There have been many Monty Python retrospectives on tv just lately. Must be some sort of anniversary. There also appears to be a musical coming to the West End inspired by the show.
Lovely. When I was at school (1976-1981) the show was revered, particularly by the older boys, who went around obsessively quoting their favourite Python sketches, frequently mimicking the voices as well. (He's not the Messiah, he's a very naughty boy.)
Python was hilarious, and it was radical. But now, to me, it just looks twee and outdated. God, I'm A Lumberjack? Again? Really??
Maybe I've just seen it too many times. I'm not interested in convincing people I know what's contemporary, but that looks as old now as Arthur Askey and Tommy Trinder looked to me when Python were current.
Spike Milligan's contemporaneous shows have some outdated comic archetypes and set pieces, but his anarchy remains unsurpassed by new generations of comedians. Of course, no one since has had quite as many bats loose in their personal belfry as dear old demented Spike.
2 comments:
You know, I'm the only one I know who quotes sayings from The Young Ones.
I've always liked Monty Python, I suppose you have been around longer and probably do find their work outdated. I bought the Holy Grail DVD earlier this year and found an extra thing on the disc. You remember the Knights of Camelot song and dance number? Well, in this snippet, all the characters were lego men and the scenery/props were lego pieces. They even inserted an old sketch from the shows about the dead parrot, and made the parrot and man lego.
If you think about it, they just slightly updated the gags albeit with singing and dancing lego men.
I LOVED The Young Ones. Can't remember too many of the lines, though, other than that one about being bitten by a vampire: "I'm half alive and half dead. Kind of like Leonard Cohen." Now, THAT was funny.
I think you're right, I've just seen the Python sketches too often. Plus they are all over the fucking tv right now because the SPAMALOT musical has just opened in London. 'S enough to make even the most ardent fan want to kick in the tv screen!
However, I am a grumpy old fucker, and I have a tendency to do 180 degree turns within the space of a few minutes. So tomorrow I'll probably like Python more than you!
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