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Topic of the Day:
Monty Python (And Other Related BBC shows)
Monty Python, I'm sure my parents will agree, is perhaps the stupidest thing anyone can come across. Despite this, it is very funny, including various lines that entrench themselves in one's mind forever and ever. Included in this category are such lines as:
"You can't expect to wield supreme executive power just because some watery tart threw some sword at you!"
"Thou shalt count to one, and then thou shalt count to two, and then thou shalt count to three, and then thou shalt lobbest the Holy Grenade of Antioch at thy enemies. Thou shalt not count to four; five is far out. Thou shalt not count to two unless you then directly proceed to three..."
"ONE, TWO, FIVE--"
"Three, sire."
"THREE!"
"What is the average velocity of an unladen swallow?"
"What do you mean, an African or European swallow?"
"I don't know that." [BOOM!]
These are just a few examples of the uproariously funny (though admittedly crude) humor to be found in "The Holy Grail" HOWEVER, this humor is NOT limited to "The Holy Grail" alone. The musical "Spamalot" possesses this same humor, and "Monty Python's Flying Circus" is the popular off-center British television show chock-full of lunacy prevalent in "The Holy Grail". *Shakes head* It's horrible, I tell you. Absolutely horrible.
If you want to know even more about Monty Python, click on the image of "The Holy Grail" in the upper right corner or click here. This is the best site that I've found for Monty Python, as it seems to be the official site for the Monty Python series. This link is also in the Links page, which is a compilation of all the links that ever show up on this page.
Related BBC Shows:
Are You Being Served?
Usually coming on the BBC channel at 11:00 PM (except when the hungry ad people come), it is a half-hour of bumbling Grace Brothers Company fun, with Mrs. Slocumbe wearing her numerous wigs and Miss Brahms screeching in her Cockney accent. Capt. Peacock (really Corporal, but we'll not get into that) looks down his nose at everyone, and is quite possibly the most made-fun of character there is. Mr. Humphries is the dictionary definition of a momma's boy, while Mr. Rumbold is a cockroach and always trying to suck up to either Young Mr. Grace (who is eighty years old) or old Mr. Grace (who looks younger than Young Mr. Grace--he's still got gray hair!). Depending on the episode, there is either Mr. Lukas with his ready, though entirely inappropriate wit, or Mr. Spooner, the dim dude who's just an ordinary guy. No comic relief there at all. Then there's Mr. Grainger early on in the series (or later on?), and either Mr. Harmon or Mr. Marsh (both janitors) depending on the episodes seen. I prefer Mr. Harmon.
This show is very funny--as indeed are all the shows listed on this page, incidentally. But what separates this show from the others is the particular camaraderie of this ensemble, the perfect timing of the jokes, and Mrs. Slocumbe always taking about her pussy (the cat, that is), and just hilarious. Out of all the shows on this list, this one has to be my favorite, even if it be just for its familiarity--I've been watching it all my life. ;)
As Time Goes By
I love this show. This show is of two people named Lionel Hardcastle and Jean Pradgette (sp?) who had met during the Korean(?) war and were actually about to get married, but something went wrong. 38 years later, they meet, and eventually do get married, though with many bumps before and after the event, to give an extremely brief summary.
Nevertheless, what appeals to me about this show is how it reminds me of my mom and dad, how Mom is so much like the fussy Jean and how Dad is a more cheerful (though still particular) Lionel. They always bicker and have little, teeny, tiny spats, like my parents, and get into sticky situations (read: Lionel trying to follow his stepdaughters because of a stalking problem but being thought that he was the stalker instead), and turn up all right in the end. Just like my parents. Yes, it's funny (it's not labeled comedy for nuttin'), but it's more of a sentimental comedy and of value to me than so uproariously funny that everyone has to see it.
Keeping Up Appearances
One word about this show: Hyacinth. Oh. My. God. Hyacinth is the main character (well, sort of), and she is the most obnoxious and aspiring socially person ever put on air. Hyacinth, for example, lives in dread of her sisters Daisy and Rose ever popping up on her steps because they are both so "improper" within her social circles (read: they live in the ghetto with their schizophrenic "Daddy" in absolute squalor and neglect).
She goes on about her sister Violet, who, though she has riches and "the Mercedes, and room for a pony", has a transvestite husband. She aspires to be more than she really is, and her poor husband Richard is forced to deal with this day after day after day. But the really funny thing about all of this is how everybody runs away from her upon seeing her, including the Vicar, the Vicar's wife, and the mailperson!
Hyacinth is so much a busybody that no one likes to be with her, not even her neighbor's brother, Emmet. Hyacinth's neighbor, Elizabeth, incidentally, is invited over every day for tea, but because she's so nervous about being proper and all, she always spills coffee and/or breaks Hyacinth's china! *Shakes head* And Richard has to deal with it all. He gets the worst of it, driving her around wherever she wants to go (and she often wants to go somewhere, usually for some absurd idea she has to "uphold" her reputation as high up on the social ladder).
If you feel the need to see some poking fun done at the middle class pretending to be wealthy, tune into BBC at 11:30 PM (yep, that's PM), and laugh as Hyacinth goes about boasting about her hand-painted blue periwinkle china tea set and her candlelight suppers.
Fawlty Towers
Fawlty Towers, the hotel named after Basil Fawlty, is just about the most complaint-infested hotel ever run. I watched this show on the basis of John Cleese from "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" being the main character Basil Fawlty. Basil Fawlty is what makes the show funny, for his bad humor and dramatic exaggerations ending in almost apopletic fits by the end of the half-hour and everything, and I mean everything, goes wrong. The fact that the only (I think) bellboy/doorman/cook is a man named Manuel who speaks Spanish and very little English (he may not even speak English at all, much less understand it). The hotel itself is not exactly in tipshop shape, with complaints about wallpaper peeling and hotel inspectors coming and being insulted, etc.
I don't know exactly what the purpose of this show is, but I do know it's funny. Perhaps John cleese is making fun of hotel owners with crabby attitudes or the customers that complain about hotels and their rooms or even just the state of life.
It should be evident that I've only seen two episodes of this show. ^^; It's still funny, tho! *Airily*
Blackadder III
This show is so much like Monty Python it's ridiculous. My dad and I were watching it one day, and George, the idiotic prince of England (?) at the time needed to get married in this episode (I have no idea which one it is, sorry). So Blackadder decided to write a letter with Prince George dictating, and the first thing that George said was, "Come on up, you lucky tart!" Instantly my Dad and I pointed simultaneously at the TV screen and went, "MONTY PYTHON!!!!!" It was hilarious. (See above for the relevant example.) That was the only episode of Blackadder that I've ever seen, but I will always remember it. *Wipes tear away sentimentally*
The links for all of the BBC shows mentioned above can be found at one site, but you can click on any of the images above to get to the particular section of the site that pertains the show that you want. You can explore the site from there on in to your heart's desire, and there are more links on the Links page if you're interested.
--
Now, if after all of this, you're thinking to yourself that COEPROBK watches entirely too much British "telly", well, that's okay, because COEPROBK does watch too much telly. She's got quite the English accent to go with it, too. ;) Why don't you ask her to test it out for you sometime? You'll be requested to give her a specific phrase, however, or if you don't have any ideas in mind, ask her to imitate one of the BBC shows we just talked about. Why not? *Shrugs nonchalantly*
