The Complete Monty Python's Flying Circus

Author: Monty Python
Publisher: Pantheon
ISBN: 0679726470
Category : Humor
Languages : en
Pages : 350

Book Description
***ALMOST CERTAINLY NOMINATED FOR SOMETHING SOMEWHERE*** The complete scripts from the four Monty Python series, first shown on BBC television between 1969 and 1974, have been collected in two companion volumes. Characters' names, often not spoken, are given as in the original scripts, along with the names of the actual performer added on their first appearance in each sketch. This first volume contains twenty-three classic episodes, featuring some of the most entertaining writing to have gone into television anywhere. The minister of silly walks, the dead parrot, banter in a cheese shop - here is every silly, satirical skit, every snide insult, every saucy aside.

Monty Python's Flying Circus

Author: Graham Chapman
Publisher: Methuen Publishing
ISBN: 9780413741004
Category : Monty Python's Flying Circus (Television program)
Languages : en
Pages : 336

Book Description
The complete unexpurgated scripts of the original television series--except for, of course, the animation bits This volume includes the scripts of all 23 episodes from the first and second series of the famous Monty Python's Flying Circus shows. Well loved and much quoted pieces such as "The Lumberjack Song," The Architect Sketch," "The Spanish Inquisition," "Archaeology Today," "Dead Parrot," "Test Match," and "Hell's Grannies" are included in this volume.

Always Look on the Bright Side of Life

Author: Eric Idle
Publisher: Crown Archetype
ISBN: 1984822608
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 314

Book Description
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the ingenious comic performer, founding member of Monty Python, and creator of Spamalot comes an absurdly funny memoir of unparalleled wit and heartfelt candor—now featuring a new afterword. “A hilarious, charming book by this incredible, i̶n̶s̶u̶f̶f̶e̶r̶a̶b̶l̶e̶ interesting genius.”—Steve Martin We know him best for his unforgettable roles on Monty Python—from the Flying Circus to The Meaning of Life. Now, Eric Idle reflects on the meaning of his own life in this entertaining memoir that takes us on a remarkable journey from his childhood in an austere boarding school through his successful career in comedy, television, theater, and film. Coming of age as a writer and comedian during the Sixties and Seventies, Eric stumbled into the crossroads of the cultural revolution and found himself rubbing shoulders with the likes of George Harrison, David Bowie, and Robin Williams, all of whom became dear lifelong friends. With anecdotes sprinkled throughout involving other close friends and luminaries such as Mike Nichols, Mick Jagger, Steve Martin, Paul Simon, Lorne Michaels, and many more, as well as John Cleese and the Pythons themselves, Eric captures a time of tremendous creative output with equal parts hilarity and heart. In Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, named for the song he wrote for Life of Brian and which has since become the number one song played at funerals in the UK, he shares the highlights of his life and career with the kind of offbeat humor that has delighted audiences for five decades. 2019 marked the fiftieth anniversary of The Pythons, and Eric commemorated the occasion with this hilarious memoir chock full of behind-the-scenes stories from a high-flying life featuring everyone from Princess Leia to Queen Elizabeth.

So, Anyway...

Author: John Cleese
Publisher: Crown Archetype
ISBN: 0385348258
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 397

Book Description
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “John Cleese’s memoir is just about everything one would expect of its author—smart, thoughtful, provocative and above all funny. . . . A picture, if you will, of the artist as a young man.”—The Washington Post The legendary writer and performer of Monty Python and Fawlty Towers fame takes readers on a grand tour of his ascent in the entertainment world John Cleese’s huge comedic influence has stretched across generations; his sharp irreverent eye and the unique brand of physical comedy he perfected now seem written into comedy’s DNA. In this rollicking memoir, Cleese recalls his humble beginnings in a sleepy English town, his early comedic days at Cambridge University (with future Python partner Graham Chapman), and the founding of the landmark comedy troupe that would propel him to worldwide renown. Cleese was just days away from graduating Cambridge and setting off on a law career when he was visited by two BBC executives, who offered him a job writing comedy for radio. That fateful moment—and a near-simultaneous offer to take his university humor revue to London’s famed West End—propelled him down a different path, cutting his teeth writing for stars like David Frost and Peter Sellers, and eventually joining the five other Pythons to pioneer a new kind of comedy that prized invention, silliness, and absurdity. Along the way, he found his first true love with the actress Connie Booth and transformed himself from a reluctant performer to a world class actor and back again. Twisting and turning through surprising stories and hilarious digressions—with some brief pauses along the way that comprise a fascinating primer on what’s funny and why—this story of a young man’s journey to the pinnacle of comedy is a masterly performance by a master performer.

The Pythons' Autobiography By The Pythons

Author: Graham Chapman (Estate)
Publisher: Hachette UK
ISBN: 1409156788
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 547

Book Description
This is the definitive, the official, the most lavish, the completely-different-to-anything-done-before Pythons' autobiography, reissued to coincide with the eagerly-anticipated live shows. Over forty years ago, a group of five Englishmen - and one wayward American - rewrote the rules of comedy. MONTY PYTHON'S FLYING CIRCUS, an unheralded, previously unseen half-hour show of sketches, hilarities, inanities and animations, first appeared on the BBC late one night in 1969. Its impact has been felt on the world ever since. From its humble beginnings, it blossomed into the most influential movement in modern comedy. THE PYTHONS' AUTOBIOGRAPHY BY THE PYTHONS is a unique look at arguably the most important comic team of the modern age, with 64 pages of photographs, many culled from the team's own personal collections, many more seen for the first time. This is the definitive word on all things Pythonesque.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail

Author: John Cleese
Publisher: Methuen Publishing
ISBN:
Category : Drama
Languages : en
Pages : 124

Book Description
The Monty Python team's first feature film is a mock-heroic tale set in Medieval Britain.

And Now for Something Completely Different

Author: Kate Egan
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press
ISBN: 1474475175
Category : Electronic books
Languages : en
Pages : 256

Book Description
Examining Monty Python's enduring status as an unconventional, anti-authoritarian comedy touchstone, this book reappraises Python's comedy output from the perspective of its 50 years of cultural circulation. Reconsidering the group's originality, impact and durability, a range of international scholars explores Python's influences, production contexts, frequently controversial themes, and the cult status and forms of fandom associated with Python in the present day. From television sketches, including The Funniest Joke in the World, Hell's Grannies, Dead Parrot and Confuse-a-Cat, to the films Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Life of Brian and The Meaning of Life, to songs from the albums and live shows, this book is a ground-breaking critical analysis of the Monty Python phenomenon.

Monty Python

Author: Douglas McCall
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 078647811X
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 391

Book Description
A chronological listing of the creative output and other antics of the members of the British comedy group Monty Python, both as a group and individually. Coverage spans between 1969 (the year Monty Python's Flying Circus debuted) and 2012. Entries include television programs, films, stage shows, books, records and interviews. Back matter features an appendix of John Cleese's hilarious business-training films; an index of Monty Python's sketches and songs; an index of Eric Idle's sketches and songs; as well as a general index and selected bibliography.

Monty Python's Big Red Book

Author: Graham Chapman
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780413777423
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

Book Description
October 2019 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the first broadcast of Monty Python's Flying Circus on BBC Television. This humorous book contains zany writing and illustrations used by Monty Python. Graham Chapman's education and vocational training occurred variously in such places as the Midlands, Eton, the University of Cambridge, St Swithin's Hospital, on tour in a revue with John Cleese in New Zealand and on the island of Ibiza with David Frost. He was the author of A Liar's Autobiography and he also wrote for Monty Python's Flying Circus and the TV show Doctor in the House. Graham Chapman died in 1989. John Cleese was educated at the University of Cambridge where he performed in Footlights and then went to work in London as a performer and as a comedy writer for the BBC. Besides his work with Python he is best known for his TV series Fawlty Towers (co-written with Connie Booth), the books he has written with psychologist Robin Skinner and films such as Clockwise, A Fish Called Wanda and Fierce Creatures. Eric Idle was educated at the University of Cambridge where he joined the Footlights Club becoming president of the club in 1965. He created and acted in The Rutles and has appeared in numerous films including The Adventures of Baron Munchausen and wrote the book, and co-wrote the lyrics, for the award-winning musical Spamalot (based on Monty Python & The Holy Grail). Educated at the University of Oxford, Terry Jones worked in theatre, and wrote revues and scripts for the BBC before becoming one of the creators of Monty Python. He has written many books for children and is also the author (with other scholars) of Who Murdered Chaucer? and a study of Chaucer's Knight. He has directed such films as Personal Services, Erik the Viking and The Wind in the Willows, along with all the Python films. Michael Palin was born in Sheffield in 1943 and lives with his wife Helen in North London. His adventures around the world have been huge bestsellers. His books (all of which have accompanied his documentaries for the BBC) include Around the World in 80 Days, Pole to Pole, Full Circle, Sahara and Himalaya. His films have included The Missionary and A Private Function. As part of the Monty Python team, Terry Gilliam produced the series' bizarre animations as well as performing. His subsequent career has encompassed animation and film-making, and he has directed films including The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, Brazil, Twelve Monkeys and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

Parody

Author: Beate Müller
Publisher: Rodopi
ISBN: 9789042002173
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 340

Book Description
Parody is a most iridescent phenomenon: of ancient Greek origin, parody's very malleability has allowed it to survive and to conquer Western cultures. Changing discourse on parody, its complex relationship with related humorous forms (e.g. travesty, burlesque, satire), its ability to cross genre boundaries, the many parodies handed down by tradition, and its ubiquity in contemporary culture all testify to its multifaceted nature. No wonder that 'parody' has become a phrase without clear meaning. The essays in this collection reflect the multidimensionality of recent parody studies. They pay tribute to its long and varied tradition, covering examples of parodic practice from the Middle Ages to the present day and dealing with English, American, postcolonial, Austrian, and German parodies. The papers range from the Medieval classics (e.g. Chaucer), parodies of Shakespeare, and the role of parody in German Romanticism, to parodies of fin-de-si�cle literature and the intertextual puzzles of the late twentieth century (such as cross-dressing, Schwab's Faustparody, and Rushdie's Satanic Verses). And they have transformed the contentious nature of parody into a diverse range of methodologies. In doing so, these essays offer a survey of the current state of parody studies.