Monty Python: Encyclopedia II - Monty Python - History pre-Python

Monty Python - History pre-Python

Michael Palin and Terry Jones first met at Oxford University, while John Cleese and Graham Chapman met at Cambridge University. Eric Idle was also at Cambridge, but started a year after Cleese and Chapman. Cleese met Gilliam in New York while on tour with the Cambridge University Footlights revue Cambridge Circus (the Footlights "Cambridge Circus" revue was originally called A Clump Of Plinths).

Graham Chapman, John Cleese and Eric Idle were all members of the famous Cambridge Footlights comedy revue club, which at that time also included future Goodies Tim Brooke-Taylor, Bill Oddie and Graeme Garden, as well as Jonathan Lynn (co-writer of Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister). During the time of Eric Idle's Presidency of the Footlight Club, feminist icon Germaine Greer was also a member. Recordings of these Smokers at Pembroke College include sketches and performances by Idle and Cleese. They are currently kept in the archives of the Pembroke Players, along with recordings of Idle's performances in a few of the college drama society's theatrical productions.

Variously, the Python members appeared in and/or wrote for the following shows before being united for Monty Python's Flying Circus:

• I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again (radio) (1964-1973)
• The Frost Report (1966-1967)
• At Last the 1948 Show (1967)
• We Have Ways Of Making You Laugh (1968)
• How to Irritate People (1968)
• Do Not Adjust Your Set (1968-1969)
• The Complete And Utter History Of Britain (1969)
• Doctor In The House (1969)

Several of these programmes also featured other important British comedy writers and/or performers, including Ronnie Corbett, Ronnie Barker, Tim Brooke-Taylor, Graeme Garden, Marty Feldman, David Jason and David Frost.

Following the success of Do Not Adjust Your Set among the adult demographic, ITV offered Palin, Jones, Idle and Gilliam their own series together. At the same time, Cleese and Chapman were offered a series by the BBC, who had seen them on The Frost Report among other shows. However, Cleese was reluctant to do a two-man show, for various reasons including Chapman's supposedly difficult personality. Cleese had fond memories of working with Palin, and invited him to join the team. With the ITV series still in pre-production, Palin agreed, and brought Idle, Jones and Gilliam along. Much has been made of the fact that the Monty Python troupe is the result of Cleese's desire to work with Palin and the chance circumstances which brought the other four members into the fold.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "History pre-Python", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki