Monty Python-related stories
Posted Oct 22nd 2009 12:11PM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: Late Night, Programming, Celebrities, Talk Show, What To Watch Tonight, Reality-Free
At 7:30, FOX has Baseball Playoffs, the Yankees vs. the Angels.- At 8, ABC has a new FlashForward, followed by new episodes of Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice.
- CBS has a new Survivor at 8, then a new CSI.
- NBC has new episodes of Community, Parks and Recreation, The Office, 30 Rock, and The Jay Leno Show.
- ESPN has College Football at 8, Florida State at North Carolina.
- At 9, Comedy Central has the series premiere of The Jeff Dunham Show.
- MTV has a new Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory at 9, followed by a new Nitro Circus.
- Spike has a new TNA Wrestling at 9.
- Cartoon Network has a new Total Drama Action at 9.
- TLC has a new American Chopper at 9.
- Also at 9: IFC has a new Monty Python: Almost The Truth (The Lawyer's Cut).
- At 10, FX has a new It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia.
- Comedy Central has a new Tosh.0 at 10.
- Bravo has a new Real Housewives of Atlanta at 10.
- Food Network has a new Ace of Cakes at 10.
Check your
local TV listings for more.
After the jump, the late night talk shows.
Continue reading What's On Tonight: Community, Grey's Anatomy, Jeff Dunham Show
Posted Oct 21st 2009 12:19PM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: Late Night, Programming, Celebrities, Talk Show, What To Watch Tonight, Reality-Free
At 8, ABC has a new Hank, followed by new episodes of The Middle, Modern Family, Cougar Town, and Eastwick.- CBS has a new Old Christine at 8, then new episodes of Gary Unmarried, Criminal Minds, and CSI: NY.
- NBC has new episodes of Mercy, Law and Order: SVU, and The Jay Leno Show.
- FOX has a new So You Think You Can Dance at 8, followed by a new Glee.
- The CW has a new America's Next Top Model at 8.
- PBS has a new Great Performances at 8.
- G4 has a new 2 Months $2 Million at 8.
- At 9, Discovery has a new Mythbusters at 9, then a new Time Warp.
- IFC has a new Monty Python: Almost The Truth (The Lawyer's Cut) at 9.
- History Channel has a new Nostradamus Effect at 9, followed by a new MysteryQuest.
- Showtime has a new Inside The NFL at 9.
- At 10, Comedy Central has a new South Park, then a new Secret Girlfriend.
- Bravo has a new Top Chef: Las Vegas at 10.
- FX has a new Nip/Tuck at 10.
- Food Network has a new Dinner: Impossible at 10.
- TCM has The Third Man at 10.
- Also at 10: Travel Channel has a new Man vs. Food.
Check your
local TV listings for more.
After the jump, the late night talk shows.
Continue reading What's On Tonight: Old Christine, Glee, Cougar Town, Top Chef
Posted Oct 20th 2009 12:06PM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: Late Night, Programming, Celebrities, Talk Show, What To Watch Tonight, Reality-Free
At 7:30, FOX has Baseball Playoffs, the Yankees vs. the Angels.- At 8, ABC has the season finale of Shark Tank, followed by new episodes of Dancing with the Stars and The Forgotten.
- CBS has a new NCIS at 8, then new episodes of NCIS: Los Angeles and The Good Wife.
- NBC has a new, two-hour Biggest Loser at 8, followed by a new Jay Leno Show.
- The CW has new episodes of 90210 and Melrose Place.
- PBS has a new Nova at 8, then a new Frontline.
- TCM has Mr. Sardonicus at 8.
- At 9, Discovery has a new Dirty Jobs, followed by a new Ghost Lab.
- BBC America has a new Dragon's Den at 9.
- IFC has another installment of Monty Python: Almost The Truth (The Lawyer's Cut) at 9.
- At 10, FX has a new Sons of Anarchy.
- Food Network has a new Chopped at 10.
- ESPN has a new World Series of Poker at 10.
- Syfy has a new ECW at 10.
- Bravo has a new Flipping Out at 10.
- Travel Channel has a new Bizarre World at 10.
- Also at 10: MTV has a new episode of The Hills, followed by a new episode of The City.
Check your
local TV listings for more.
After the jump, the late night talk shows.
Continue reading What's On Tonight: Shark Tank, NCIS, ECW, Sons of Anarchy
Posted Oct 16th 2009 1:31PM by Nick Zaino
Filed under: Programming, OpEd, British TV
Given the level of Python geekery out there, I'm not sure any Monty Python sketch is truly obscure. But there are plenty of gems past the more celebrated Fish-Slapping, Dead Parrot, and Argument Clinic sketches you see most often.
Since the
Python reunion was broadcast yesterday, IFC starts "Monty Python Midnights" tonight with
The Holy Grail, and starts airing the six-part documentary
Monty Python: Almost the Truth: The Lawyer's Cut on Sunday, I thought it would be a good time to toss my own bit of nostalgia on the building heap this week.
I'm sure any list could be nitpicked to death with so much to choose from, but these are a few of my favorite less talked about Python sketches, starting with one from the troupe's great concert film,
Live at the Hollywood Bowl.Continue reading A totally irrelevant list of (somewhat) obscure Monty Python sketches I like
Posted Oct 13th 2009 7:34PM by Danny Gallagher
Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, Reality-Free, British TV
The founding members of one of the most groundbreaking comedy troupes and TV shows of all time are reuniting this week. And you're invited.
Monty Python's 40th anniversary reunion at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York City will be broadcast at IFC.com and Pythonline.com. Both sites will host the event at 9 p.m. Eastern.
This latest reunion marks their first appearance together in public since their memorable reunion show at
the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, Colo. Watch it or you're no fun anymore.
Posted Oct 5th 2009 8:09PM by Danny Gallagher
Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, Reality-Free, British TV
One of the world' most quotable and iconic comedy shows made its television debut 40 years ago today.
Monty Python's Flying Circus first appeared on British television on Oct. 5, 1969, a show that branched into four feature length films, launched the careers of six very funny dudes and inspired millions of countless nerds to quote their most famous lines to death (myself included).
I'm sure everyone with a working set of eyes and a television set remembers the first time they saw Monty Python. What's your earliest memory of the show and more importantly, did it include any images of nude ladies?
Posted Aug 26th 2009 6:04PM by Brad Trechak
Filed under: OpEd, Video, Reality-Free
Back in the Old Days, before cable ruled the air, Americans only got to see Brit television (most notably,
Doctor Who, but also
The Prisoner and
Monty Python's Flying Circus) via their local PBS station.
Now, thanks to the magic of YouTube, we can revisit those days when the only on-air Comic Cons or Cosplays were the folks at PBS (or whatever public access station was available) dressing up and embarrassing themselves in front of a camera in an effort to get donations. The most interesting aspect is that the low-cost special effects they used to get donations were the same as those used on
Doctor Who at the time.
I sincerely hope the folks behind these videos are watching them right now and cringing, praying for the ground to swallow them up. More likely, the people behind them are the ones who put them on YouTube in the first place.
Continue reading Doctor Who and PBS - Flashback!
Posted Aug 19th 2009 11:03AM by Brad Trechak
Filed under: TV Royalty, OpEd, Video, Awards, Reality-Free
BAFTA (The British Academy of Film and Television Arts)
will be honoring Monty Python on the group's 40th anniversary. The surviving members of Monty Python will receive a special award for outstanding contribution to film and television in October. The event will be co-hosted by the Independent Film Channel and take place in New York.
Excuse me. What? An awards event hosted by a British organization for a British group is taking place in New York? Isn't that somewhat counter-intuitive? Unless IFC is picking up the whole check (which is a distinct possibility), this should be moved to London.
Continue reading BAFTA to honor Monty Python
Posted Jul 11th 2009 2:05PM by Annie Wu
Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, TV Royalty, OpEd, Celebrities, Reality-Free
I was going to save this extra-classic show,
Monty Python's Flying Circus, for the later part of the
Sketch Comedy Saturday series, but I just had to do this in light of recent, super-exciting news. As I hope most of you know,
Monty Python will be having a reunion. Sure, John Cleese and Graham Chapman won't be there (for two, completely different reasons) but it will still be nice to see Michael Palin, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Terry Gilliam get back together, right? Magic always happens when there's more than one Python guy around. Except that time John Cleese and Michael Palin tried to do "The Parrot Sketch" on
Saturday Night Live a few years ago. That was just weird.
Continue reading Sketch Comedy Saturday: Monty Python's Flying Circus
Posted Jun 12th 2009 12:00PM by John Scott Lewinski
Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, Celebrities, Reality-Free, British TV
According to Twitter, John Cleese is recovering from successful eye surgery in the U.K.
Following a procedure on his
left eye, Cleese handed his
Tweets over to a friend, Garry Scott-Irvine. That buddy is keeping fans updated on the
Monty Python and
Fawlty Towers legend's condition. Fans sent scores of well-wishes to
Cleese as he heals up in a British hospital.
The 69-year-old comedian is reportedly in good health otherwise and looking to head home later this week. His chosen method of communication is ironic when you consider Cleese sells a t-shirt on his site entitled: "
WTF is Twitter?"
Continue reading Cleese doesn't mention the war during eye surgery
Posted Apr 27th 2009 3:41PM by Annie Wu
Filed under: TV Royalty, Celebrities, Reality-Free
I must be way behind on all the Monty Python hot gossip because, well, I didn't know there was gong to be any more hot gossip. Surely I am not the only one that completely missed this whole story about Terry Jones leaving his wife of thirty-some years for a much younger model, forty years his junior.
Now, as if that wasn't enough to boggle my mind for a good day or so, here comes to news that 67 year-old
Jones is about to become a father again. Regardless of how you feel about this situation ethically, you've got to admit, that's ... pretty wild.
Continue reading Monty Python's Terry Jones is going to be a dad. Again. Yeah.
Posted Feb 5th 2009 6:07PM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: Late Night, TV Royalty, Video, Celebrities, Talk Show, Reality-Free
Watching this interview that Jimmy Kimmel did with John Cleese the other night (after the jump), and near the start of the interview, Cleese mentions that the real last name in his family is "Cheese," not "Cleese." At first I thought this was some sort of absurdist humor by Cleese, but after doing a little checking around the online world, I found out that it's true. I wonder how many big Cleese/Monty Python fans like me never ever knew that little piece of trivia.
This is actually a great interview with Cleese, because both Cleese and Kimmel seem to get along well and they're both quick on their feet. Kimmel was sick that night so he immediately gives Cleese some antibacterial lotion, Cleese jokes about how many times he's been married (three times, all Americans - his wife passed away last year), and the comic even gets in that one of the things wrong with Kimmel is that he's overweight.
Cleese is also on Twitter, so you can keep up with him that way if you're a fan.
Continue reading John Cleese's real last name is Cheese?! - VIDEO
Posted Nov 25th 2008 11:09AM by Mike Moody
Filed under: Other Sci-Fi/Supernatural Shows, Programming, Reality-Free
Care more about tribbles than touchdowns? Don't sweat it. From sci-fi favorites to Batman biographies, there's tons of geeky stuff to watch on TV before and after you've had your turkey on Thanksgiving Day. Check out these suggestions (SciFi Channel's James Bond marathon was excluded due to its unhealthy amount of Pierce Brosnan).
Update: Check out
Bob's list for more Thanksgiving Day viewing options.
6:15 a.m. (Eastern), Solaris (IFC) – I only recommend watching Andrei Tarkovsky's meditative sci-fi classic this early if you've stayed up all night basting a bird. It's sure to put you right to sleep and give you some crazy dreams.
6:30 a.m., Planet of the Apes (FMC) – Prepare for Turkey Day by watching Charlton Heston give evolution (that cruel joker) a one-two punch in the face. Followed by a documentary about the
POTA movies and several episodes of the 1974 TV series.
7 a.m., Angel "Offspring" (TNT) – Darla shows up preggers on Angel's doorstep in this tense season three ep, written by co-creator David Greenwalt.
8 a.m., Biography: Batman (Biography Channel) – Adam West and Burt Ward guide you through a look back at the 60s
Batman TV show. Followed by
Adam West: Behind the Cowl and bios of Catwoman and Wonder Woman Lynda Carter. Holy awesomeness, Batman!
Continue reading What to watch on Thanksgiving Day - A guide for geeks
Posted Nov 18th 2008 7:03PM by Annie Wu
Filed under: TV Royalty, OpEd, Web, Celebrities, Reality-Free, British TV
Hey, want to know something super-sad? For most of seventh grade, I came home every day from school and, before doing anything else, watched
Monty Python and the Holy Grail from beginning to end. I also spent a great deal of middle school reading everything I could about the troupe, filling my brain with pointless trivia about Sam Peckinpah's "Salad Days" and Spam.
This not only caused me to develop a type of hardcore social awkwardness that was extremely rare outside of the 70s and 80s, but forever instilled in me a deep love for Monty Python. Since the boys are very busy with their individual projects these days, it's a thrill to see any new Python stuff to come around, even when it's in the form of an extra-short YouTube clip and they're never actually shown to be in the same room together.
Continue reading Monty Python finally does something with this YouTube stuff - VIDEOS
Posted Nov 17th 2008 6:21PM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: TV on DVD, Reality-Free
Here are the new TV DVDs, in stores tomorrow.I know we all have our favorite shows that we buy on DVD, but I can't understand how anyone - anyone - would want to buy
Gene Simmons' Family Jewels on DVD. Do buyers of these sets actually pop them into the DVD player and watch them over and over?
The
Burke's Law sets continue with those annoying "Season/Volume" packages, but the last season of the
Odd Couple season 5 set contains all of the episodes and completes the series.
- Bones - Season 3
- Burke's Law - Season 1, Vol. 2
- Charmed - Complete Series
- Daniel Boone - Season 6
- Death Note - Box Set 1
- Doctor Who - Season 4 and The Infinite Quest
- The Dog Whisperer - Celebrity Edition
- Fairly Oddparents - Season 6, Vol. 1
- Gene Simmons' Family Jewels - Season 3
- Hannah Montana - Season 1
- Hawaii Five-O - Season 5
- McHale's Navy - Season 4
- Monty Python's Flying Circus - Collector's Edition Megaset
- Mystery Science Theater 3000 - 20th Anniversary (Regular set)
- The Odd Couple - Season 5
- SpongeBob SquarePants - Season 5, Vol. 2
- Star Trek - Season 3 Remastered
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