Original Broadcast Date: Oct. 19, 1972
Attempted Synopsis: An exceedingly polite mass murderer wins over his jury; an Icelandic saga gets overdone by exposition and co-opted by a plug for a new land development; a mummified court defendant and a very rehearsed witness; a stock market report degenerates into wordplay; two housewives go off to Paris to say hello to philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre; an island of verbose TV commentators.
Review: The final, titular sketch is a perfect example of how Python's British satire translates to America. Probably few Americans know exactly who Alan Whicker is, but they can certainly relate to self-absorbed TV talking-heads. In fact, nearly the entire episode is especially well-done. The only bit that wears out its welcome is the screechy housewives going to visit philosopher Sartre; the sketch seems to have, pardon the pun, no exit.
Priceless Gag: Eric Idle asking the "mummy" if he can raise any part of his body, looking downward, and responding, "All right, we'll skip that."
Our rating:
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