Waste of time

So much average

An Exercise In Nonsense

A Disappointing Continuation

This is a harmless mock documentary made just before the TV series "Monty Python's Flying Circus" debuted. It stars John Cleese, but Michael Palin and Graham Chapman are on hand as well as a few others. But, most importantly, this is not a Python production and the chemistry of the later television show is not evident here since it lacks many key actors/writers. Most will find the show mildly interesting at best or even a tad dull because it lacks the crazy humor and polish of later productions. Die-hard Python fans will fall into one of two camps--those who love the show but are reasonable people who can admit this is far from great and those who see EVERY production any Python member participates as pure gold (these are known as "the Kool-Aid Drinkers"). I love the Monty Python series having seen it innumerable times, but I just can't recommend this show unless you are really curious or really bored.

There are some truly funny bits in this video, but not enough. The humor is gloriously Python, complete with "pepperpot" ladies with their outrageous voices. Each actor does very well, with Graham Chapman a real standout.Unfortunately the material is very uneven and goes too long without laugh lines. When the lines do come, it's harder to get into the swing of things because you've gone so long without anything to build up to them. This isn't helped by lack of audience reaction. They would've been far better served by using fake applause à la Python than by using the live audience, which (especially at the start) seemed befuddled by what was going on.I made it through an hour but then felt I'd had enough. It was just taking too much time to get to anything funny. A severely edited version might be more successful, but that certainly won't be happening!

Python's genius was in identifying and breaking the norms of TV, just as the Beatles broke those of music and Godard, film. But this pre-Python program follows the conventions. Rather than sketches being interrupted by the army, they build up to a conventional punchline. Sketches are self-contained; characters from one sketch do not appear in another threatening each other to stop using their lines. Credits flash on the screen as they would anywhere else. Very conventional comedy from some comedians who would soon help break the conventions, but haven't yet.If this had been included as an extra on a Python DVD, it would have been a great one. But since you have to buy it as its own title, it doesn't fare as well.

This is a brilliant satirical comedy, made by John Cleese, Michael Palin and Graham Chapman before Monty Python, and it is a lot funnier. It is not too bizarre, the material is very original and the characterisations are far stronger. It basically consists of John Cleese talking about ways to irritate people, and showing sketches as examples. The sketches are hilarious, and nearly every character can be linked to someone you know. Particularly good are the annoying 'pepperpots' who sit behind you in the cinema, talking and commenting, the mother who uses emotional blackmail to persuade you to spend more time with her, the dodgy car salesman, who refuses to admit there is a fault with the car, and the job interviewer, who gets you to perform absurd tasks. All in all it is one of the funniest collection of sketches ever made.