.com Review

Sensibly eschewing any attempt to emulate the inspired lunacy of Monty Python's Flying Circus, this excellent oral history offers instead a straightforward but fascinating peek behind the scenes. Extensive interviews with the team of madmen who created the legendary British television series and four feature films (except Graham Chapman, who died in 1989) give a vivid sense of the dynamic interplay of personalities that revolutionized contemporary comedy, disdaining punch lines and blackout skits in favor of something much weirder and more free-form. The writing duo of Cambridge grads Chapman and John Cleese favored confrontational, deliberately shocking pieces like the infamous Undertaker sketch ("I think we've got an eater!"). Oxford alums Terry Jones and Michael Palin took a more surreal approach to writing ("Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition"). And Eric Idle, who preferred to write alone, was the cheeky one ("nudge, nudge") as well as a respected sounding board for others' ideas. Terry Gilliam, the sole American, provided the wacky animation that gave the show its visual style. It was, as Gilliam remarks, "this amazing chemical balance... I don't think you could invent a group that would work better." All the Pythons are frank about personal and creative differences, making this a thoughtful assessment rather than a hagiography. --Wendy Smith

From Publishers Weekly

The Pythons and several key colleagues look back in a broad retrospective, presented in oral history format, that begins just before the 1969 premiere of Monty Python's Flying Circus, the landmark TV series, and follows the story into the troupe's movie years and beyond. More than anything else, the book reveals that the blend of anarchic themes, unconventional show structure and chaotic pace that defined Flying Circus was not the product of madcap rebels, but rather the result of hard work by ambitious craftsmen determined to reinvent a form. Fans will be disappointed to find few intimate looks at specific shows and skits. Comparisons of the Pythons' philosophical differences and writing styles are handled in broad strokes. Not until the discussion of the group's film work (Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Life of Brian, The Meaning of Life) will readers encounter specific accounts of clashing artistic attitudes: for instance, how an actor's director (Terry Jones) views production differently than a cinematographer's director (Gilliam), and how the other writers and actors (especially John Cleese) absolutely hated the tedious process of filming. By the time Morgan is done with Life of Brian, the philosophical battles are over, and the discussion consists of good and bad business decisions. Although the book is redundant at times, such clever mates can't help offering some insightful and entertaining perspectives on comedy writing, television and film.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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