Would be good for a channel to actually repeat Python itself, I don't think it's had a proper repeat since the Paramount Comedy Channel days. Though I guess they want us to go out and buy the restored Blu-Rays instead.
I remember his last pubic appearance a few years ago to collect a special award from BAFTA Wales. His dementia was evident then. His son spoke on his behalf and it was heartbreaking to see him try and say something.
I never actually saw that until it was shown on the news today, was quite horrible to watch. At least they were able to get that final reunion tour before it really took its toll.
Would be good for a channel to actually repeat Python itself, I don't think it's had a proper repeat since the Paramount Comedy Channel days. Though I guess they want us to go out and buy the restored Blu-Rays instead.
Michael Palin has said that he is amazed the BBC has not shown repeats of Monty Python’s Flying Circus for years.
“I don’t know why [the show hasn’t been repeated],” the writer, presenter and performer told RadioTimes.com.
“We had a notorious case in America in 1976 with ABC to stop them showing clips of Python without consulting us and in the end the BBC settled with us and said we should have let you know, you are the writers and we will give you the rights to everything except the rights to television in the UK. Presumably the BBC still hold those rights.”
Asked if he would like to see the classic sketches aired again he said: “Yes. I am amazed it hasn’t been repeated. There must be a reason, but I don’t know what that could be.”
Monty Python’s Flying Circus first aired in 1969 and was last repeated on the BBC in 1988.
A spokesman said: “The BBC has an incredibly rich back catalogue of world class comedies but with the limited resources we have we are also committed to bringing on new talent, both on and off the screen.”
To be honest it doesn't surprise me the BBC haven't aired it since 1988, but I'm equally surprised BBC Five or whatever (an archive channel, something like UK Gold used to be before it turned into BBC One + 3 months) hasn't gone ahead which would be an ideal home for all this stuff that commercial pressures dictate Gold and friends won't touch with a barge pole, but on the other hand I suppose if that was going to happen it would have happened by now.
Python was on air on Paramount Comedy in 2001, but I don't know when they stopped airing it or where it went (if at all) after that:
That's definitely inaccurate, it had a significant repeat run on the BBC in 1994-95 (when I discovered it) and several episodes were reshown in 1999 for the 30th anniversary. Paramount/Comedy Central were still regularly repeating all episodes as recently as the late 2000s/early 2010s too, complete with an odd anachronistic BBC logo at the end (the pre-1997 one).
I saw Terry Jones at the Python reunion shows in 2014, and given what we now know he did a pretty incredible job - a few slightly late cues as he struggled to remember the lines but he still managed to play every character perfectly. Astonishingly sad how quickly his condition worsened and that his last ever publicly spoken words (a simple "Quieten down") were at the BAFTA event four years ago.
(an archive channel, something like UK Gold used to be before it turned into BBC One + 3 months)
You mean the Only Fools and Horses channel, surely?
The BBC don't actually own the rights to Python, which I guess makes it harder for the BBC, or a UKTV channel to repeat them than they do a show the BBC actually owns.
That's definitely inaccurate, it had a significant repeat run on the BBC in 1994-95 (when I discovered it) and several episodes were reshown in 1999 for the 30th anniversary. Paramount/Comedy Central were still regularly repeating all episodes as recently as the late 2000s/early 2010s too, complete with an odd anachronistic BBC logo at the end (the pre-1997 one).
The BBC don't actually own the rights to Python, which I guess makes it harder for the BBC, or a UKTV channel to repeat them than they do a show the BBC actually owns.
Yep they haven't owned the rights to the programmes in the UK since 1980.
It might actually make them easier to show as its buying in a programme rather than showing one of their own. The BBC would presumably just have to pay once for it rather than everyone involved individually.
It certainly hasn't stopped them repeating it in the last 40 years
That's definitely inaccurate, it had a significant repeat run on the BBC in 1994-95 (when I discovered it) and several episodes were reshown in 1999 for the 30th anniversary. Paramount/Comedy Central were still regularly repeating all episodes as recently as the late 2000s/early 2010s too, complete with an odd anachronistic BBC logo at the end (the pre-1997 one).
Think that 1989 rerun might have been when I first saw it.
The 1994 run feels like when I was introduced to it, but I certainly remember Paramount Comedy showing the whole lot on rotation for a while - possibly with Fliegender Zirkus in the mix too.
The BBC released a few 'best of' compilation DVDs in the late 90s - I have volume 1, but it's not been played for a while so I couldn't tell you how well produced it is. Probably about as well as a late 90s compilation DVD.
The BBC don't actually own the rights to Python, which I guess makes it harder for the BBC, or a UKTV channel to repeat them than they do a show the BBC actually owns.
Yep they haven't owned the rights to the programmes in the UK since 1980.
It might actually make them easier to show as its buying in a programme rather than showing one of their own. The BBC would presumably just have to pay once for it rather than everyone involved individually.
It certainly hasn't stopped them repeating it in the last 40 years
There was a major repeat run 1979/80ish, Monday nights on BBC 2, that's when I got into Python, as did all my friends at Sixth Form. Miserable for all the other passengers on the Tuesday morning 337 bus!
The 1994 run feels like when I was introduced to it, but I certainly remember Paramount Comedy showing the whole lot on rotation for a while - possibly with Fliegender Zirkus in the mix too.
Yes, the 1994 run was the first time I'd seen it - they showed the whole of Series 1 and the first few episodes of Series 2 on Sunday nights, and then several more episodes of Series 2 on Friday nights in the summer of 1995.
As mentioned, the 1999 repeats to mark the thirtieth anniversary were quite interesting because they showed a selection from across the series, as picked by the Pythons themselves, and that included the last ever episode which, according to that page, was getting its first repeat on the BBC since 1976.