#Monty Python Live

[mscking7]

This has seen some activity recently and it's been fun to go over this again! They were three great nights and a real highlight of my early years living in London.

One thing I distinctly remember (that has been compounded by hindsight but nevertheless...) was that it appeared like John was having an absolute ball and really enjoying his time on stage and the company of the others.

Now I'm no great fan of John, with his comments over the last few years, his Brexit stance etc but these performances were pre-all that madness. You have to remember that this was also pre-Terry J's dementia diagnosis (or at least his diagnosis being made public), and although it's now horribly obvious in hindsight, we didn't know at the time of the live shows in 2014. So John appearing cruel now for laughing didn't come across that way at the time. If anything it just seemed like he was super happy and joyously laughing at the various antics. Again I say this as somebody who isn't his greatest fan but it was actually lovely how much he seemed to be enjoying being a part of it all again given his legendary cynicism at times.

I’ve been asked by a couple of people to list the lines that were different in each show I saw, I’m not sure I can remember all of the differences and some sketches like the Dead Parrot sketch went so differently every night that it would make this post a very long one to list just some of the changes but anyway below are some of the ad-libs and corpsing moments for those who asked:

*I should also say that I think they may have been filming for the DVD on Saturday so this is a possible SPOILER ALERT* *Equally most of you saw Sunday’s performance but if you’ve recorded it or you’re going to watch the repeat tonight then yep, SPOILERS below*

Tuesday 15th

Eric introduced Terry Gilliam before the Penis song thus, “Ladies and Gentleman, will you please give a big round of applause for Terry Gilliam, *audience applaud*, who sadly couldn’t be here tonight”

Michael said that he had always wanted to be a “loan adjustor” before he received a postcard from Canada

Eric corpsed during ‘Science Today’ and tried to cover it up with coughing at which point John as Ann Elk said, “You see it’s fun to cough!”

Michael, when asked whether he had any “Armenian string cheese”, said, “I’m wearing it”, causing John to lose it

Saturday 19th

John corpsed at the very beginning of the Llama opener

Terry J very slightly stuffed his lines during the Four Yorkshiremen sketch, seemingly forgetting them, but saved it just about!

Eric introduced Terry Gilliam with the line, “Ladies and Gentleman, please welcome Terry Gilliam, *audience applaud*, next year’s Eurovision Song Contest entry for England”

Michael announced that he had always wanted to be a “Sperm donor” before he received a postcard from Canada

Terry J completely forgot his line “I didn’t mean what’s on the TV I meant what’s the program?” during the 'What’s on TV’ sketch, and at first everyone thought it was a long pause for comic effect but John obviously saw the terror/confusion in Terry’s eyes and just burst out laughing for about two minutes before finally whispering the line to him

John added a number of extra lines to the 'He is an Ex-Parrot’ speech making Michael corpse, causing John to announce before he even got to the end of the speech that “this isn’t funny you know!”

Sunday 20th

John once again corpsed at the start of the Llama’s opener

Eric didn’t have a special line for Terry :(

Michael announced that he had always wanted to be a “Systems Analyst” before receiving a postcard from Canada

John nicked the cue card off Terry J during the 'Whizzo Chocolate’ sketch and corpsed at Terry G’s antics

Eric’s moustache partly came off before he finally just ripped it off completely during 'Nudge, Nudge’ (I’ve heard it fell off on a couple of other nights too but at least not on the nights mentioned above)

John mentioned “Dr Chapman” during 'Dead Parrot’

[baltharino]

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

[starcrashedsatellite]

This has been a most insightful operator background story

[arthur-two-sheds-jackson]

It's... Monty Python's Media Masterpost!

Here, my fellows, as I promised, are the links for nearly every Python content released and available on the internet (missing only the Not the Messiah (He's a Very Naughty Boy) complete oratorio and PDF versions of the books - including Michael Palin's diaries), for the Python-obsessed, brain-fried completist like me. If you ever need to have easy access to something, just click on the links! And if you or someone you know wants to get into the Python fandom, just refer to this post!

Enjoy!!!

[Audios are in blue, TV shows, docs and specials are in green, films are in orange, games are in red and other kinds of content are in pink. (I chose the videos based on whether they were in good quality; most of them are in HQ or close to that when possible.)]

Monty Python's Flying Circus (Internet Archive version - Google Drive version)

Monty Python's Fliegender Zirkus

Another Record

Previous Record

And Now For Something Completely Different

1971 Montreux Special

Labour Party Instructional Film

Birds Eye Peas Industrial Film

Close-Up Industrial Film

Matching Tie and Handkerchief

1973 sketch for Dutch TV

1973 French TV appearance

Is This a Record? Guinness Film

Live at Drury Lane

The Holy Grail

Live at the City Center (side 1 - side 2)

Life of Brian (Internet Archive version - YouTube version - The Pythons' 1979 a.D. BBC documentary - 1979 debate on Saturday Night, Sunday Morning)

Live at the Hollywood Bowl (Internet Archive version - YouTube version)

The Meaning of Life (complete with The Crimson Permanent Assurance!)

Parrot Sketch Not Included (Life of Python)

1990 Omnibus documentary

Monty Python Sings (Again)

Python Night (Paramount Comedy Network mockumentary)

Live at Aspen

Spamalot (concert film featuring the original Broadway cast - playlist of original Broadway cast recording)

Channel 4's 2006 documentary

Almost the Truth: Lawyer's Cut (with Russian subtitles... don't worry, I have BRICS immunity, I'll cover you) (part 1 - part 2 - part 3 - part 4 - part 5 - part 6)

Holy Flying Circus (by @anythingcanhappeninmay and complete with bonus thingies!)

A Liar's Autobiography (the movie - audiobook narrated by Graham Chapman)

Live (Mostly) (And Now For Something Rather Similar)

Monty Python at 50 radio broadcasts (by @gordonsgano)

Michael Palin: A Life on Screen

Graham Chapman's Pre-Python Home Movies

Terry Jones' Home Movies

Michael Palin's 1978 Home Movies

The Holy Grail flash game

The Holy Grail PC videogame (at the Collection Chamber blog)

The Meaning of Life PC videogame (also at the Collection Chamber blog)

Complete Waste of Time PC videogame (also also at the Collection Chamber blog)

[privt-eye]

[volume up!] (more or less) all of my first-watches of 2024 in honor of the new year.

[yonderghostshistories]

A Photo compilation of photos of Monty Python Live in Vancouver, Canada in 1973 (said photos were shot at the time by the lovely r/hologramwatch on Reddit, to which all the credit goes to for capturing these lovely photos and sharing them in the first place <33)

Link to the photos from the OG Reddit post here:

(below the cut are the photos btw)

[mastersprogram]

HUGE NEWS ALERT GUYS

IM SEEING SPAMALOT NEXT WEEKEND ‼️

[hanzajesthanza]

should i change my headcanons based upon “i saw it in a dream”

[retrokid616]

matt: doing a send off for scanlans band

ashley fucking johnson:

[loretta-dont-you-oppress-me]

Dragnet & Drag Racing Today

The most Monty Python sketch that SNL ever did. Hosted by Eric Idle in Season 2, controversial at the time.

It was aired in 1976 and contained:

✔️ Men in drag

✔️ Absurdity

✔️ Switching from video to film and back

✔️ 4th Wall Breaking

✔️ Abrupt ending

In the DRAGNET sketch all the cops were in drag, notably Eric Idle and Dan Aykroyd, until John Belushi breaks the scene to point out that "drag doesn't work in America". They give up on the scene and cut to a short film, which picks up with a drag race between Idle and Aykroyd both running in drag.

Source Link to film: reddit archive

[lavenderprose]

We are about to engage in the MOST EXQUISITE nostalgia my friends. Only the real ones remember my Gravitation phase. You know who you are.

[ninetyminutes]

Michaels went to a midnight showing of Monty Python and the Holy Grail in L.A. with Rob Reiner, who'd been a writer for the Smothers Brothers. While waiting on line, they bumped into Chevy Chase, whom Reiner knew. Chase got Michaels's attention the way he often got attention, by doing an elaborate pratfall.

Michaels had admired his John Denver send-up in Lemmings. Chase had just written on a tepid Alan King special (he had a cameo as a streaker) and was living with Christopher Guest. He was on unemployment. Charmed, Michaels invited him to come by the Marmont.

When Chase dropped in, a marathon talking session swallowed the afternoon, and he became Michaels's wingman as he met with potential writers. "I knew instantly that Lorne was a funny guy," Chase said. "He wasn't an initiator of humor as much as a believer in humor."

[baltharino]

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

[arthur-two-sheds-jackson]

And now for something completely skimpy: Terry Jones backstage at the Hollywood Bowl, 1980, still reeling from the Comedy Lecture sketch

[montypythonswine]

Monty Python: The Meaning of Live review (2014)

I just watched Monty Python: The meaning of live which was basically a behind the scenes of the 2014 live shows but also talked through the history of the pythons performing live. I love any sort of behind the scenes documentary so I knew that I was going to love it (I had watched it before many years ago).

It was interesting to hear about the process of making the show as well as seeing the pythons interacting with each other behind the scenes (which lead to some really funny moments that made me cackle with laughter - I was thinking about creating a 'my favourite moments from the documentary either here on Tumblr or on Youtube depending on the length of the video).

Some parts were hard to watch though as you could see Terry J really struggling with his words and having to read off cards and it just made me sad but also wanting at that moment to give him a hug.

It kind of made me wish I could have gone to see them live eventhough I didn't know Monty Python existed then, I was young(ish) so my parents probably wouldn't have let me go anyway. Actually fun fact (but not really lol) the second to last show was on my birthday so imagine if I went and saw them on my birthday. I like imagining that bc I'm delusional.

Anyway, if you want to watch it I put a link

[yonderghostshistories]

Idk yesterday I got bored and decided to take pics of my 2 bookshelves (from the main living room and the middle room respectively) filled to the brim with books, DVDs and CDs (among other things) that I own/have got, and then I thought it’d be cool to show y’all my lovely collection of things.

Here’s my 2 Exquisite Collection of Things I have (mostly consisting of my special interests, both former and current <33)

(From the Main Living Room shelf)

Items Found:

Specific Labels for the things which are featured on my shelves :

(F) = Films

(TVS/MS) = TV Series/Miniseries

(CD) = Compact Disc(/s) (aka CDs)

(CT) = Cassette Tape(/s)

(B) = Books(/s)

(LP) = Live Performance

(Z) = Zine(/s)

#1 : (from top - bottom) (Left; Top Shelf)

DVDs including; “American Friends” (1991) (F), “Holy Flying Circus” (2011) (F), “In The Earth” (2021) (F), “A Field in England” (2013) (F), “A Liar’s Autobiography” (2012) (F), “Remember Me” (2014) (TVS/MS), “Vanity Fair” (2018) (TVS/MS)

#2 : (Middle; Top Shelf) “Torchwood : Tropical Beach Sounds & Other Relaxing Seascapes #4” (2020) (CD)

#3 : (from top - bottom) (Right; Top Shelf) DVDs including; “Psychoville” (2009-2011) (TVS/MS), “The League of Gentlemen: Live Again!” (2018) (F) (LP), “The League of Gentlemen Are Behind You!” (2006) (F) (LP), “The League of Gentlemen’s Apocalypse” (2005) (F), “The League of Gentlemen: Live At Drury Lane” (2001) (F) (LP), “The League of Gentlemen : The Complete Collection” (1999-2017) (TVS/MS)

#4 : (from top - bottom) (Left; Bottom Shelf) Books including; “A Kind of Spark” by Elle McNicoll (B), “My So-Called Bollywood Life” by Nisha Sharma (B), “Submarine” by Joe Dunthorne (B), “Baby Love” by Jacqueline Wilson (B), “The League of Gentlemen : A Local Book for Local People) (B) (a Tie-in Book for the TV show), “Ghosts : The Button House Archives” (B) (a Tie-in Book for the TV show)

#5 : (Bottom) (Right; Bottom Shelf)

“Be Funny Or Die” by Joel Morris (B)

(From the Middle Room Shelf)

#1 : (from top - bottom) (Left; Top Shelf) CDs & DVDs including; “Spot The Loony” (2015) (CD), “Spot The Loony” (2001) (CD), “Shanghai Knights” (2003) (F), “Harlots” (2017-2019) (TVS/MS), “Imagine Me & You” (2005) (F), “Monty Python : The Movies” (2006) (F), “Monty Python’s Flying Circus : The Complete Series 1-4 (1969-1974) Fully Restored in HD” (2019) (TVS/MS), “Queer As Folk : Definitive Collector’s Edition” (1999-2000)(TVS/MS)

#2 : (from top - bottom) (Right; Top Shelf) Books including; “Graham Crackers : Fuzzy Memoirs, Silly Bits and Outright Lies” by (Monty Python’s) Graham Chapman (compiled by Jim Yoakum) (B), “The Life of Graham : The Authorised Biography of Graham Chapman” by Bob McCabe (B), “Calcium Made Interesting : Sketches, Letters, Essays & Gondolas” by (Monty Python’s) Graham Chapman (edited by Jim Yoakum) (B), “OJRIL : The Completely Incomplete Graham Chapman (Unpublished Scripts by Monty Python’s Pipe-Smoking Genius)” by Graham Chapman (edited by Jim Yoakum) (B), “Ghosts : Brought to Life (The Making of a Classic)” (a BTS Tie-in book for the TV Show and that looks into the making of the show itself) (B), “There and Back : Diaries 1999-2009 (Volume #4)” by Michael Palin (B)

#3 : (top & across) (Left; Bottom Shelf)

Includes; “Peter Falk Tries on Hats” (a Zine about Peter Falk) by Ren Wednesday (Z), The Michael Palin Diaries Volumes #1-#3 (in chronological order; “The Python Years : Diaries 1969-79 (Volume #1)”, “Halfway to Hollywood : Diaries 1980-88 (Volume #2)”, “Traveling to Work : Diaries 1988-98 (Volume #3)”) (B)

#4 : (top - bottom) (Middle; Bottom Shelf) Books, Zines & DVDs including; “The Little Guide to Monty Python” (B), “High Precision Ghosts” (a Zine about Graham Chapman) by Ren Wednesday (Z), “A Liar’s Autobiography: Volume VI (#6)” by Graham Chapman (B), “A Liar’s Autobiography” the audiobook cassette tape from the 1980s, recorded by Graham Chapman (CT), “Medieval Lives” by Terry Jones & Alan Ereira (B) (a Tie-in book for the TV show), “Erebus : The Story of A Ship” by Michael Palin (B), “Spy” (2011-2012) (TVS/MS), “Murder Rooms : The Mysteries of The Real Sherlock Holmes” (2000-2001) (TVS/MS), “The Pythons Autobiography By The Pythons” by Bob McCabe (B), “Great Uncle Harry : A Tale of War and Empire” by Michael Palin (B)

#5 : (side and top - bottom) (Right; Bottom Shelf) Side (DVDs) includes; Hunderby (Series 1) (2012) (TVS/MS), Hunderby (Series 2) (2015) (TVS/MS)

Top - Bottom (DVDs) including; “(Monty Python’s) Graham Chapman : Looks Like A Brown Trouser Job” (2005) (F) (LP), “Mongrels” (2010-2011) (TVS/MS), “Romance With A Double Bass” (1974) (F), “Simon Magus” (1999)/“The Nine Lives Of Tomas Katz” (2000) (F), “Bunny And The Bull” (2009) (F), “Treacle Jr” (2010) (F), “The Taming Of The Shrew” (1980) (F), “It’s A Sin” (2021) (TVS/MS), “Do Not Adjust Your Set” (1967-1969) (TVS/MS), “At Last The 1948 Show” (1967) (TVS/MS), “The Terror” (Series 1 & 2) (2018-2019) (TVS/MS)

Anyway, that’s it for what’s on my shelves!! Do let me know y’all’s thoughts on my shelves full of stuff, and let me know which is your personal favourite thing(/s) from my shelves and why!!