- Documentary telling the history of the Python group, allowing a few glimpses at the works of its predecessors and various interviews with the group's members and other associated artists.
- (Note: Some international versions entitle this show as "Parrot Sketch Not Included - 20 Years of Monty Python".)
This program was a one-hour special produced and directed by Mark Redhead for Tiger Productions that gave a behind-the-scenes look at the Monty Python troupe, featuring interviews with the performers and highlights from the BBC TV series which ran from 1969 to 1974.
It celebrated the 20th Anniversary of the show, and was made just after the tragic death of Graham Chapman. There was plenty of nostalgia when the five remaining members greet at the start of the programme with plenty of references to just "being natural" and to ignore the "fly on the wall" cameras capturing the footage.
It leads with reactions to and memories of Python from US comedians Dan Aykroyd, Dudley Moore, Steve Martin and Chevy Chase, and then proceeds to mainly individual interviews of recollections with the Python members in different locations.
Some of the topics were, naturally, linked with extracts from sketches from the show.
Covering the history of the programme we turn to Barry Took who explains that after two episodes of "Marty" with Marty Feldman, the BBC asked him what was next. He explained he was looking to create an amalgamation of a show with some of the best writer-performers who were working at the time.
Accordingly it portrayed footage from "Do Not Adjust your Set" and "At Last the 1948 Show" which included British comic stalwarts such as Ronnie Barker, Ronnie Corbett, Denise Coffey, Tim Brooke-Taylor and David Jason. Also involved in these two shows, of course, were the Pythons.
The show's reaction from Americans is a subject covered at some length in the final third of the show, with vox populi from members of the "Monty Python US Fan Club" who actually "get" the show.
All the Pythons reported that they were astounded to be treated like rock stars when they did the live shows at the Hollywood Bowl and the New York Civic Centre in 1982.
The show concludes with a "what's next?" section.
Following the movies "Holy Grail" (1975) and "Life of Brian" (1979), both regarded as masterpieces, the one additional movie they made as a team "The Meaning of Life" (1983) was, of course, probably the least critically acclaimed production. The entire team agreed they had major problems with the writing process.
The consensus seemed to be that the entire team would not get back together, however they would all co-operate on various projects in pairs and trios.
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