, l think it was. 178 00:11:00,927 --> 00:11:04,476 My dad was building a new greenhouse in the garden, 179 00:11:04,527 --> 00:11:07,883 so l gave Dave a ring and said, ''Dave, l think we're in business. 180 00:11:07,927 --> 00:11:10,441 ''We have a greenhouse to convert into a studio.'' 181 00:11:10,487 --> 00:11:14,560 Michael helped set up Andre in a recording studio, 182 00:11:14,607 --> 00:11:16,120 his own recording studio. 183 00:11:16,167 --> 00:11:17,395 John Cleese came down 184 00:11:17,447 --> 00:11:21,440 and we opened the door and he goes like that to duck in. 185 00:11:21,487 --> 00:11:23,318 lt was great. lt's fantastic. 186 00:11:23,367 --> 00:11:26,643 The main album we did on there was Matching Tie And Hanky. 187 00:11:26,687 --> 00:11:29,918 Before the next joke there will be a short raspberry. 188 00:11:29,967 --> 00:11:32,197 With The Matching Tie And Handkerchief, 189 00:11:32,247 --> 00:11:35,796 what could we do that would be different, that nobody's done before? 190 00:11:35,847 --> 00:11:38,805 And l suddenly thought, wait a minute, you've got a record 191 00:11:38,847 --> 00:11:41,441 and it goes from the outside into the middle. 192 00:11:41,487 --> 00:11:44,001 Why couldn't you start at a different point, 193 00:11:44,047 --> 00:11:47,483 and do the same thing, concentric circle that goes in? 194 00:11:47,527 --> 00:11:51,725 So, then you wouldn't know what you're going to get on the record. 195 00:11:51,767 --> 00:11:55,646 Actually, we discovered it had already been done in the '30s. 196 00:11:55,687 --> 00:11:58,406 There was a 78 record that you could buy, 197 00:11:58,447 --> 00:12:00,005 that was a horse race, 198 00:12:00,047 --> 00:12:04,086 it would have the same commentary on and you'd bet on the horse race, 199 00:12:04,127 --> 00:12:07,915 it had the same commentary, but a different horse would win at the end. 200 00:12:07,967 --> 00:12:12,006 The idea of having one side that has two tracks on it 201 00:12:12,047 --> 00:12:16,040 and not telling anybody about it, l love that we worked this thing out. 202 00:12:16,087 --> 00:12:19,284 l remember thinking l was going crazy cos l'd put it on and say, 203 00:12:19,327 --> 00:12:24,196 ''l'm sure this wasn't on the record yesterday when l played it.'' 204 00:12:24,247 --> 00:12:27,922 People would say, ''This is a great track, you gotta hear this sketch.'' 205 00:12:27,967 --> 00:12:30,356 They'd put on the needle, it wouldn't come up, 206 00:12:30,407 --> 00:12:32,796 and they couldn't work out what was going on. 207 00:12:32,847 --> 00:12:34,963 We didn't tell anybody what we had done, 208 00:12:35,007 --> 00:12:37,077 and eventually it was discovered. 209 00:12:37,127 --> 00:12:40,517 But the records were great fun because we could really play, 210 00:12:40,567 --> 00:12:41,556 and we did. 211 00:12:41,607 --> 00:12:44,644 With me now is Norman St John Polevaulter, 212 00:12:44,687 --> 00:12:47,042 who has been contradicting people. 213 00:12:47,087 --> 00:12:49,237 St John Polevaulter, why do you contradict people? 214 00:12:49,287 --> 00:12:50,515 l don't! 215 00:12:50,567 --> 00:12:52,239 But you told me that you did. 216 00:12:52,287 --> 00:12:54,721 l most certainly did not! 217 00:12:54,767 --> 00:12:56,359 Oh, l see. l'll start again. 218 00:12:56,407 --> 00:12:59,365 - No, you won't! - You don't contradict people. 219 00:12:59,407 --> 00:13:01,762 - Yes, l do. - When didn't you start? 220 00:13:01,807 --> 00:13:03,525 l did, in 1952. 221 00:13:03,567 --> 00:13:05,717 - 1952. - 1947. 222 00:13:05,767 --> 00:13:08,361 - 23 years ago. - No! 223 00:13:08,407 --> 00:13:11,843 l'd had this idea for the cover for the record. 224 00:13:15,287 --> 00:13:18,882 l said, ''Wouldn't it be great to have a classical record crossed out, 225 00:13:18,927 --> 00:13:21,441 ''and Another Monty Python Record scribbled in?'' 226 00:13:21,487 --> 00:13:25,526 l described this to our then-manager, it was John Gledhill at the time. 227 00:13:26,607 --> 00:13:30,122 He didn't really get it. Anyway, Terry G got the idea immediately, 228 00:13:30,167 --> 00:13:32,442 so Terry G actually made the cover, 229 00:13:32,487 --> 00:13:36,082 then had all these sleeve notes that were all scribbled out. 230 00:13:36,127 --> 00:13:39,324 When we got the prints of the cover, showing this to people, 231 00:13:39,367 --> 00:13:44,805 people would go, ''That's great, but what's the cover going to look like?'' 232 00:13:44,847 --> 00:13:48,044 People just couldn't get the idea that this was the cover. 233 00:13:49,087 --> 00:13:50,600 lt was some time later 234 00:13:50,647 --> 00:13:54,196 that l discovered that Terry Gilliam had won an award for it. 235 00:13:54,247 --> 00:13:58,081 l was a bit, ''lt was my idea.'' 236 00:14:02,767 --> 00:14:06,806 l bet they won't play this song on the radio 237 00:14:06,847 --> 00:14:10,886 l bet you they won't play this new... song 238 00:14:10,927 --> 00:14:15,045 lt's not that it's... or... controversial 239 00:14:15,087 --> 00:14:18,397 Just that the... 'ing words are awfully strong 240 00:14:18,447 --> 00:14:21,519 lt came about because we did have a contractual obligation 241 00:14:21,567 --> 00:14:25,606 to Clive Davis at Arista Records, to turn in another album, 242 00:14:25,647 --> 00:14:30,038 which pissed us off, cos nobody reads contracts in Python. 243 00:14:30,087 --> 00:14:32,965 And, so, l think one of the things was, 244 00:14:33,007 --> 00:14:35,726 ''Well, let's do some songs, that'll annoy them.'' 245 00:14:35,767 --> 00:14:40,204 l bet you their... 'ing old Programme Directors 246 00:14:40,247 --> 00:14:42,715 Will think it's a load of horse... 247 00:14:42,767 --> 00:14:44,997 The funniest moment that happened for me 248 00:14:45,047 --> 00:14:47,845 is when we had this tiny, Andre's recording studio, 249 00:14:47,887 --> 00:14:50,879 an eight-track recording studio, it was a little studio, 250 00:14:50,927 --> 00:14:53,646 and we brought in all of our BBC singers. 251 00:14:54,847 --> 00:14:57,236 - Fred Tom. - Fred Tomlinson Singers. 252 00:14:57,287 --> 00:14:59,562 They all came in and l gave them the lyrics 253 00:14:59,607 --> 00:15:01,404 and then we went into the thing... 254 00:15:11,367 --> 00:15:15,076 Sit on my face and tell me that you love me... 255 00:15:15,127 --> 00:15:17,277 And l just like disappeared. 256 00:15:17,327 --> 00:15:20,080 lt was so funny! Just so funny. 257 00:15:20,127 --> 00:15:23,642 l think they were going, ''That's a bit strong, isn't it? 258 00:15:23,687 --> 00:15:27,236 ''l don't know about this.'' We had gone. We were still on the floor. 259 00:15:27,287 --> 00:15:30,836 Sit on my face and tell me that you love me 260 00:15:30,887 --> 00:15:34,766 l'll sit on your face and tell you l love you too 261 00:15:34,807 --> 00:15:37,765 l love to hear you moralise 262 00:15:37,807 --> 00:15:39,638 When l'm between your thighs 263 00:15:39,687 --> 00:15:41,200 You blow me away 264 00:15:41,247 --> 00:15:45,081 l don't remember who suggested we should do some stage shows. 265 00:15:45,127 --> 00:15:47,516 l'm not sure where the idea came from. 266 00:15:47,567 --> 00:15:50,479 l think we originally probably did it for money or something. 267 00:15:51,887 --> 00:15:55,084 lt was at Coventry the first time we ever did Python on stage, 268 00:15:55,127 --> 00:15:57,880 at the Belgrade Theatre, part of an arts festival. 269 00:15:57,927 --> 00:16:01,886 And, l suppose, we were all stage performers at one time. 270 00:16:01,927 --> 00:16:04,919 That's how most of us, l don't know about Terry Gilliam, 271 00:16:04,967 --> 00:16:09,040 but certainly John, Graham, Terry, Eric and myself, 272 00:16:09,087 --> 00:16:12,875 had done our first performing, it had been done on stage at university. 273 00:16:12,927 --> 00:16:15,600 ln 197 1 , 274 00:16:15,647 --> 00:16:19,640 Terry invited me to come over to London and work with him. 275 00:16:19,687 --> 00:16:24,715 l get there, and Monty Python's gonna do their first-ever live show. 276 00:16:24,767 --> 00:16:28,282 l had never even seen Monty Python, l didn't know anything about it. 277 00:16:28,327 --> 00:16:33,196 There are these gangs of kids dressed up in their Gumby outfits, 278 00:16:33,247 --> 00:16:35,522 with handkerchiefs on their heads, and gumboots, 279 00:16:35,567 --> 00:16:37,842 marching through streets with their arms linked, 280 00:16:37,887 --> 00:16:41,118 shouting, ''John Cleese! John Cleese! John Cleese!'' 281 00:16:41,167 --> 00:16:45,319 l think from then on we realised there was certainly a potential 282 00:16:45,367 --> 00:16:47,756 to do Python at the theatre. 283 00:16:47,807 --> 00:16:51,880 This manifested itself in this rather strange tour of Britain and Canada, 284 00:16:51,927 --> 00:16:55,602 which was disastrous, l don't think we made any money out of either of them. 285 00:16:55,647 --> 00:17:00,277 lt was then, when you saw this mass audience, 286 00:17:00,327 --> 00:17:02,841 not just people sitting in their own homes 287 00:17:02,887 --> 00:17:08,439 but mass ranks of people wearing Gumby handkerchiefs, 288 00:17:08,487 --> 00:17:11,524 and virtually singing along and reciting along, 289 00:17:11,567 --> 00:17:15,924 that you suddenly realised that the Pythons 290 00:17:15,967 --> 00:17:20,882 had captured a generational moment. 291 00:17:20,927 --> 00:17:24,442 People we liked and respected, a lot of musicians and all that, 292 00:17:24,487 --> 00:17:26,876 were really catching on to the show. 293 00:17:26,927 --> 00:17:31,842 Paul McCartney used to stop, apparently, his recording sessions, 294 00:17:31,887 --> 00:17:34,401 and make everybody there watch Monty Python, 295 00:17:34,447 --> 00:17:36,403 then they'd go on and do the session. 296 00:17:36,447 --> 00:17:40,759 For someone like Paul McCartney, that was extraordinary for us. 297 00:17:40,807 --> 00:17:42,206 He was a god figure. 298 00:17:42,247 --> 00:17:46,604 l remember after the first series of Python, we were on, what was it? 299 00:17:46,647 --> 00:17:49,844 This late-night news show and Joan Bakewell interviewed us, 300 00:17:49,887 --> 00:17:51,878 and there we were, on television, 301 00:17:51,927 --> 00:17:54,600 not as Python, but as somebody important. 302 00:17:54,647 --> 00:17:58,322 l was so overwhelmed by it, that the next day l had to get a backpack 303 00:17:58,367 --> 00:18:01,439 and head off to Morocco to escape from the world of celebrity 304 00:18:01,487 --> 00:18:03,205 cos it was too much to take in. 305 00:18:03,247 --> 00:18:05,556 Later, you get on a television show, 306 00:18:05,607 --> 00:18:09,759 and the next day, if you go shopping, people are like, ''Look who's here.'' 307 00:18:09,807 --> 00:18:12,480 l thought, ''Whoa! Celebrity is not a good thing.'' 308 00:18:12,527 --> 00:18:14,563 lt's nice for a moment, but don't get stuck with it. 309 00:18:14,607 --> 00:18:17,883 And l've always watched John, how unhappy he is with it, 310 00:18:17,927 --> 00:18:19,963 because he can't walk by without someone saying... 311 00:18:20,007 --> 00:18:21,838 ''John, do your funny walk, then.'' 312 00:18:25,847 --> 00:18:28,680 l could walk with George Harrison, a Beatle, 313 00:18:28,727 --> 00:18:31,116 and people wouldn't even notice. 314 00:18:31,167 --> 00:18:34,955 You walk with John and people are doing silly walks in front of him. 315 00:18:36,807 --> 00:18:39,605 The others had told me l was recognised more than them, 316 00:18:39,647 --> 00:18:44,482 but l am much taller, more handsome and more striking than they are. 317 00:18:44,527 --> 00:18:48,156 They're a nondescript, unattractive, chunky little bunch. 318 00:18:48,207 --> 00:18:51,199 They all have short legs and slightly overweight. 319 00:18:51,247 --> 00:18:55,286 He always had this problem about, you know, he can't go anywhere, 320 00:18:55,327 --> 00:18:58,444 or during the height of Python he couldn't go anywhere. 321 00:18:58,487 --> 00:18:59,920 l don't know why. 322 00:18:59,967 --> 00:19:02,561 l mean, at 6 foot, 4 you're more likely to be noticed, 323 00:19:02,607 --> 00:19:04,518 than if you're midgets like that lot. 324 00:19:04,567 --> 00:19:06,125 He was already a known star on television, 325 00:19:06,167 --> 00:19:09,637 whereas we were children's television stars, 326 00:19:09,687 --> 00:19:10,881 not well known at all. 327 00:19:10,927 --> 00:19:13,919 John was always very well known, he was the face of Python. 328 00:19:13,967 --> 00:19:16,435 l think when people think of Python, 329 00:19:16,487 --> 00:19:19,877 they always think of John at the centre of it. 330 00:19:19,927 --> 00:19:21,918 You bastards! 331 00:19:23,287 --> 00:19:26,563 You vicious, heartless bastards! 332 00:19:29,127 --> 00:19:31,357 Look what you've done to him! 333 00:19:31,407 --> 00:19:35,923 He's worked his fingers to the bone to make this place what it is. 334 00:19:35,967 --> 00:19:41,519 And you come in with your petty, feeble quibbling, 335 00:19:41,567 --> 00:19:45,037 and you grind him into the dirt! 336 00:19:45,087 --> 00:19:49,603 l think there's a kind of intensity in John's performance, 337 00:19:49,647 --> 00:19:51,399 which elevates them wonderfully. 338 00:19:51,447 --> 00:19:54,120 l mean, he doesn't just do a performance, 339 00:19:54,167 --> 00:19:56,317 the best ones, there's something in there. 340 00:19:56,367 --> 00:19:57,686 The eyes start to go, 341 00:19:57,727 --> 00:20:01,879 there's something about the way he holds his wonderfully long, thin, 342 00:20:01,927 --> 00:20:03,804 strange body. 343 00:20:03,847 --> 00:20:07,078 lt's just, it's really kind of high-octane stuff, 344 00:20:07,127 --> 00:20:09,197 and great to watch. 345 00:20:10,727 --> 00:20:15,084 Hello. l would like to buy a fish licence, please. 346 00:20:15,127 --> 00:20:18,437 - A what? - A licence for my pet fish, Eric. 347 00:20:20,047 --> 00:20:23,676 He should've been a politician or something like that. 348 00:20:23,727 --> 00:20:26,605 Or a magistrate or something. 349 00:20:26,647 --> 00:20:29,400 But l think he always went... he went into comedy 350 00:20:29,447 --> 00:20:34,282 for a reason that a lot of people, a lot of us go into comedy, 351 00:20:34,327 --> 00:20:37,524 is that he does something seriously and finds people laugh at him. 352 00:20:37,567 --> 00:20:40,877 My fish's name is Eric. Eric the fish. 353 00:20:40,927 --> 00:20:41,916 He's an halibut. 354 00:20:42,727 --> 00:20:44,479 He's a what? 355 00:20:44,527 --> 00:20:47,724 He is an halibut. 356 00:20:47,767 --> 00:20:49,837 You've got a pet halibut? 357 00:20:49,887 --> 00:20:52,720 Yes. l chose him out of thousands. 358 00:20:52,767 --> 00:20:54,758 l didn't like the others. They were all too flat. 359 00:20:54,807 --> 00:20:56,286 You're a loony. 360 00:20:56,327 --> 00:20:59,080 l am not a loony! 361 00:20:59,127 --> 00:21:02,005 John wants to understand the world so desperately. 362 00:21:02,047 --> 00:21:03,685 He wants to be able to explain it. 363 00:21:03,727 --> 00:21:07,242 l think to put it into a box and get it under control, get a label on it. 364 00:21:07,287 --> 00:21:09,847 And he never does succeed in that, 365 00:21:09,887 --> 00:21:12,321 and that's where, to me, his comedy comes from, 366 00:21:12,367 --> 00:21:15,564 from the incredible frustration he has living in a world 367 00:21:15,607 --> 00:21:19,122 that he's so desperate to explain and fails to do so. 368 00:21:19,167 --> 00:21:22,477 l remember John playing somebody... 369 00:21:22,527 --> 00:21:25,280 He just goes, sitting at a table, a desk, 370 00:21:25,327 --> 00:21:27,795 he was talking about something in a garden, 371 00:21:27,847 --> 00:21:31,681 and he suddenly begins to rant and brings the fist out and that. 372 00:21:31,727 --> 00:21:33,604 For me, those are great moments, 373 00:21:33,647 --> 00:21:35,717 when John raises his fist at something, 374 00:21:35,767 --> 00:21:41,717 or is so totally wound up, he finds it impossible to say anything. 375 00:21:43,247 --> 00:21:46,557 Mash the dirty red scum! 376 00:21:46,607 --> 00:21:49,041 Kick 'em in the teeth where it hurts! 377 00:21:49,087 --> 00:21:51,965 Kill! Kill! Kill! 378 00:21:52,007 --> 00:21:56,239 The filthy bastard commies. l hate 'em! l hate 'em! 379 00:22:02,567 --> 00:22:05,206 Norman, tea's ready. 380 00:22:05,247 --> 00:22:06,441 Coming, dear. 381 00:22:07,527 --> 00:22:11,520 l kept telling John, ''John, you're a freak. Relax. 382 00:22:11,567 --> 00:22:15,242 ''Why do you need psychiatrists in your life? Why do you marry them? 383 00:22:15,287 --> 00:22:19,166 ''You are a very fortunate freak to have been that tall, 384 00:22:19,207 --> 00:22:22,085 ''that strange-looking, that intelligent, 385 00:22:22,127 --> 00:22:24,482 ''and that uncomfortable with the world. 386 00:22:24,527 --> 00:22:26,404 ''You can make a great living at it. 387 00:22:26,447 --> 00:22:29,245 ''You don't need to spend your money on psychiatry.'' 388 00:22:29,287 --> 00:22:31,642 Terry had the same sort of intensity, 389 00:22:31,687 --> 00:22:35,646 or has the same intensity that John has when he's doing his work. 390 00:22:35,687 --> 00:22:40,158 l mean, really, you feel there's this barely contained explosion in there. 391 00:22:40,207 --> 00:22:43,517 He's not one to sit back like Graham with a pipe doing a crossword. 392 00:22:43,567 --> 00:22:46,764 With Gilliam it's, ''There's always something happening. 393 00:22:46,807 --> 00:22:49,844 ''lt's happening in my body and it's about to burst out. 394 00:22:49,887 --> 00:22:51,366 ''l can't control these bits.'' 395 00:22:51,407 --> 00:22:54,638 l think Terry... he could only operate in opposition. 396 00:22:54,687 --> 00:22:57,406 He can only... he has to have an enemy. 397 00:22:57,447 --> 00:23:02,840 l don't think his juices run unless he's fighting against somebody. 398 00:23:02,887 --> 00:23:07,119 lt started when he was doing the animations for the TV shows, 399 00:23:07,167 --> 00:23:11,240 he was fighting against the BBC, fighting the animation department. 400 00:23:11,287 --> 00:23:14,279 He has a relatively small vocabulary, l suppose. 401 00:23:14,327 --> 00:23:17,558 He says ''bunch'' a lot, when he means ''a lot'' a lot. 402 00:23:18,807 --> 00:23:23,085 l remember him when we were flying over, doing the tour of Canada, 403 00:23:23,127 --> 00:23:25,197 and we were flying over the Great Lakes. 404 00:23:25,247 --> 00:23:28,762 And Terry looked out of the window and said, 405 00:23:28,807 --> 00:23:32,322 ''Hey, you guys, a whole bunch of water.'' 406 00:23:32,367 --> 00:23:34,198 Which really sums Terry up, l think. 407 00:23:34,247 --> 00:23:36,477 Also, Terry was kind of the outsider, 408 00:23:36,527 --> 00:23:41,726 the American come in to a lot of Oxbridge performers, 409 00:23:41,767 --> 00:23:43,962 brought up in Footlights and Revue. 410 00:23:44,007 --> 00:23:46,965 He came from a different tradition. 411 00:23:47,007 --> 00:23:47,996 So, that was good. 412 00:23:48,047 --> 00:23:51,403 He took a different view and stepped outside the rest of us, 413 00:23:51,447 --> 00:23:53,756 stopped us all becoming a bit precious. 414 00:23:53,807 --> 00:23:57,561 l had nothing at stake because my material seemed to be 415 00:23:57,607 --> 00:24:01,964 beyond either comprehension or criticism, 416 00:24:02,007 --> 00:24:05,283 cos l did something that was so different from the others. 417 00:24:05,327 --> 00:24:08,524 So when everybody would be reading out the material, 418 00:24:08,567 --> 00:24:10,797 it was always a fairly tense moment 419 00:24:10,847 --> 00:24:14,362 cos people were trying to judge the moment to read their bit out. 420 00:24:14,407 --> 00:24:18,685 Because if you read the thing out too early, it would get dumped in the wrong pile. 421 00:24:18,727 --> 00:24:22,606 There was always this jockeying for who would read which when. 422 00:24:22,647 --> 00:24:27,084 Really, the difference of opinion was always split 50-50, really. 423 00:24:27,127 --> 00:24:32,884 Cos l think Mike, Terry Gilliam and myself tended to be on one side, 424 00:24:32,927 --> 00:24:35,487 and Eric, John and Graham were on the other side, 425 00:24:35,527 --> 00:24:37,563 if there was a split like that. 426 00:24:37,607 --> 00:24:42,965 So, l think, mainly it was in method that John and l locked horns, 427 00:24:43,007 --> 00:24:47,159 because l think John does like to dominate. 428 00:24:47,207 --> 00:24:49,277 And he does like to... 429 00:24:49,327 --> 00:24:54,526 He's interested in group dynamics and he knew he could get me going. 430 00:24:54,567 --> 00:24:57,957 He could goad me into getting really angry. 431 00:25:00,407 --> 00:25:03,638 l think he liked prodding me a bit. 432 00:25:03,687 --> 00:25:05,040 Terry Jones is Welsh. 433 00:25:05,087 --> 00:25:09,399 And he tries to hide the fact, but his name gives it away. 434 00:25:09,447 --> 00:25:11,915 And what Terry has never been able to accept 435 00:25:11,967 --> 00:25:14,765 is that the Welsh are a subject people, 436 00:25:14,807 --> 00:25:18,402 put on earth to carry out menial tasks for the English. 437 00:25:18,447 --> 00:25:20,563 And he could never quite swallow this. 438 00:25:20,607 --> 00:25:25,203 l don't know why, but there seemed to be some block in his understanding. 439 00:25:25,247 --> 00:25:29,798 l think that's why he and l had a few very friendly arguments sometimes. 440 00:25:29,847 --> 00:25:33,078 Seriously, what l found about Terry that was difficult 441 00:25:33,127 --> 00:25:36,244 is he cared passionately about everything. 442 00:25:36,287 --> 00:25:39,723 We all care about some things, 443 00:25:39,767 --> 00:25:43,077 but we don't care so much about others, so we compromise on them. 444 00:25:43,127 --> 00:25:47,200 Terry cared about everything, it didn't matter how tiny the detail. 445 00:25:47,247 --> 00:25:49,158 He really, really felt. 446 00:25:49,207 --> 00:25:52,199 Good evening. Tonight, l'd like to restate our position 447 00:25:52,247 --> 00:25:53,760 on agricultural subsidies 448 00:25:53,807 --> 00:25:56,879 and their effect on our Commonwealth relationships. 449 00:25:56,927 --> 00:25:59,760 Now although we believe, theoretically, 450 00:25:59,807 --> 00:26:02,162 in ending guaranteed farm prices, 451 00:26:02,207 --> 00:26:06,837 we also believe in the need for a corresponding import levy 452 00:26:06,887 --> 00:26:10,675 to maintain consumer prices at a realistic level. 453 00:26:10,727 --> 00:26:12,797 But this would have the effect 454 00:26:12,847 --> 00:26:16,396 of consolidating our gains on the previous fiscal year... 455 00:26:16,447 --> 00:26:20,725 Terry is sort of like the energy. He's probably the bowels of Python. 456 00:26:20,767 --> 00:26:22,723 There's a lot of energy. 457 00:26:22,767 --> 00:26:27,477 So that, together, we will maintain positive, 458 00:26:27,527 --> 00:26:30,758 and mutually beneficial alliance in world trade, 459 00:26:30,807 --> 00:26:33,560 and for world peace. 460 00:26:33,607 --> 00:26:35,438 Thank you and good night. 461 00:26:39,167 --> 00:26:42,557 Terry was always very good 462 00:26:42,607 --> 00:26:45,838 at making sure that we kept at it. 463 00:26:45,887 --> 00:26:49,243 He was like a terrier in way, rounding up the Pythons saying, 464 00:26:49,287 --> 00:26:52,359 ''We've really got to try and get this done today.'' 465 00:26:52,407 --> 00:26:56,286 Terry and l, l thought we were the same person for a long time. 466 00:26:56,327 --> 00:26:59,399 We both get passionate, we get angry, we get excited. 467 00:26:59,447 --> 00:27:01,483 l think that was very, very important 468 00:27:01,527 --> 00:27:04,917 in a sense of saying, ''We have to try this, we have to do this.'' 469 00:27:04,967 --> 00:27:07,845 He would hold out for his idea of what Python should be. 470 00:27:07,887 --> 00:27:11,766 He'd say, ''No, this isn't Python.'' Only Terry knew quite what that meant. 471 00:27:11,807 --> 00:27:14,640 But he would have a very strong, philosophical view 472 00:27:14,687 --> 00:27:15,961 of what Python meant. 473 00:27:16,007 --> 00:27:18,521 Morning, gentlemen. What can l do for you? 474 00:27:18,567 --> 00:27:19,682 You've... 475 00:27:21,047 --> 00:27:23,880 You've got a nice army base here, Colonel. 476 00:27:23,927 --> 00:27:25,645 Yes? 477 00:27:25,687 --> 00:27:28,759 We wouldn't want anything to happen to it. 478 00:27:28,807 --> 00:27:29,796 What? 479 00:27:29,847 --> 00:27:32,805 No, what my brother means is it would be a shame if... 480 00:27:33,807 --> 00:27:36,560 - Oh, sorry, Colonel! - Don't worry about that. 481 00:27:36,607 --> 00:27:40,202 - Please, do sit down. - No, we prefer to stand, thank you. 482 00:27:40,247 --> 00:27:43,205 - All right, but what do you want? - What do we want? 483 00:27:45,607 --> 00:27:48,679 - Very good, Colonel. - That was a joke, Luigi. 484 00:27:48,727 --> 00:27:51,002 Explain it to the colonel, Dino. 485 00:27:51,047 --> 00:27:52,878 He fights doggedly. 486 00:27:52,927 --> 00:27:55,805 He's convinced he's right all the time, and he's not. 487 00:27:56,607 --> 00:27:59,724 - How many tanks you got, Colonel? - About 500 altogether. 488 00:27:59,767 --> 00:28:02,565 - 500, eh? - You ought to be careful, Colonel. 489 00:28:02,607 --> 00:28:04,438 We are careful. Extremely careful. 490 00:28:04,487 --> 00:28:07,047 Cos things break, don't they? 491 00:28:07,087 --> 00:28:08,281 Break? 492 00:28:08,327 --> 00:28:11,046 Everything breaks, don't it, Colonel? 493 00:28:11,087 --> 00:28:14,796 - Oh, dear! - See, my brother's clumsy, Colonel. 494 00:28:14,847 --> 00:28:19,841 Michael Palin. He's the sort of forgotten man of the group, really. 495 00:28:19,887 --> 00:28:21,559 l wonder what's happened to him now. 496 00:28:21,607 --> 00:28:24,565 He disappeared into the Sahara and was never seen again. 497 00:28:39,207 --> 00:28:43,200 Mike is the one that, probably, we all like the best. 498 00:28:43,247 --> 00:28:46,637 l say, what a simply super day! 499 00:28:46,687 --> 00:28:49,121 Gosh, yes! 500 00:28:49,167 --> 00:28:53,285 He used to come up with the best ideas, l think, 501 00:28:53,327 --> 00:28:55,283 or the best off-the-wall ideas. 502 00:28:55,327 --> 00:28:58,524 l say, anyone for tennis? 503 00:28:58,567 --> 00:29:01,400 - Oh, super! - What fun! 504 00:29:01,447 --> 00:29:03,438 l say, Lionel, catch. 505 00:29:07,447 --> 00:29:11,122 Things just flow out of him so smoothly and easily. 506 00:29:11,167 --> 00:29:12,646 He's just funny. 507 00:29:12,687 --> 00:29:17,397 lt's a very generous kind of funny, he's not nasty like myself. 508 00:29:17,447 --> 00:29:19,642 lt's generous and it's great. 509 00:29:19,687 --> 00:29:25,319 He seems to have an incredible grasp... an incredible range of characters. 510 00:29:25,367 --> 00:29:28,723 He's a brilliant writer of comedy. 511 00:29:28,767 --> 00:29:33,841 His writing always benefits when he is working with Terry or myself, 512 00:29:33,887 --> 00:29:38,244 because we have more edge, we're more difficult, angry, 513 00:29:38,287 --> 00:29:40,517 and so we add a little edge to it. 514 00:29:40,567 --> 00:29:43,877 What he does is make it just dance. 515 00:29:43,927 --> 00:29:45,804 lnspector? lnspector? 516 00:29:45,847 --> 00:29:49,681 l'm sorry. l was sitting on a park bench over there, took my coat off, 517 00:29:49,727 --> 00:29:53,117 then l found my wallet had been stolen and 15 pounds taken from it. 518 00:29:54,167 --> 00:29:57,716 Well, did you see anyone take it? Anyone hanging around? 519 00:29:57,767 --> 00:30:00,679 No. No. There was no one there at all. That's the trouble. 520 00:30:00,727 --> 00:30:04,037 Well, there's not very much we can do about that, sir. 521 00:30:09,207 --> 00:30:11,198 Do you want to come back to my place? 522 00:30:14,167 --> 00:30:15,361 Yeah, all right. 523 00:30:17,047 --> 00:30:19,561 He's a lovely man, of course. 524 00:30:19,607 --> 00:30:23,566 l feel a bit silly saying this about him. 525 00:30:23,607 --> 00:30:26,804 Yes, you realise, of course, that Rosamund is still rather young? 526 00:30:26,847 --> 00:30:28,963 Daddy, you make me feel like a child. 527 00:30:29,007 --> 00:30:30,360 Oh, yeah, you know. 528 00:30:30,407 --> 00:30:34,161 Get 'em when they're young, 'eh, 'eh, you know what l mean? 529 00:30:34,207 --> 00:30:37,483 l think he puts all his energy into being affable 530 00:30:37,527 --> 00:30:40,837 and, sometimes, it's a little hard to find out 531 00:30:40,887 --> 00:30:42,878 what's going on under the surface. 532 00:30:42,927 --> 00:30:46,203 l clean out public lavatories. 533 00:30:47,247 --> 00:30:48,919 ls there a promotion involved? 534 00:30:48,967 --> 00:30:50,446 Oh, yeah! Yeah! 535 00:30:53,327 --> 00:30:55,841 After five years they give me a brush. 536 00:30:57,447 --> 00:30:59,165 He's a real pushover. 537 00:30:59,207 --> 00:31:01,721 We can push him around, he never fights back. 538 00:31:01,767 --> 00:31:05,203 So, you need one guy like that in every group. 539 00:31:05,247 --> 00:31:08,398 He's not when he's hungry. 540 00:31:08,447 --> 00:31:11,200 The worst thing about Michael is if he's hungry, 541 00:31:11,247 --> 00:31:15,240 if he hasn't had his meal, he gets very testy. 542 00:31:15,287 --> 00:31:17,278 Anyway, John thinks he's great in bed. 543 00:31:17,327 --> 00:31:22,162 l don't know these things, but that's why John wanted to work with him. 544 00:31:22,207 --> 00:31:25,517 l'm always mistaken for Michael Palin. 545 00:31:25,567 --> 00:31:29,480 They come and say, ''Hello, Mike. How are you? Love your travel programme.'' 546 00:31:29,527 --> 00:31:31,802 And whenever l am mistaken for Michael, l say, 547 00:31:31,847 --> 00:31:36,398 ''Yes, l am Michael Palin, now fuck off, you ugly old bastard.'' 548 00:31:36,447 --> 00:31:39,086 Cos l'm trying to destroy his reputation for niceness 549 00:31:39,127 --> 00:31:40,321 one person at a time. 550 00:31:40,367 --> 00:31:42,927 Good morning. l'd care to purchase a chicken, please. 551 00:31:42,967 --> 00:31:46,198 Don't come here with that posh talk, you nasty, stuck-up twit. 552 00:31:47,847 --> 00:31:50,281 - l beg your pardon? - A chicken, sir. Certainly. 553 00:31:50,327 --> 00:31:53,125 How much does that work out to per pound, my good fellow? 554 00:31:53,167 --> 00:31:56,318 Per pound, you slimy trollop? What kind of a ponce are you? 555 00:31:57,847 --> 00:32:00,998 - l'm sorry? - 4/6 a pound. Ready for roasting. 556 00:32:01,047 --> 00:32:04,005 Eric's contribution, a certain type of stuff he wrote, 557 00:32:04,047 --> 00:32:07,039 but he was tremendously good at putting shows together. 558 00:32:07,087 --> 00:32:09,555 l thought he was the best of all of us at saying, 559 00:32:09,607 --> 00:32:13,361 ''Take that and put that there.'' He was wonderful at the carpentry. 560 00:32:13,407 --> 00:32:15,398 Because l wasn't part of writing teams, 561 00:32:15,447 --> 00:32:16,721 l was able to be a judge. 562 00:32:16,767 --> 00:32:19,406 l'd say, ''That makes me laugh, but only to there. 563 00:32:19,447 --> 00:32:23,520 ''Why don't we shift it across, and you take that?'' 564 00:32:23,567 --> 00:32:26,957 Eric is the one that should be the manager of the group. 565 00:32:27,007 --> 00:32:29,840 Eric is the most astute, financially and contractually. 566 00:32:29,887 --> 00:32:32,845 Good evening and welcome to The Money Programme. 567 00:32:32,887 --> 00:32:36,004 Tonight on The Money Programme we're going to look at money. 568 00:32:36,047 --> 00:32:39,084 Lots of it. On film, and in the studio. 569 00:32:39,127 --> 00:32:40,799 Some of it in nice piles, 570 00:32:40,847 --> 00:32:43,964 others in lovely, clanky bits of loose change. 571 00:32:44,007 --> 00:32:46,726 Some of it neatly counted into fat little hundreds, 572 00:32:46,767 --> 00:32:49,679 delicate fivers stuffed into bulging wallets. 573 00:32:49,727 --> 00:32:51,797 Nice crisp, clean cheques, 574 00:32:51,847 --> 00:32:55,442 pert pieces of copper coinage thrust deep into trouser pockets. 575 00:32:55,487 --> 00:32:56,966 Romantic foreign money 576 00:32:57,007 --> 00:32:59,726 rolling against the thigh with rough familiarity, 577 00:32:59,767 --> 00:33:02,281 beautiful, wayward, curlicued banknotes. 578 00:33:02,327 --> 00:33:06,400 Filigree copperplating cheek by jowl with tumbling hexagonal-milled edges, 579 00:33:06,447 --> 00:33:08,677 rubbing gently against the terse leather 580 00:33:08,727 --> 00:33:10,718 of beautifully balanced bank books. 581 00:33:14,247 --> 00:33:17,557 Eric was really the one, l suppose, 582 00:33:17,607 --> 00:33:20,360 who really liked to deconstruct television, 583 00:33:20,407 --> 00:33:24,195 and, l think, the philosopher of the group. 584 00:33:24,247 --> 00:33:28,479 One of the finest lyrics ever is the lyrics to the Philosophers Song. 585 00:33:28,527 --> 00:33:31,917 The Hundred Best Philosophers, l had a book, a big book, 586 00:33:31,967 --> 00:33:35,960 and you could either hit yourself on the head with it... No. 587 00:33:36,007 --> 00:33:38,646 So, l wrote a song just using their names, 588 00:33:38,687 --> 00:33:41,599 cos their names are lovely, l mean, they're, you know... 589 00:33:41,647 --> 00:33:44,525 And it was a funny idea that they would all get drunk. 590 00:33:44,567 --> 00:33:48,003 Frankly, over here, we find your American beer 591 00:33:48,047 --> 00:33:50,481 is a little like making love in a canoe. 592 00:33:51,967 --> 00:33:53,400 Making love in a canoe? 593 00:33:53,447 --> 00:33:56,007 lt's fucking close to water. 594 00:33:56,047 --> 00:33:58,481 There's nothing Nietzsche couldn't teach ya 595 00:33:58,527 --> 00:34:01,803 'Bout the raising of the wrist 596 00:34:01,847 --> 00:34:08,195 Socrates, himself, was permanently pissed 597 00:34:08,247 --> 00:34:11,080 John Stuart Mill, of his own free will 598 00:34:11,127 --> 00:34:13,436 On half a pint of shandy was particularly ill 599 00:34:13,487 --> 00:34:15,478 Plato, they say, could stick it away 600 00:34:15,527 --> 00:34:17,916 Half a crate of whisky every day 601 00:34:17,967 --> 00:34:20,765 Aristotle, Aristotle was a bugger for the bottle 602 00:34:20,807 --> 00:34:22,923 Hobbes was fond of his dram 603 00:34:22,967 --> 00:34:25,435 And Rene Descartes was a drunken fart 604 00:34:25,487 --> 00:34:27,637 ''l drink, therefore l am'' 605 00:34:27,687 --> 00:34:30,326 Eric was always very good with songs. 606 00:34:30,367 --> 00:34:34,804 He, sort of, kept the musical element going in Python, 607 00:34:34,847 --> 00:34:36,644 which was very important. 608 00:34:36,687 --> 00:34:42,398 Yes, Socrates, himself, is particularly missed 609 00:34:42,447 --> 00:34:46,201 A lovely little thinker, but a bugger when he's pissed 610 00:34:46,247 --> 00:34:48,203 l always think, ''What was my role in Python?'' 611 00:34:48,247 --> 00:34:50,283 l think of myself as the wicketkeeper. 612 00:34:50,327 --> 00:34:52,682 The wicketkeeper is a very important role. 613 00:34:52,727 --> 00:34:56,356 You don't get the star thing, but you know which way the ball is turning, 614 00:34:56,407 --> 00:35:00,366 so you say, ''Just give him one just outside, that will get him.'' 615 00:35:00,407 --> 00:35:03,638 So, that l felt sort of describes my role in Python. 616 00:35:03,687 --> 00:35:08,158 You're not star batsman, star bowler, but your influence on the game, 617 00:35:08,207 --> 00:35:11,916 if you're reading it properly, can be very instructive. 618 00:35:11,967 --> 00:35:14,117 ln your plan, A Better Britain For Us, 619 00:35:14,167 --> 00:35:18,957 you claimed you would build 88,000 million billion houses a year 620 00:35:19,007 --> 00:35:20,838 in the Greater London area alone. 621 00:35:21,847 --> 00:35:25,203 ln fact, you built only three in the last 15 years. 622 00:35:25,247 --> 00:35:27,681 Are you a bit disappointed with this result? 623 00:35:27,727 --> 00:35:31,356 No. No. l'd like to answer this question, if l may, in two ways. 624 00:35:31,407 --> 00:35:33,318 Firstly, in my normal voice, 625 00:35:33,367 --> 00:35:36,040 and then in a kind of silly, high-pitched whine. 626 00:35:36,087 --> 00:35:38,601 Graham is... 627 00:35:38,647 --> 00:35:41,207 He was just a sort of frustrating person. 628 00:35:41,247 --> 00:35:43,715 l never could make out who Graham was. 629 00:35:43,767 --> 00:35:46,122 He seemed to float through it, 630 00:35:46,167 --> 00:35:48,442 sucking on that pipe, day and night. 631 00:35:48,487 --> 00:35:50,523 Graham was a mystery. 632 00:35:50,567 --> 00:35:52,762 Graham was just a sort of a... 633 00:35:52,807 --> 00:35:57,119 The only times l had lunch with him, or whatever, 634 00:35:57,167 --> 00:36:00,637 we really hadn't got much to say to each other. 635 00:36:00,687 --> 00:36:04,726 There was something about Graham that was quite different from the others. 636 00:36:04,767 --> 00:36:07,327 There was a seriousness in the performance, 637 00:36:07,367 --> 00:36:09,756 but an awareness of the comedy at the same time. 638 00:36:09,807 --> 00:36:15,040 Sitting in script conferences and suddenly saying, ''Lemon curry?'' 639 00:36:15,087 --> 00:36:17,157 lt always gave you hope, l thought, 640 00:36:17,207 --> 00:36:20,279 when Graham came out with something off-the-wall like that. 641 00:36:20,327 --> 00:36:22,124 Lemon curry?! 642 00:36:22,167 --> 00:36:24,806 He was also an amazing sounding board. 643 00:36:24,847 --> 00:36:28,396 He's the only person l've come across who had an extraordinary ability 644 00:36:28,447 --> 00:36:31,166 to say, ''The audience will think that's funny.'' 645 00:36:31,207 --> 00:36:33,596 But he just didn't work properly. 646 00:36:33,647 --> 00:36:36,957 He should've been sent back to the factory and fixed, 647 00:36:37,007 --> 00:36:39,123 and then he would have been terrific. 648 00:36:39,167 --> 00:36:42,477 The simple stuff, getting the lines right, 649 00:36:42,527 --> 00:36:43,846 hitting his marks, 650 00:36:43,887 --> 00:36:46,196 he just was not an efficient creature. 651 00:36:46,247 --> 00:36:48,442 l don't mean efficient in a Prussian sense, 652 00:36:48,487 --> 00:36:51,001 he didn't have basic efficiencies. 653 00:36:51,047 --> 00:36:54,244 He was always late. Michael told you the story, l'm sure. 654 00:36:54,287 --> 00:36:58,166 l'd go round to Graham's flat in the morning to pick him up, 655 00:36:58,207 --> 00:37:01,404 and hoot the horn, he was right up on the fourth floor. 656 00:37:01,447 --> 00:37:04,757 You never knew who would open the window, but it wouldn't be Graham. 657 00:37:04,807 --> 00:37:08,004 lt would be someone from some part of the world, usually younger than Graham. 658 00:37:08,047 --> 00:37:09,799 He'd say, ''He coming in a minute.'' 659 00:37:09,847 --> 00:37:11,803 l'd say, ''l don't want to know that, 660 00:37:11,847 --> 00:37:14,236 ''l just need him down here in the car.'' 661 00:37:14,287 --> 00:37:18,439 l would regularly have to wait for 15, sometimes 20 minutes 662 00:37:18,487 --> 00:37:19,681 for dear old Graham. 663 00:37:19,727 --> 00:37:22,241 He'd come down, ''l'm terribly sorry. Just... 664 00:37:22,287 --> 00:37:24,198 ''A really long night. 665 00:37:24,247 --> 00:37:27,239 ''lnteresting person from Bhutan.'' 666 00:37:27,287 --> 00:37:31,360 ''You don't meet many Bhutanese. Awfully interesting chap.'' 667 00:37:31,407 --> 00:37:34,717 How long did it take you to decide, if you like, 668 00:37:34,767 --> 00:37:38,601 to come out the closet, to use the common expression? 669 00:37:39,647 --> 00:37:42,036 l didn't like being dishonest, really, 670 00:37:42,087 --> 00:37:44,760 and l was having to be. 671 00:37:48,407 --> 00:37:51,319 l thought l had to be, 672 00:37:51,367 --> 00:37:55,121 because l didn't think people around me would understand. 673 00:37:55,167 --> 00:37:56,885 lt took me some time to understand. 674 00:37:56,927 --> 00:38:00,886 After all, this was when l was about 25. 675 00:38:00,927 --> 00:38:06,206 At 24 l was thinking of getting married, l had a steady girlfriend, 676 00:38:06,247 --> 00:38:08,238 we had been together for about a year, 677 00:38:08,287 --> 00:38:12,075 and then suddenly l found that that wasn't what l really wanted, 678 00:38:12,127 --> 00:38:13,401 deep down inside. 679 00:38:13,447 --> 00:38:17,076 John Cleese, l think, was most uncomfortable 680 00:38:17,127 --> 00:38:21,359 when he discovered he had been working all this time with someone 681 00:38:21,407 --> 00:38:24,080 he thought he knew but now discovered he didn't know. 682 00:38:24,127 --> 00:38:28,086 He was not the sort of person to, 683 00:38:28,127 --> 00:38:31,278 l thought, take kindly to a little piece of news like that, 684 00:38:31,327 --> 00:38:34,717 about a friend of his that used to smoke a pipe and play rugby, 685 00:38:34,767 --> 00:38:37,235 and climb rocks, and things like that. 686 00:38:37,287 --> 00:38:39,198 He was rather shocked, actually. 687 00:38:39,247 --> 00:38:43,559 We were all... maybe shocked is the wrong word. We were surprised. 688 00:38:43,607 --> 00:38:47,282 We didn't mind that he was gay but we were very, very surprised. 689 00:38:47,327 --> 00:38:51,957 And l think Graham sometimes took the surprise for disapproval, 690 00:38:52,007 --> 00:38:53,235 shocked disapproval. 691 00:38:53,287 --> 00:38:55,198 lt was just amazing, you know. 692 00:38:55,247 --> 00:38:57,807 lt was as though Palin had turned to me and said, 693 00:38:57,847 --> 00:39:00,202 ''l'm Chinese,'' you know? 694 00:39:00,247 --> 00:39:03,125 l have nothing against you, Michael, but it is a surprise. 695 00:39:03,167 --> 00:39:04,441 You were in fact an alcoholic? 696 00:39:04,487 --> 00:39:06,603 Yes, l did a lot of drinking, a great deal, 697 00:39:06,647 --> 00:39:09,161 a very great deal, indeed, Michael, yes. 698 00:39:09,207 --> 00:39:12,756 You can safely say l did do a very great deal. 699 00:39:12,807 --> 00:39:15,446 Why was that, do you think? 700 00:39:15,487 --> 00:39:19,605 l think... Well, l don't know, really, the answer to that. 701 00:39:19,647 --> 00:39:23,845 Deep inside, l think, actually, that l was insecure. 702 00:39:23,887 --> 00:39:27,038 l didn't really feel that l had deserved the success 703 00:39:27,087 --> 00:39:28,486 that l had achieved. 704 00:39:28,527 --> 00:39:30,483 l think that was it. 705 00:39:30,527 --> 00:39:32,358 Who was laughing at that? 706 00:39:32,407 --> 00:39:34,602 Strange reaction. l'll sort you out later. 707 00:39:34,647 --> 00:39:36,524 The interesting thing about Python, 708 00:39:36,567 --> 00:39:39,843 l don't think anybody had interest in each other as people. 709 00:39:39,887 --> 00:39:41,525 We didn't know about each other, 710 00:39:41,567 --> 00:39:44,365 we didn't get together and talk about this and that. 711 00:39:44,407 --> 00:39:47,717 We might have a drink, but it wasn't close bosom friends. 712 00:39:47,767 --> 00:39:50,281 No one noticed Graham was an alcoholic, 713 00:39:50,327 --> 00:39:54,161 until long after he was crawling around the floor, 714 00:39:54,207 --> 00:39:56,562 barking, putting his hands up girl's skirts. 715 00:39:56,607 --> 00:39:58,325 ''Oh, it's Graham. He's so weird.'' 716 00:39:58,367 --> 00:40:01,564 He wasn't an ugly drunk, he was quite jovial, 717 00:40:01,607 --> 00:40:04,565 and quite prone to trouser dropping, 718 00:40:04,607 --> 00:40:06,598 and various outrageous songs. 719 00:40:06,647 --> 00:40:10,720 And l never had a problem with him at all, 720 00:40:10,767 --> 00:40:13,042 except in the work context, 721 00:40:13,087 --> 00:40:15,920 because you'd meet about half ten in the morning, 722 00:40:15,967 --> 00:40:20,995 and Graham would be putting tonic into whatever it was. 723 00:40:21,047 --> 00:40:24,562 And you'd have a real burst of an hour and a half, 724 00:40:24,607 --> 00:40:28,600 and he was fizzing and popping and it was a joy writing with him. 725 00:40:28,647 --> 00:40:30,683 And then, 12 noon... 726 00:40:32,727 --> 00:40:35,844 ''Just the one.'' And we'd go to the Angel pub in Highgate, 727 00:40:35,887 --> 00:40:38,401 and goodbye day, that was it. 728 00:40:38,447 --> 00:40:41,245 Very pleasant afternoon, but no work taking place. 729 00:40:41,287 --> 00:40:45,565 When we were doing the shows it was a little bit of a nightmare, 730 00:40:45,607 --> 00:40:51,364 because if it was after lunch it was hopeless doing it with Graham, 731 00:40:51,407 --> 00:40:54,843 because Graham couldn't remember his lines. 732 00:40:54,887 --> 00:40:57,799 l remember going once up to Scotland for a take, 733 00:40:57,847 --> 00:40:59,883 we were filming up in Glencoe. 734 00:40:59,927 --> 00:41:03,078 l got there and met the special-effects man on the train, 735 00:41:03,127 --> 00:41:05,925 got shitfaced and we were drunk, and l slept all day the next day. 736 00:41:05,967 --> 00:41:09,084 l got up and they still hadn't done the first take 737 00:41:09,127 --> 00:41:10,640 of Graham with Lake Pahoe. 738 00:41:10,687 --> 00:41:13,360 They had done 43 slates. 739 00:41:13,407 --> 00:41:15,159 Sometimes it would be quite funny, 740 00:41:15,207 --> 00:41:19,758 and other times he would just irritate people for the sake of it. 741 00:41:19,807 --> 00:41:24,722 Like telling these people in a little pub near Oban in Scotland, 742 00:41:24,767 --> 00:41:28,760 where we were doing some filming, that he had slept with Ted Heath, 743 00:41:28,807 --> 00:41:30,399 who was then the Prime Minister. 744 00:41:30,447 --> 00:41:34,042 He might have slept with Ted Heath for all l know, but it seemed unlikely. 745 00:41:34,087 --> 00:41:37,124 But Graham just irritated these people, nice Scottish farmers 746 00:41:37,167 --> 00:41:40,125 having a little chat about how wonderful Edward Heath was. 747 00:41:40,167 --> 00:41:44,797 Graham said, ''l know all about him because l have slept with him!'' 748 00:41:44,847 --> 00:41:46,599 You know, very bizarre. 749 00:41:46,647 --> 00:41:49,286 l thought, ''Graham, please, don't go on like that.'' 750 00:41:49,327 --> 00:41:52,399 The moment when l think we all realised for the first time 751 00:41:52,447 --> 00:41:56,281 that it was becoming a huge problem, and we were shooting 752 00:41:56,327 --> 00:41:58,682 And Now For Something Completely Different. 753 00:41:58,727 --> 00:42:03,721 We were shooting the Upper-Class Twit of the Year Show. 754 00:42:03,767 --> 00:42:09,239 And we were in a trailer or a caravan, 755 00:42:09,287 --> 00:42:12,085 and we were looking for the script. 756 00:42:12,127 --> 00:42:14,880 We needed to check something in the script. 757 00:42:14,927 --> 00:42:19,398 And Michael Palin said, ''Oh, Gray's got a script. 758 00:42:19,447 --> 00:42:21,324 ''He was reading it this morning.'' 759 00:42:21,367 --> 00:42:23,801 They had travelled up together in the car. 760 00:42:23,847 --> 00:42:27,203 And Michael opened up this little suitcase that Gray had, 761 00:42:27,247 --> 00:42:29,477 a very small one, to get the script out. 762 00:42:29,527 --> 00:42:32,678 He took the script out and he did a double take... 763 00:42:32,727 --> 00:42:34,843 and he picked up the bottle of vodka... 764 00:42:35,847 --> 00:42:39,442 ..and he said, ''That was full this morning.'' 765 00:42:39,487 --> 00:42:43,605 And it was half-empty, and it was before lunch. 766 00:42:43,647 --> 00:42:45,558 And l think we all kind of went... 767 00:42:47,287 --> 00:42:51,075 How much at your peak, so to speak, how much were you drinking? 768 00:42:51,127 --> 00:42:54,119 Four pints of gin a day. 769 00:42:54,167 --> 00:42:56,727 That's almost a terminal dose, l would think. 770 00:42:56,767 --> 00:42:58,359 Pretty much. Pretty much, yes. 771 00:42:58,407 --> 00:43:01,638 Graham now had a really serious drinking habit, 772 00:43:01,687 --> 00:43:04,406 and l was the guy who met with him every day. 773 00:43:04,447 --> 00:43:06,165 You see, the others didn't. 774 00:43:06,207 --> 00:43:09,722 The others saw him when we got together to read, but l was carrying him. 775 00:43:09,767 --> 00:43:12,235 At one stage, he couldn't remember in the afternoon 776 00:43:12,287 --> 00:43:13,925 what we had written in the morning. 777 00:43:13,967 --> 00:43:14,956 lt was that bad. 778 00:43:15,007 --> 00:43:17,840 We tried a bit of cross-fertilisation of the writing. 779 00:43:17,887 --> 00:43:20,526 l wrote something with John, 780 00:43:20,567 --> 00:43:24,355 and Graham would write things with Eric and all that, 781 00:43:24,407 --> 00:43:26,967 but it didn't work, we stayed in our groups. 782 00:43:27,007 --> 00:43:30,886 l think if the John-Graham group, or partnership, was not working as well, 783 00:43:30,927 --> 00:43:34,317 that was the reason John perhaps felt they weren't pulling their weight. 784 00:43:34,367 --> 00:43:35,846 But, whatever the reason, 785 00:43:35,887 --> 00:43:40,039 l think John felt that Python had run its course. 786 00:43:40,087 --> 00:43:42,521 Well, l'm afraid l get bored. 787 00:43:42,567 --> 00:43:46,560 You know, it's a good fault and it's a bad fault. 788 00:43:46,607 --> 00:43:49,360 Like anything, there's a good side and a bad side to it. 789 00:43:49,407 --> 00:43:55,164 And l felt, after the second series, that we were repeating ourselves. 790 00:43:55,207 --> 00:43:59,439 l didn't see any point in doing comedy, 791 00:43:59,487 --> 00:44:01,955 or doing anything very artistic and creative, 792 00:44:02,007 --> 00:44:04,726 if you were beginning to, sort of, repeat yourself. 793 00:44:04,767 --> 00:44:07,281 lt was the old sausage machine, you know? 794 00:44:07,327 --> 00:44:09,841 Another 13 shows. Just keep turning. 795 00:44:09,887 --> 00:44:14,039 The others just love the process, they really enjoyed doing it. 796 00:44:14,087 --> 00:44:17,159 l don't think they felt that we were repeating, 797 00:44:17,207 --> 00:44:20,882 they didn't notice the difference in the material but it was clear to me. 798 00:44:20,927 --> 00:44:22,440 So, l actually said, 799 00:44:22,487 --> 00:44:25,923 and l only was reminded of this about six months ago, 800 00:44:25,967 --> 00:44:30,119 when l was talking to David Wilkinson, who was my agent at that time. 801 00:44:30,167 --> 00:44:32,635 David said, ''Do you remember 802 00:44:32,687 --> 00:44:36,316 ''that you said you didn't want to do the third series? 803 00:44:36,367 --> 00:44:39,518 ''And, you really didn't.'' And the BBC said, 804 00:44:39,567 --> 00:44:44,197 ''lf John doesn't do the third series, there won't be a third series.'' 805 00:44:44,247 --> 00:44:47,922 So l said, ''Well, l'll do seven.'' And we did seven. 806 00:44:47,967 --> 00:44:51,846 And the others put a lot pressure on me to do another six. 807 00:44:51,887 --> 00:44:55,926 And l gave in, l caved in, because l didn't want to spoil things for them. 808 00:44:55,967 --> 00:44:57,446 The thing about John 809 00:44:57,487 --> 00:45:00,365 is he was better known than any of us when he started the show. 810 00:45:00,407 --> 00:45:01,806 And, throughout the show, 811 00:45:01,847 --> 00:45:06,716 became the nearest to a single star figure in Python. 812 00:45:06,767 --> 00:45:09,884 Though, to John's credit, he never traded on that at all. 813 00:45:09,927 --> 00:45:11,360 He always saw Python as a group. 814 00:45:11,407 --> 00:45:13,967 But l think there were many more offers for John 815 00:45:14,007 --> 00:45:15,599 probably than the rest of us. 816 00:45:15,647 --> 00:45:19,083 So, at the end of the third l said, ''Well, that's it.'' 817 00:45:19,127 --> 00:45:23,325 And l remember telling them on the plane to Canada, 818 00:45:23,367 --> 00:45:25,164 for the Canadian tour. 819 00:45:25,207 --> 00:45:28,756 l said, ''l really don't want to do the next series.'' 820 00:45:28,807 --> 00:45:32,243 And a couple of them were very upset. 821 00:45:32,287 --> 00:45:36,485 Gray was very upset, because l think he felt safe in the group. 822 00:45:36,527 --> 00:45:39,485 And, in a funny kind of way, l think he felt possessive about me, 823 00:45:39,527 --> 00:45:41,995 he didn't like the idea of me going off on my own. 824 00:45:42,047 --> 00:45:45,562 He had resented it when l had written some half-hours without him. 825 00:45:45,607 --> 00:45:50,840 Graham came around and said, ''Well, John said he's not going to any more, 826 00:45:50,887 --> 00:45:53,481 ''but l think we could continue!'' 827 00:45:53,527 --> 00:45:57,600 And so he sort of persuaded us on that flight to Vancouver 828 00:45:57,647 --> 00:46:01,765 that, yeah, well, maybe we would do some more without John, 829 00:46:01,807 --> 00:46:03,126 and see how it went. 830 00:46:03,167 --> 00:46:06,204 l think we all felt, well... 831 00:46:06,247 --> 00:46:08,841 Obviously John's important, but, you know, 832 00:46:08,887 --> 00:46:11,799 we can do this without John. 833 00:46:11,847 --> 00:46:13,838 Terry Jones felt very strongly. 834 00:46:13,887 --> 00:46:16,640 He called me a traitor to the Daily Telegraph. 835 00:46:16,687 --> 00:46:21,715 You see, it was the perfect setting for Terry 836 00:46:21,767 --> 00:46:24,918 to show off his talents, 837 00:46:24,967 --> 00:46:27,037 because we were covering, in many ways, 838 00:46:27,087 --> 00:46:31,478 the things he wasn't so good at, and he could flourish in that. 839 00:46:31,527 --> 00:46:33,643 So he must have felt terribly disappointed. 840 00:46:33,687 --> 00:46:36,884 Thinking of now, l think, ''Oh, yes, he is crucial!'' 841 00:46:36,927 --> 00:46:39,919 But at the time we sort of had that thought... 842 00:46:39,967 --> 00:46:42,117 No, no, l don't think it was a feeling of, 843 00:46:42,167 --> 00:46:44,442 ''Oh, dear, it won't be as good without John.'' 844 00:46:44,487 --> 00:46:46,682 Especially as he was doing a bit of the writing. 845 00:46:46,727 --> 00:46:49,799 There was never, l would say in my own defence, 846 00:46:49,847 --> 00:46:53,760 there was never any appreciation, from any of them, 847 00:46:53,807 --> 00:46:58,198 of either the validity of what l was saying about their lack of originality, 848 00:46:58,247 --> 00:47:03,082 or about the fact that l was having to work with a 24-carat alcoholic. 849 00:47:03,127 --> 00:47:08,042 l really did think that there were many moments 850 00:47:08,087 --> 00:47:11,045 in '7 1 , '72, when that was the death of Python. 851 00:47:11,087 --> 00:47:14,841 Very difficult to think of doing it without John. 852 00:47:14,887 --> 00:47:18,323 He'd always said he would be in there as a writer, 853 00:47:18,367 --> 00:47:21,962 and yet it was very difficult to think of just jettisoning Python 854 00:47:22,007 --> 00:47:23,565 because John wasn't there. 855 00:47:23,607 --> 00:47:25,643 The rest of us were really enjoying it, 856 00:47:25,687 --> 00:47:28,759 in a sense, there were still things we wanted to write, 857 00:47:28,807 --> 00:47:30,559 still performances we wanted to do. 858 00:47:30,607 --> 00:47:33,599 There was still a great deal of energy in the group. 859 00:47:33,647 --> 00:47:38,926 But l don't think Python ever really works without everybody there. 860 00:47:38,967 --> 00:47:42,801 l do know people, who will remain nameless, 861 00:47:42,847 --> 00:47:44,758 but they are amongst the Pythons. 862 00:47:46,807 --> 00:47:50,243 Come on, lads, own up! l know one or two of you, at the time, said, 863 00:47:50,287 --> 00:47:52,755 ''lt's a lot bloody better without John.'' 864 00:47:52,807 --> 00:47:56,846 l know that the BBC were wary of doing it without John. 865 00:47:56,887 --> 00:48:00,357 They didn't want it to be called Monty Python's Flying Circus. 866 00:48:00,407 --> 00:48:02,921 ''Call it Monty Python,'' they said. 867 00:48:04,247 --> 00:48:09,685 And, l don't think they were ready to commission 13. 868 00:48:09,727 --> 00:48:12,525 l think they only wanted six or seven. 869 00:48:12,567 --> 00:48:15,604 l think we were probably all quite happy to do that, 870 00:48:15,647 --> 00:48:17,797 see how they worked out. 871 00:48:17,847 --> 00:48:21,760 My contribution to it was that l gave them, 872 00:48:21,807 --> 00:48:24,844 l don't know if l was paid or not, but l gave them material. 873 00:48:24,887 --> 00:48:28,243 Mr Bradford, Mr Crawley? These are our fitters, sir. 874 00:48:28,287 --> 00:48:30,596 We've had a lot of experience in this field, 875 00:48:30,647 --> 00:48:32,046 and we do pride ourselves, 876 00:48:32,087 --> 00:48:36,603 we offer the best and most discreet service available. 877 00:48:36,647 --> 00:48:38,319 l don't know if you believe this, 878 00:48:38,367 --> 00:48:42,246 but one of us is actually wearing a toupee at this moment. 879 00:48:44,127 --> 00:48:45,719 Well, you all are, aren't you? 880 00:48:49,407 --> 00:48:51,637 - Have you got one? - No. l thought you... 881 00:48:51,687 --> 00:48:53,757 - l thought it was me. - l thought it was me! 882 00:48:53,807 --> 00:48:56,844 - So did l. That is good! - Oh! 883 00:48:57,967 --> 00:49:00,117 l have to say, to my embarrassment, 884 00:49:00,167 --> 00:49:02,965 l don't think l ever saw all six of them. 885 00:49:03,007 --> 00:49:06,124 l saw two that l thought were very good, 886 00:49:06,167 --> 00:49:08,601 and two that l thought were OK. 887 00:49:08,647 --> 00:49:11,366 Some of those shows are quite good, actually. 888 00:49:13,047 --> 00:49:15,686 l think there's the one... l think my favourite show 889 00:49:15,727 --> 00:49:19,561 is the one called Light Entertainment War. 890 00:49:19,607 --> 00:49:21,882 - Sir! - Yes, what is it? 891 00:49:21,927 --> 00:49:24,680 - News from the Western Front, sir! - Yes? 892 00:49:24,727 --> 00:49:27,446 - Big enemy attack at dawn, sir! - Yes? 893 00:49:29,127 --> 00:49:30,116 Well... 894 00:49:32,767 --> 00:49:36,043 The enemy were all wearing little silver halos, sir. 895 00:49:36,087 --> 00:49:39,284 And they had fairy wands with big stars on the end, and... 896 00:49:39,327 --> 00:49:42,717 - They what? - They had spiders in matchboxes. 897 00:49:44,087 --> 00:49:46,157 Good God! How did our chaps react? 898 00:49:47,047 --> 00:49:49,163 Well, they were jolly interested, sir. 899 00:49:49,207 --> 00:49:52,836 Some of them, l think it was the 4th Armoured Brigade, sir, they, they... 900 00:49:52,887 --> 00:49:56,197 - Yes? - They had a look at the spiders, sir. 901 00:49:56,247 --> 00:50:01,605 And l like the Scottish, Michael doing the Scottish... 902 00:50:01,647 --> 00:50:04,366 l'm Louis the Twelfth, 903 00:50:04,407 --> 00:50:07,558 the Fourteenth, the Seventeenth, Eighteenth, no, Twelfth. 904 00:50:07,607 --> 00:50:10,519 That man is not Louis XlV! 905 00:50:10,567 --> 00:50:12,444 Joseph, are you out of your mind? 906 00:50:12,487 --> 00:50:17,607 l've been looking it up in my bath! Louis XlV died in 1717. 907 00:50:17,647 --> 00:50:20,639 lt is now 1783. Answer me that! 908 00:50:20,687 --> 00:50:22,359 Did l say l'm Louis XlV? 909 00:50:22,407 --> 00:50:25,843 l'm sorry, l meant Louis XV! Louis XV. 910 00:50:25,887 --> 00:50:28,401 He died in 1 77 4! 911 00:50:28,447 --> 00:50:32,679 All right! Louis XVl! 912 00:50:32,727 --> 00:50:34,922 Listen to me, smartarse! 913 00:50:35,967 --> 00:50:39,118 When you're king of France, you've got better things to do 914 00:50:39,167 --> 00:50:42,523 than go around all day remembering your bloody number! 915 00:50:43,447 --> 00:50:47,201 l wrote The Appeal for the Very Rich in that series, 916 00:50:47,247 --> 00:50:48,999 and Graham did it to camera. 917 00:50:49,047 --> 00:50:52,926 l would like to talk to you tonight about a minority group of people 918 00:50:52,967 --> 00:50:55,925 who have no mental or physical handicaps, 919 00:50:55,967 --> 00:50:58,401 and who, through no fault of their own, 920 00:50:58,447 --> 00:51:00,324 have never been deprived, 921 00:51:00,367 --> 00:51:05,441 and consequently are forced to live in conditions of extreme luxury. 922 00:51:05,487 --> 00:51:08,320 Graham and l wrote the Dreadful Family sketch, 923 00:51:08,367 --> 00:51:11,916 with, in particular, Terry Gilliam being covered in baked beans. 924 00:51:11,967 --> 00:51:16,358 l really like this Ano-Weet, it really unclogs me. 925 00:51:17,527 --> 00:51:20,246 - Oh, do be careful! - Sorry, Mum. 926 00:51:20,287 --> 00:51:23,359 l mean a lot of the others say they unclog you, 927 00:51:23,407 --> 00:51:27,685 but l never had a single bowel movement with them Recto-Puffs 928 00:51:27,727 --> 00:51:30,195 Now, if we... Ah, sorry, Mum! 929 00:51:30,247 --> 00:51:33,637 lf we lived in Rhodesia there would be someone to mop that up for you. 930 00:51:33,687 --> 00:51:35,678 Don't be so bleedin' stupid! 931 00:51:35,727 --> 00:51:37,524 lf you lived in bleeding Rhodesia 932 00:51:37,567 --> 00:51:40,877 you'd be out at bleedin' fascist rallies every bleedin' day! 933 00:51:40,927 --> 00:51:43,236 You're a bleedin' racist, you bleedin' are! 934 00:51:43,287 --> 00:51:44,686 Language! 935 00:51:44,727 --> 00:51:47,116 Well, he gets on my sodding wick. 936 00:51:47,927 --> 00:51:50,839 Yes, Graham was very funny. ''What time are you coming in?'' 937 00:51:50,887 --> 00:51:51,797 3:00am! 938 00:51:51,847 --> 00:51:54,486 lt's disgusting, you a member of parliament. 939 00:51:54,527 --> 00:51:57,917 l heard you in the hall last night. l heard you snogging away. 940 00:51:57,967 --> 00:52:00,037 We was not snogging! 941 00:52:00,087 --> 00:52:02,442 Oh! lt sounded like snogging to me. 942 00:52:02,487 --> 00:52:05,524 l could hear his great, wet, slobbering lips going at you... 943 00:52:05,567 --> 00:52:07,842 - And his hand going... - Dad! 944 00:52:07,887 --> 00:52:09,081 Yeah? 945 00:52:09,127 --> 00:52:10,560 - No, not you. - Oh. 946 00:52:10,607 --> 00:52:12,279 Just mind your language. 947 00:52:13,447 --> 00:52:17,235 So we did six, and then they offered us seven more. 948 00:52:17,287 --> 00:52:20,359 l remember walking with Michael on Hampstead Heath saying, 949 00:52:20,407 --> 00:52:24,241 ''Michael, l'm sorry, l don't want to do any more. This is not the same.'' 950 00:52:24,287 --> 00:52:26,721 The reason that the group worked, 951 00:52:26,767 --> 00:52:30,601 was that Terry J and l locked horns on almost everything, 952 00:52:30,647 --> 00:52:34,401 which enabled everyone else to come in and affect the balance. 953 00:52:34,447 --> 00:52:36,438 The floating people could have different votes 954 00:52:36,487 --> 00:52:38,637 if they were held as opposites, 955 00:52:38,687 --> 00:52:40,564 and l felt that was what was missing. 956 00:52:40,607 --> 00:52:42,757 What the others have said to me 957 00:52:42,807 --> 00:52:46,356 is that when l went, Terry became too dominant. 958 00:52:46,407 --> 00:52:49,160 No one else was prepared to lock horns with him, 959 00:52:49,207 --> 00:52:51,801 so he began to have too great an influence. 960 00:52:51,847 --> 00:52:55,635 One of the great moments of Python is that we decided to stop. 961 00:52:55,687 --> 00:52:57,518 We could've kept milking it, 962 00:52:57,567 --> 00:53:00,639 but now it's just not working as well as it ought. 963 00:53:00,687 --> 00:53:02,006 So quit. We quit. 964 00:53:03,247 --> 00:53:04,919 We're Knights of the Round Table 965 00:53:04,967 --> 00:53:06,480 We dance whene'er we're able 966 00:53:06,527 --> 00:53:08,518 We do routines and chorus scenes 967 00:53:08,567 --> 00:53:10,000 With footwork impeccable 968 00:53:10,047 --> 00:53:11,366 We dine well here in Camelot 969 00:53:11,407 --> 00:53:12,920 We eat ham and jam and Spam a lot 970 00:53:19,447 --> 00:53:21,165 We're Knights of the Round Table 971 00:53:21,207 --> 00:53:23,641 Our shows are formidable 972 00:53:24,487 --> 00:53:25,886 But many times, we're given rhymes 973 00:53:25,927 --> 00:53:27,201 That are quite unsingable 974 00:53:27,247 --> 00:53:28,885 We're opera mad in Camelot 975 00:53:28,927 --> 00:53:32,283 We sing from the diaphragm a lot 976 00:53:45,487 --> 00:53:47,603 ln war we're tough and able 977 00:53:48,287 --> 00:53:50,596 Quite indefatigable 978 00:53:51,687 --> 00:53:53,120 Between our quests we sequin vests 979 00:53:53,167 --> 00:53:54,520 And impersonate Clark Gable 980 00:53:54,567 --> 00:53:56,125 lt's a busy life in Camelot 981 00:53:56,727 --> 00:54:01,960 l have to push the pram a lot 982 00:54:04,847 --> 00:54:09,523 On second thoughts, let's not go to Camelot, it is a silly place.