Python Night – 30 Years Of Monty Python
''Python Night'' was an evening of Monty Python-related programmes broadcast on BBC2 on 9 October 1999, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the first broadcast of ''Monty Python's Flying Circus''. It featured newly written sketches, three documentaries and a screening of ''Monty Python's Life of Brian''. Only the documentaries were screened in the US, broadcast under the title ''The Life of Python'' on A&E Biography on 9 April 2000. Most of the evening's content was released in the US later in 2000 on the first disc of the A&E DVD box set ''The Life of Python''. In the UK many of the items were issued as bonus material on the BBC's 2004 '' Monty Python Live at Aspen'' DVD. Summary *''Introduction'' – After a cameo from the Mouse Organist, John Cleese tries to introduce the show. While he has a big rant about the 'bloody BBC', Luigi Vercotti shows up, shocks Cleese and threatens him to do Sainsbury commercials. Furthermore, Cleese suffers from the lack of budget at BBC2 (the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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John Cleese
John Marwood Cleese ( ; born 27 October 1939) is an English actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. Emerging from the Cambridge Footlights in the 1960s, he first achieved success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and as a scriptwriter and performer on '' The Frost Report''. In the late 1960s, he co-founded Monty Python, the comedy troupe responsible for the sketch show '' Monty Python's Flying Circus.'' Along with his Python co-stars Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin and Graham Chapman, Cleese starred in Monty Python films, which include '' Monty Python and the Holy Grail'' (1975), '' Life of Brian'' (1979) and '' The Meaning of Life'' (1983). In the mid-1970s, Cleese and first wife Connie Booth co-wrote the sitcom '' Fawlty Towers'', in which he starred as hotel owner Basil Fawlty, for which he won the 1980 British Academy Television Award for Best Entertainment Performance. In 2000 the show topped the British Film Institute's list of the 100 G ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Peter Sissons
Peter George Sissons (17 July 1942 – 1 October 2019) was an English journalist and broadcaster. He was a newscaster for ITN, providing bulletins on ITV and Channel 4, before becoming the presenter of the BBC's ''Question Time'' between 1989 and 1993, and a presenter of the ''BBC Nine O'Clock News'' and '' Ten O'Clock News'' between 1993 and 2003. He retired from the BBC in 2009 and died in 2019 from leukaemia at the age of 77. Early life Born at Smithdown Road Hospital in Liverpool on 17 July 1942, Sissons was the third of four brothers, sons of Merchant Navy officer George Robert Percival Sissons and his wife Elsie Emma (Evans). He attended Dovedale Junior School with John Lennon and Jimmy Tarbuck, passed the eleven-plus and attended the Liverpool Institute for Boys from 1953 to 1961 with the theatre producer Bill Kenwright, the politician Steven Norris, and George Harrison and Paul McCartney from the Beatles. He read philosophy, politics and economics at University C ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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Jeremy Paxman
Jeremy Dickson Paxman (born 11 May 1950) is an English broadcaster, journalist, author, and television presenter. Born in Leeds, Paxman was educated at Malvern College and St Catharine's College, Cambridge, where he edited the undergraduate newspaper ''Varsity''. At Cambridge, he was a member of a Labour Party club and described himself as a socialist, although in later life described himself as a one-nation conservative. He joined the BBC in 1972, initially at BBC Radio Brighton, although he relocated to London in 1977. In coming years, he worked on '' Tonight'' and ''Panorama'' before becoming a newsreader for the '' BBC Six O'Clock News'' and later a presenter on '' Breakfast Time''. In 1989, he became a presenter for the BBC Two programme ''Newsnight'', during which he interviewed a wide range of political figures. Paxman became known for his forthright and abrasive interviewing style, particularly when interrogating politicians. These appearances were sometimes critici ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mastermind (TV Series)
''Mastermind'' is a British television quiz show for the BBC, currently presented by Clive Myrie. Its creator, Bill Wright, drew inspiration from his experiences of being interrogated by the Gestapo during World War II. The show features an intimidating setting and challenging questions. Four (and in later contests five or six) contestants face two rounds, one on a specialised subject of the contestant's choice, the other a general knowledge round. ''Mastermind''s theme music is "Approaching Menace" by the British composer Neil Richardson. The show was recorded, with original presenter Magnus Magnusson, on location at UK universities. Later, it was recorded in Manchester at studios such as New Broadcasting House and Granada Studios, before moving to dock10 studios in 2011. The show relocated to Belfast for the 2019–2020 series. Format For the first round, each contestant in turn is given a set length of time, usually two minutes (one minute and a half in semi-finals), ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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Ministry Of Silly Walks
"The Ministry of Silly Walks" is a sketch from the Monty Python comedy troupe's television show ''Monty Python's Flying Circus'', series 2, episode 1, which is entitled "Face the Press". The episode first aired on 15 September 1970. A shortened version of the sketch was performed for ''Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl''. A satire on bureaucratic inefficiency, the sketch involves John Cleese as a bowler-hatted civil servant in a fictitious British government ministry responsible for developing silly walks through grants. Cleese, throughout the sketch, walks in a variety of silly ways. It is these various silly walks, more than the dialogue, that have earned the sketch its popularity. Cleese has cited the physical comedy of Max Wall, probably in character as Professor Wallofski, as important to its conception. Ben Beaumont-Thomas in ''The Guardian'' writes, "Cleese is utterly deadpan as he takes the stereotypical bowler-hatted political drone and ruthlessly skewers him. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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The Fish-Slapping Dance
The Fish-Slapping Dance is a comedy sketch written and performed by the ''Monty Python'' team. The sketch was originally recorded in 1971 for a pan-European May Day special titled ''Euroshow 71''. In 1972 it was broadcast as part of episode two of series three of ''Monty Python's Flying Circus'', which was titled "Mr & Mrs Brian Norris' Ford Popular". Overview The sketch stars John Cleese and Michael Palin in safari outfits and pith helmets at the side of a lock (Teddington Lock in west London to be more specific). Both are facing each other and light orchestral music plays while Palin dances towards Cleese, lightly slapping him in the face with two small pilchards, and returning to his starting spot. After Palin does this four times, he returns to his starting spot and stands still. In traditional British folk dancing, of which this is reminiscent, one would now expect the other dancer to repeat these steps. Instead, the music stops, Cleese reveals his fish – a much larger tr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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Monty Python's The Meaning Of Life
''Monty Python's The Meaning of Life'', also known simply as ''The Meaning of Life'', is a 1983 British musical sketch comedy film written and performed by the Monty Python troupe, directed by Terry Jones. ''The Meaning of Life'' was the last feature film to star all six Python members before the death of Graham Chapman in 1989. Unlike ''Holy Grail'' and '' Life of Brian'', the film's two predecessors, which each told a single, more-or-less coherent story, ''The Meaning of Life'' returned to the sketch format of the troupe's original television series and their first film from twelve years earlier, '' And Now for Something Completely Different'', loosely structured as a series of comic sketches about the various stages of life. It was accompanied by the short film '' The Crimson Permanent Assurance''. Released on 23 June 1983 in the United Kingdom, ''The Meaning of Life'' was not as acclaimed as its predecessors, but was still well received critically and was a minor box offic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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Matt Stone
Matthew Richard Stone (born May 26, 1971) is an American actor, animator, filmmaker, and composer. He is known for co-creating '' South Park'' (since 1997) and '' The Book of Mormon'' (2011) with his creative partner Trey Parker. Stone was interested in film and music as a child and at high school, and attended the University of Colorado Boulder, where he met Parker. The two collaborated on various short films, and starred in the feature-length musical '' Cannibal! The Musical'' (1993). Stone and Parker moved to Los Angeles and wrote their second film, '' Orgazmo'' (1997). Before the premiere of the film, ''South Park'' premiered on Comedy Central in August 1997. The duo possess full creative control of the show, and have produced music and video games based on it. A film based on the series, '' South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut'' (1999), received good reviews from both critics and fans. Stone went on to write, produce, and star in the satirical action film '' Team America: Wor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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Trey Parker
Randolph Severn "Trey" Parker III (born October 19, 1969) is an American actor, animator, filmmaker, and composer. He is known for co-creating ''South Park'' (since 1997) and ''The Book of Mormon'' (2011) with his creative partner Matt Stone. Parker was interested in film and music as a child and at high school and attended the University of Colorado Boulder, where he met Stone. The two collaborated on various short films. They also co-wrote and co-starred in the feature-length musical ''Cannibal! The Musical'' (1993). Parker and Stone moved to Los Angeles and wrote their second film, ''Orgazmo'' (1997). Before the premiere of the film, ''South Park'' premiered on Comedy Central in August 1997. The duo possess full creative control of the show, and have produced music and video games based on it. A film based on the series, '' South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut'' (1999), received good reviews from both critics and fans. Parker went on to write, produce, direct, and star in the s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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Kevin Kline
Kevin Delaney Kline (born October 24, 1947) is an American actor. He is the recipient of an Academy Award and three Tony Awards. In addition, he has received nominations for two British Academy Film Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and five Golden Globe Awards. In 2003, Kline was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame. Kline began his career on stage in 1972 with The Acting Company. He has gone on to win three Tony Awards for his work on Broadway, winning Best Featured Actor in a Musical for the 1978 original production of '' On the Twentieth Century'', Best Actor in a Musical for the 1981 revival of ''The Pirates of Penzance''. In 2003, he starred as Falstaff in the Broadway production of '' Henry IV'', for which he won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play. In 2017 he won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for the revival of Noël Coward's '' Present Laughter''. He made his film debut in romantic drama '' Sophie's Choice'' (1982). For his ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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Robin Williams
Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian. Known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and comedies alike, he is regarded as one of the greatest comedians of all time. Williams began performing stand-up comedy in San Francisco and Los Angeles during the mid-1970s, and rose to fame playing the alien Mork in the ABC sitcom '' Mork & Mindy'' (1978–1982). After his first leading film role in '' Popeye'' (1980), he starred in several critically and commercially successful films, including '' The World According to Garp'' (1982), '' Moscow on the Hudson'' (1984), '' Good Morning, Vietnam'' (1987), '' Dead Poets Society'' (1989), '' Awakenings'' (1990), '' The Fisher King'' (1991), '' Patch Adams'' (1998), '' One Hour Photo'' (2002), and '' World's Greatest Dad'' (2009). He also starred in box office successes such as ''Hook'' (1991), ' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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Frank Skinner
Christopher Graham Collins (born 28 January 1957), professionally known as Frank Skinner, is an English comedian, actor, presenter and writer. At the 2001 British Comedy Awards, he was named Best Comedy Entertainment Personality. His television work includes '' Fantasy Football League'' from 1994 to 2004, '' The Frank Skinner Show'' from 1995 to 2005, '' Baddiel and Skinner Unplanned'' from 2000 to 2005, and '' Room 101'' from 2012 to 2018. Since 2009 he has hosted ''The Frank Skinner Show'' on Absolute Radio, broadcast live on Saturdays and later released as a podcast. Along with David Baddiel, he provided vocals and wrote the lyrics for " Three Lions", the official song in collaboration with Liverpudlian indie band The Lightning Seeds, to mark the England national football team's participation in the 1996 European Championship (which was hosted in England); he also reprised his role to release two subsequent versions of the song for the England team's involvement in the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |