Monty Python reform!

[Rufus]

4shares..It's NOT a dead parrot! Monty Python stars to reform 30 years after they last worked together
•Legendary funnymen - all now in their seventies - will put on show together

•John Cleese, 74, Terry Gilliam, 72, Terry Jones, 71, Eric Idle, 70, and Michael Palin, 70 last performed live in 1982
•Their last film, Monty Python's The Meaning Of Life, was released in 1983
•Details of their show will be revealed at official conference this Thursday
•The sixth Python, Graham Chapman, died of cancer aged just 48 in 1989

By Harriet Arkell
PUBLISHED: 10:00, 19 November 2013 | UPDATED: 12:30, 19 November 2013


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The cult comedy group Monty Python are to re-form officially, three decades after they last worked together.
The five surviving members John Cleese, 74, Terry Gilliam, 72, Terry Jones, 71, Eric Idle, 70, and Michael Palin, 70, will appear in the show, details of which have not yet been released.
This morning Terry Jones confirmed rumours the iconic team behind cult comedies such as their dead parrot sketch was getting back together, saying: 'We're getting together and putting on a show - it's real.'
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Getting back together: The five remaining stars of Monty Python (from left: Eric Idle, Terry Jones, John Cleese, Michael Palin, Terry Gilliam, and Graham Chapman who died in 1989) are to reunite for a show

Cult comedy: The group's surreal TV series Monty Python's Flying Circus was first broadcast in 1969
The news will thrill fans of the legendary funnymen whose surreal TV series Monty Python's Flying Circus was first broadcast in 1969.
They will make their announcement after keeping their plans, worked out during months of secret talks, under wraps.

A spokesman for the Pythons remained tight-lipped on what form the reunion would take, and whether they would perform live, in a TV special or film.
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But he said: 'A press conference is set for Thursday where the Pythons themselves will be unveiling their plans to work together again.'
Idle tweeted: 'Only three days to go till the Python press conference. Make sure Python fans are alerted to the big forthcoming news event.'
Monty Python's Flying Circus, famous for its Dead Parrot sketch, was made for TV between 1969 and 1974.
Trailer for 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Comedy veterans: Michael Palin, Terry Gilliam, and Terry Jones (left to right) will get back together with John Clees and Eric Idle for the show
The Pythons went on to make films including Monty Python And The Holy Grail (1975) and Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979).

They last performed live together in Monty Python Live At The Hollywood Bowl in 1982.

Their final film, Monty Python's The Meaning Of Life, released the following year, was the last time the six Pythons worked together on a full-time project.
Sixth Python Graham Chapman died of cancer in 1989, prompting fears the group would never reunite, and since then the remaining members of the group have talked down any speculation that they might get back together.
A reunion featuring an American tour was discussed in 1999, but it never went ahead, and in 2003 John Cleese appeared to rule out a reunion altogether, saying it was 'absolutely impossible' even to get a majority of the surviving comedians in a room together.
He said Palin, who makes travel programmes, was always away, Idle was based in Los Angeles, Gilliam was busy fund-raising, and Jones was busy with a variety of occupations.
The musical Spamalot, based on Python's film Holy Grail, has filled a gap for fans of their offbeat comedy, but news of their reunion will be greeted with enthusiasm by Python fans around the world.

MONTY PYTHON STARS - WHAT HAVE THEY DONE SINCE?
JOHN CLEESE: Now 74, Cleese has had a long career of acting success since his days with Monty Python. His work writing and starring in BBC hotel comedy series Fawlty Towers won him the greatest acclaim, and he also appeared in films including A Fish Called Wanda, Clockwise, and Bond films The World Is Not Enough and Die Another Day.
Four-times married Cleese has also found success with a string of one-man shows.
TERRY GILLIAM: After Python the 72-year-old went on to become a successful screenwriter and director, with hits including The Fisher King, Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas, and The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus.
John Cleese, left, is a successful actor and stand-up, while Terry Gilliam is a well-known director and writer

The American-born Python has been married to British wife Maggie for 40 years, and they have three grown-up children. In 2006 he renounced his U.S. citizenship in protest at President George W Bush, and spends a lot of his time in Umbria, Italy, because he can now only spend 29 days a year in America.
TERRY JONES: The Welsh-born comedian went on to work as a director, author and musician. Now 71, he went on to co-write the screenplay for Labyrinth, and directed Erik The Viking and The Wind In The Willows. Last year Jones, who is married to wife of 42 years Alison Telfer, announced that he had proposed to lover Anna Soderstrom, 30, with whom he has a three-year-old daughter, Siri.
Life after Python: Terry Jones, now 71, and Eric Idle, now 70, went on work in the entertainment industry

ERIC IDLE: After Python Idle, now 70, went on to act in and do voiceovers for various projects including Robbie Coltrane's Nuns On The Run, Terry Jones's The Wind In The Willows (Idle played Ratty), South Park and The Simpsons. In 2004 he created Spamalot, the musical based on Monty Python's Holy Grail, and he performed his 1991 hit song Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life at the London 2012 Olympics closing ceremony.
MICHAEL PALIN: Sheffield-born Palin, 70, has gone on to find further fame as a maker of travel documentaries, a career he stumbled upon after making a show about his childhood love of train journeys for the BBC in 1980. Since then he has made programmes including Michael Palin: Around The World In 80 Days, Michael Palin's Hemingway Adventure, and Himalaya With Michael Palin. He and wife Helen have three grown-up children and when not travelling he lives with her in north London.
Michael Palin, left, became known for his travel shows and books while Graham Chapman died young in 1989

GRAHAM CHAPMAN: Leicester-born Chapman, who played the lead in Holy Grail and Life Of Brian, went on to write shows after Monty Python but never achieved such great success. He died, after developing tonsil cancer and secondary spinal cancer, aged 48 in 1989. Speaking at a private memorial service for Chapman, Cleese claimed later that he was the first person in Britain to say f*** at a memorial service.

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[trurl]

Well... the last couple times two or three of them have got together the results have been almost aggressively unfunny. They've all changed so much as people it seems they're all better left to their individual pursuits at this point. But hope springs eternal.

[JKL2000]

Well... the last couple times two or three of them have got together the results have been almost aggressively unfunny. They've all changed so much as people it seems they're all better left to their individual pursuits at this point. But hope springs eternal.

What were those times? Do you remember any? I might not have seen them.

I was lucky enough to see Monty Python live on stage in the 70s - a great event in my youth, as my whole family were big fans. I also heard Graham Chapman speak when I was in college - glad I had that chance to hear him.

I would guess this will be something for TV, though.

[PeterG]

Never thought they were funny at all, on TV or in film.

[Wisdomview]

^yet you chose to open the thread?

Fwiw, I'm a big fan. Cool news, yo.

[trurl]

I was a huge fan of the movies and the original shows. I remember a couple specials; one might have been on HBO? They were taking questions from a live audience and they had an urn with ashes that purported to be Graham and they heaped abuse upon it... the attempts to do the old style humor that we now think of as "Python-esque" fell very very flat, imo.

[PeterG]

Yes.

[Dave (in MA)]

^yet you chose to open the thread?

Yes.

[Obscured]

Well...they actually did reunite a month and a half ago-

[Zonefish]

the results have been almost aggressively unfunny.

Agreed...Eric Idle has been the worst transgressor; essentially reworking old material into the mashup Spamalot. I really wanted it to be funny, but it came off stale---kind of like watching Milton Berle in the 1980s. Now I LOVE Python, but I think they have grown creatively bankrupt. I thought A Fish Called Wanda was brilliant, but most of the other output (Fierce Animals, Nuns on the Run) just missed the mark. Idle also recently did a comedy special in which Palin also appeared that was cringeworthy. I do like Palin's travel docs and Jones' history send ups are pleasant enough and Gilliam is brilliant or a spectacular mess.

Bottom line, if it is new material, I am willing to give it a go, but if it is just walk on stage and talk about dead parrots, I will pass.

[Jerjo]

Bottom line, if it is new material, I am willing to give it a go, but if it is just walk on stage and talk about dead parrots, I will pass.

True, the best recycling of the old stuff was the Hollywood Bowl show.

[Yanks2014]

Never thought they were funny at all, on TV or in film.

Wow. It takes all kinds I guess. For me personally, Holy Grail changed my life. Seeing this movie in the theater as an 8 year old, I didn't get more than half the humor. But it was enough to become a fan for life. I can't get together with my family for any get together without someone making a Python reference. And big meals, well obviously a certain Meaning of Life scene comes to mind. BTW, I share the same birthday as John Cleese, which I always thought was cool.

[rapidfirerob]

I'm hoping for the best. Always loved these guys!

[ThomasKDye]

Not that I want to turn this into a "favorite Python moments" thread, but I might anyway. One of the problems is that Graham Chapman was such an underrated part of the matrix, and really rarely got his due. "Yellowbeard" proved he worked better at support, but what he did, he did marvelously. My two favorite Python sketches ever depend upon his presence to really deliver the laughs:



Authority is a scary thing, especially when it rigidifies art into meaninglessness.



If you were married to a screechy, overbearing Graham Chapman, you'd deliberately go deaf too.

[ronmac]

THEY'RE NOT DEAD YET!!!!!!!!

[Rufus]

Agreed...Eric Idle has been the worst transgressor; essentially reworking old material into the mashup Spamalot. I really wanted it to be funny, but it came off stale---kind of like watching Milton Berle in the 1980s. Now I LOVE Python, but I think they have grown creatively bankrupt. I thought A Fish Called Wanda was brilliant, but most of the other output (Fierce Animals, Nuns on the Run) just missed the mark. Idle also recently did a comedy special in which Palin also appeared that was cringeworthy. I do like Palin's travel docs and Jones' history send ups are pleasant enough and Gilliam is brilliant or a spectacular mess.

Bottom line, if it is new material, I am willing to give it a go, but if it is just walk on stage and talk about dead parrots, I will pass.

I thought 'Clockwork' was excellent & 'Fawlty Towers' even surpassed Monty Python for me!

[Dave (in MA)]

'Fawlty Towers' even surpassed Monty Python for me!

[Jerjo]

Fawlty Towers might have been one of the best written comedy shows. I know Cleese said it took weeks to write an episode because they just kept trying to turn the screws tighter and tighter on Basil.

"He no rat, he hamster!"

Here's Graham Chapman at his best

[ronmac]

Yep, great show, Fawlty Towers. I have all 13 (?) episodes. If there was ever a series that should have run longer...

That rat episode is one of the funniest things ever!

[Rufus]

Yep, great show, Fawlty Towers. I have all 13 (?) episodes. If there was ever a series that should have run longer...

That rat episode is one of the funniest things ever!

Wow, thought they made more than that?

[JKL2000]

Another HUGE Fawlty Towers fan here - my wife, kids, and I have watched each episode dozens of times. I agree it's the BEST of any Python related output. For us, it's right up there with the original Honeymooners episodes as the most re-watchable TV ever. It just gets better with each viewing.

Aside from Fawlty Towers, the other Pythoniana I got the most mileage out of was the books (they did a few big, trade paperback books). They're very funny, and it's all different from what was on TV. I loved the original TV show at the times - some of it has aged well, and some of it hasn't. There's some classic stuff there. And of course, the Holy Grail is great. I agree that the musical isn't very good though. BTW, the worst musical I've ever seen (and I've seen a lot) was Young Frankenstein. That was a piece of garbage, yet it made big money.

I don't have high hopes for a reunion being very funny though.

[trurl]

Agreed...Eric Idle has been the worst transgressor; essentially reworking old material into the mashup Spamalot. I really wanted it to be funny, but it came off stale---kind of like watching Milton Berle in the 1980s. Now I LOVE Python, but I think they have grown creatively bankrupt. I thought A Fish Called Wanda was brilliant, but most of the other output (Fierce Animals, Nuns on the Run) just missed the mark. Idle also recently did a comedy special in which Palin also appeared that was cringeworthy. I do like Palin's travel docs and Jones' history send ups are pleasant enough and Gilliam is brilliant or a spectacular mess.

Bottom line, if it is new material, I am willing to give it a go, but if it is just walk on stage and talk about dead parrots, I will pass.

Yep, spot on... now meaning of Life was heading to an interesting, very cynical and frankly mean place. If they can go there again as truly angry old men about to die (well, the rest of them, anyway) the result might be a vitriolic masterpiece.

[Progatron]

I was a huge fan of the movies and the original shows. I remember a couple specials; one might have been on HBO? They were taking questions from a live audience and they had an urn with ashes that purported to be Graham and they heaped abuse upon it... the attempts to do the old style humor that we now think of as "Python-esque" fell very very flat, imo.

Yes, that was the one where they 'accidentally' knocked the urn over and Gilliam scooped up the ashes.

I thought 'Clockwork' was excellent & 'Fawlty Towers' even surpassed Monty Python for me!

"Clockwise", I think you mean, was very good, I agree! Nice to see another fan of that. Fawlty Towers I've watched so many times I could probably recite each episode. But I won't. Because nobody likes that guy.

I love Python movies but far more than that, I love Flying Circus. I grew up listening to their albums too, with my friends and I crying from laughing at the sketches. Not many people today realize they released albums.

Any fans of "Yellowbeard" here? How about "Mr. Neutron"?

[trurl]

Clockwise was brilliant. Yellowbeard was a horrific mess- and yet, I like it- apart from Cheech and Chong John Cleese loathes it.

[Progatron]

Clockwise was brilliant. Yellowbeard was a horrific mess- and yet, I like it- apart from Cheech and Chong John Cleese loathes it.

Yeah, Cleese did it only as a favour to his friend Graham but claims it is "the worst script" he's ever seen. I just love the movie myself, but I was about ten when it came out and watched it over and over again. What a shame so many actors in that film are long gone (James Mason, Marty Feldman, Graham Chapman, the lovely Madeline Kahn)...