Terry Jones

Monty Python’s influence on comedy has been compared to the Beatles’ influence on music, a pivotal moment in the evolution of television humor. Celebrating the cultural legacy and influence of the troupe, this special pairs their original material with new and entertaining commentary from celebrities who consider Monty Python hugely significant, both personally and to the history of screen satire. Celebrity humorists discuss, laugh, and reminisce about various Python segments and bring a fresh perspective to the material, connecting Monty Python’s work to today’s most successful television humor. In a time when a few moments of escape and laughter couldn’t be more sought after, this special reminds viewers of Python’s cultural impact, and that PBS introduced them to American viewers.

From ‘something completely different’ to icons of comedy and national treasures, this is a collection of rarely-seen Monty Python moments from the BBC archives, following the group’s encounters with ‘Auntie’ over the past 50 years.

Terry Jones presents Boom Bust Boom. The result of a meeting between writer, director, historian and Python Terry Jones and economics professor and entrepreneur Theo Kocken. Co-written by Jones and Kocken and featuring John Cusack, Nobel Prize winners Daniel Kahneman, Robert J Shiller and Paul Krugman, the film is part of a global movement to change the economic system through education to protect the world from boom and bust. A unique look at why economic crashes happen, Boom Bust Boom is a multimedia documentary combining live action with animation and puppetry to explain economics to everyone.

Charlie Chaplin was at one time the most famous person in the world. His creation – the little tramp – was a universal figure adored by millions across the globe. He took crude, knockabout, slapstick comedy and transformed it into an art form with films that have stood the test of time. Terry Jones, comedian, writer and director, best known for being a leading member of Monty Python and long-time fan of silent comedies, offers a personal re-appraisal of the man who changed the face of film comedy.With access to a wealth of home movie material, Terry Jones also looks at the troubled private life of Chaplin: his loves, his politics, and his obsessions. He talks to Chaplin family members and biographers in his quest to get inside the skin of one of the true giants of film and comedy…

Alan Yentob meets the five surviving members of Monty Python - John Cleese, Michael Palin, Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam and Eric Idle - as they prepare to reunite on stage.

A discussion between John Cleese, Michael Palin, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones about their film The Meaning of Life

A live stand-up comedy and music gig to celebrate Amnesty International's 50th Anniversary.

A documentary about A Liar's Autobiography: The Untrue Story of Monty Python's Graham Chapman.

A documentary about Spike Milligan

The Legend of Dick and Dom is a sitcom that stars Dick and Dom as two budding young princes who are on a quest to find the antidote to a terrible plague that consumed Fyredor because Dick dropped the cure. The all star cast also includes Mannitol, a wizard who is really bad at doing magic, and Lutin, a thief who was released from prison. During the quest, they have to find various items e.g. a magnofish. They then put it in a special bottle to complete their potion. The programme is narrated by former Monty Python member Terry Jones. After the season three finale on 24 March 2011, the show was cancelled.

Discover how six seemingly ordinary but supremely talented men became Monty Python, sketch comedy's inspired group of lunatics who turned such unlikely sources of inspiration as Spam, dead parrots and the Inquisition into enduring punch lines. This entertaining documentary includes interviews with members of the troupe, as well as home movies, photos and rare recordings from Monty Python's early years.

Miracles of Evolution is a BBC film trailer featuring flying penguins made in 2008 as an April Fools' Day hoax. The film was advertised as compelling evidence for Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. It was largely set on King George Island, 75 miles from mainland Antarctica.

Sean Connors Films, Ltd. Presents a Frozen Pictures production of The Seventh Python, a nonfiction musical feature film based on the life, work and unplanned career of musical satirist Neil Innes. The Seventh Python traces one man’s winding path of whimsy as he flirts with destiny at the edge of fame with incredibly influential and unusually lasting work that keeps one foot each planted in the worlds of comedy and rock ‘n’ roll. From the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band to Monty Python's Flying Circus and The Rutles, to his Ego Warrior campaign and his insistence on wearing a plastic duck on his head, Neil Innes has proven to be the greatest musical comedy satirist of the past fifty years.

This documentary follows the evolution of the British sketch comedy troupe that redefined humor and shaped an entire generation of American comics, focusing especially on their conquest of the American comedy scene,

May 1917. Sixteen year old Indiana Jones joins an international trio of spies plotting against their German counterparts in the neutral city of Barcelona. After his old acquaintance Pablo Picasso helps him get a job at Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, Indy devices a plan to forge a love letter written by the German cultural attaché to make it seem he is having an affair with the Countess of Toledo. In August of the same year, Indiana is reassigned to Prague where he is to receive an important phone call. Unfortunately his hotel room proves to be unequipped with a phone. Indy heads for the Ministery of Telephones, where he learns that having to confront Czech bureaucracy can be quite a trial.

A documentary about the making of the controversial Life of Brian and the surrounding accusations of blasphemy.

Terry Jones' Barbarians is a 4-part TV documentary series first broadcast on BBC 2 in 2006. It was written and presented by Terry Jones, and it challenges the received Roman and Roman Catholic notion of the barbarian. Professor Barry Cunliffe of the University of Oxford acted as consultant for the series.

This unassuming case is packed with 16 tons of funny: 14 discs of MONTY PYTHON’S FLYING CIRCUS, packed with every episode from the programme’s four year run, plus 2 MONTY PYTHON LIVE! discs featuring–well, you figure it out. While to the uninitiated they may look like ordinary .65 oz. digital video discs, due to the unique physics of comedy (it’s like quantum but with fewer dead cats), each disc actually weighs a full metaphoric ton! Please remember to lift with your knees. This 16-Ton Megaset contains every single episode of MONTY PYTHONG’S FLYING CIRCUS–four years of blood, sweat and blancmange–jammed into slivers of plastic the size of a tea plate and MONTY PYTHON LIVE!–Legendary live performances, the 20-year celebration of Monty Python Parrot Sketch Not Included, and the all-German Monty Python’s Fligender Zirkus episode #1 squashed like pancakes. Sad, really. Jump right to your favorite sketches in The Flying Circus with this index!

A humor-inflected history of the of the number one, covering military applications in ancient Rome, the measurement of distances in India, and the decimal system created by Leibnitz.

Compilation of the best Sketches of the first series of Monty Python's Flying Circus, which ran from 5 October 1969 to 11 January 1970. Memorable moments include: 'The 127th Upperclass Twit of the Year Competition from Hurlingham Park'; 'Bicycle Repair Man'; 'Vicious Gangs of Old Ladies - the Layabouts in Lace'; 'The Man with Three Buttocks'; 'The Lumberjack Song'; 'Vocational Guidance Councillor'; and 'The Joke That Kills People'. Oh, and a sketch about a dead parrot.

All the best sketches from the third and fourth series of the ground-breaking comedy. Memorable moments include: 'The Finals of the All-England Summarise Proust Competition'; 'Stand and Deliver! It's That Highwayman Dennis Moore'; 'Thrust: A Quite Controversial Look at the World Around Us'; 'Whicker's Island'; and 'The Fifteenth Ideal Loon Competition'. Originally broadcast from 19 October 1972 to 18 January 1973, and 31 October to 5 December 1974.

Terry Jones hosts "Terry Jones' Medieval Lives", a series that delves into the lives of different medieval occupations, including kings, knights, and minstrels.

All the best sketches from the second series of the ground-breaking comedy. Memorable moments include: 'It's in the Mind'; 'The New Cooker Sketch'; 'Nobody Expects the Spanish Inquisition'; and 'The Ministry for Silly Walks'. Originally Broadcast from 15 September to 22 December 1970

The Secret Policeman benefit shows for Amnesty International brought together comedy grand masters - from Python and Beyond the Fringe - and performers then relatively unknown, like Rowan Atkinson. Narrated by Dawn French, the programme includes interviews with many of the comedians and musicians who took part: John Cleese, Stephen Fry, Michael Palin, Sting, Lenny Henry and many more. The shows and their stars had a huge effect on modern British comedy. There are few comics today whose careers have not been heavily influenced by the anarchic and surreal humour of these events.

The Surprising History of Sex and Love is a documentary presented by Terry Jones, looking at the different and surprising attitudes to sex and love throughout history. The documentary traces the story of changing social and religious attitudes to sex through a broad swathe of history. Starting with the place of ’sacred sex’ in the ancient world and ending with a discussion of the contemporary relationship between sex, marketing and prurience, the film offers some kind of map of how we got from there to here, and indicates that changes in sexual attitudes are connected with issues of power and control.

After a plane crash, two opposing half-brothers find themselves on an amazing lost island where enlightened pacifist humans and intelligent talking dinosaurs have created a utopian medieval society. But imminent disaster approaches.

A documentary with Terry Jones and Michael Palin travelling to the locations of "Monty Python and Holy Grail".

Celebrating their 30th anniversary, Monty Python presents exclusive new material and so-called classic bits.

A playwright of note, Darius developed a drinking problem after his first major hit, and has taken time out from writing his follow-up to go to a clinic and dry out. After his release, Darius finds his producer has hired a leading lady for his next show, booked the theater and advertised the starting date -- all without Darius writing so much as a word of this new play. Darius desperately tries to come up with ideas, but nothing comes to mind, with an inflexible deadline staring him in the face. One day, Darius kills a neighbor's cat by accident; terribly depressed, he swallows some sedatives and falls asleep at his computer -- only to awake with the beginning of his play glowing on the screen. Darius is now convinced he must kill in order to create, and starts murdering an ever-expanding variety of creatures in order to satisfy his now bloodthirsty muse.

Documentary of the story of the music of the Monty Python Flying sketch shows and the four Monty Python Films.

The story behind how the comedy sketch group Monty Python formed in 1969, and lead to four very series, and four very funny films that are still has funny today as when they were released.

The Sketches produced by the surviving Pythons for the BBC's celebration of the 30th Anniversary of the first showing of Monty Python on 5 October 1969.

Ancient Inventions was a BBC historical documentary series released in 1998. It was presented by ex-Monty Python member Terry Jones and looked at great inventions of the ancient world. The series is split into 3 episodes, namely City Life, Sex and Love, and War and Conflicts, all around 50 min long.

Jailed for his reckless driving, rambunctious Mr. Toad has to escape from prison when his beloved Toad Hall comes under threat from the wily weasels, who plan to build a dog food factory on the very meadow sold to them by Toad himself. This fantastic roller-coaster ride of hilarious adventures was both written and directed by Terry Jones, who also plays the central role of Mr. Toad. Alongside three former Pythons are a gallery of well-known faces all bringing wit and wonder to a feast of colourful characters. An absolutely charming film to delight children and adults alike, The Wind in the Willows is a perfect updating of Kenneth Grahame’s well-loved children’s classic.

Terry Jones explores the history of the Crusades.

Michael Palin attempts to copy the exploits of fictional character Phileas Fogg, by trying to travel around the world (without flying) in 80 days.

The story of the rise of a madame of a suburban brothel catering to older men, inspired by the real experiences of Cynthia Payne. The story follows Christine Painter (Julie Walters) as the down-at-heel waitress who, with the help of prostitute Shirley (Shirley Stelfox) and cross-dressing Wing Commander Morten (Alec McCowen), seeks to up her earnings by turning her suburban home into a brothel. Before long she and her girls are chaining up judges, spanking Generals and attending to the needs of Honourable Members. Christine sees herself as providing a vital service to these harmless pervs and when finally the house is busted and the case comes to court, it's fair to say that the presiding judge isn't unfamiliar with her work.

The comedy event of the year took place in April 1986 at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London. All those taking part gave their services free in order to support the famine relief camp in Umbala in the west of Sudan. Tonight Omnibus, in collaboration with Charity Projects, presents the best comic talents in Britain today. Among those appearing: Rowan Atkinson, Frank Bruno, Kate Bush, Graham Chapman, Billy Connolly, Ronnie Corbett, Paul Eddington, Ben Elton, French and Saunders, Stephen Fry, Bob Geldof, Terry Gilliam, Lenny Henry, Howard Jones, Terry Jones, Hugh Laurie, Hank Marvin, Rik Mayall, Michael Palin, Cliff Richard, Pamela Stephenson, Spitting Image, Midge Ure, The Young Ones.

A group of down-and-out accountants mutiny against their bosses and sail their office building onto the high seas in search of a pirate's life.

Several individuals have been packed in a box; they disagree regarding what should be done.

A TV Special consisting of various sketches with the titular comedian and fellow comics in guest appearances.

Amnesty decided not to present a benefit show in 1978 in order to consider how to make better use of the performing talent so favourably disposed to assist it in raising funds. Peter Luff left Amnesty in 1978 and the organisation's new fund-raising officer, Peter Walker, was deputed to work with Lewis on reconfiguring the show to raise more money and greater awareness of Amnesty. Lewis proposed to Cleese that in addition to the comedy performances the show should feature some contemporary rock musicians. Cleese delegated this responsibility to Lewis who recruited Who guitarist Pete Townshend to perform, as well as New Wave singer-songwriter Tom Robinson.

Ten years ago exactly, more or less, give or take a day or two, six young men sat down, or maybe stood, or perhaps some of them just lounged, and wrote the first episode of a new series called Owl Stretching Time. They were called Graham Chapman , John Cleese, Terry Gilliam , Eric Idle,Terry Jones and Michael Palin and later both they and the series became known as Monty Python 's Flying Circus . Today they are the best known British comedy group in the world, famous from Cathay to Kathmandu, from Sydney to Sidcup (except in Japan where the programme is called The Gay Boys' Dragon Show ... say no more). To commemorate their tenth anniversary a BBC team tracked them down in the deserts of Tunisia where they were filming their Life of Brian and almost persuaded them to examine the genesis, the genius and the gender of Monty Python.

In May 1977 a second Amnesty benefit was held to build on the success of the first show and with the intent of developing momentum for a regularly-scheduled benefit show.

During World War 1 major Errol Phipps is determined to escape from Stalag Luft 112B but his attempts all fail. However all the other prisoners and the guards succeed, leaving him alone in the camp to make elaborate plans - including a tunnel system so extensive it becomes the Munich Underground. He is so obsessed with his escape plans he fails to realise that the war has ended and dies a disappointed man. He does however manage to escape from his grave after he has been buried though.

Eric Olthwaite is so boring that his family all leave home to escape him. Then one day he is accidentally caught up in a bank robbery and discovers that the robber shares his interests in shovels,black pudding and rainfall so they team up to make daring raids to steal rainfall records. As a result Eric becomes famous and is considered interesting again,so much so that he is made the mayor of Denley Moor.

Sir Clive Chiddingfield invites his family to his birthday party at lonely Moorstones Manor but in the course of the evening half of those present are murdered one by one and the remaining survivors except for Lady Chiddingfield each admit to being the killer,eventually shooting each other.

Explorer Walter Snetterton and his party travel to the Andes to prove his theory that frogs are able to climb mountains. Due to the Cup Final the only person willing to act as guide is an elderly - but extremely agile - old lady and as Snetterton prepares to strike camp all his men desert him for the charms of the local ladies. Snetterton is never found but the frogs manage to escape and make it to Mexico City,thus proving his theory to be right.

Not as well-known as Fawlty Towers or The Rutles, Michael Palin and Terry Jones's Ripping Yarns is poised for discovery as among the best of the post-Python projects. Palin essays a gallery of colorful (or colorless, as in the case of one of the series' best episodes, "The Testing of Eric Olthwaite"), archetypal characters drawn from the storybook adventures that thrilled English schoolboys pre-World War II.

King Arthur, accompanied by his squire, recruits his Knights of the Round Table, including Sir Bedevere the Wise, Sir Lancelot the Brave, Sir Robin the Not-Quite-So-Brave-As-Sir-Lancelot and Sir Galahad the Pure. On the way, Arthur battles the Black Knight who, despite having had all his limbs chopped off, insists he can still fight. They reach Camelot, but Arthur decides not to enter, as "it is a silly place".

An educational comedy film from Guinness instructing how to clean out your pipes in the pub.

Secrets Chocolates receive an unexpected sales boost when three maintenance workers fall into the chocolate vat and are fed through the production line.

One of the least-known Monty Python rarities is “The Great Birds Eye Peas Relaunch of 1971,” a short advertising film that was made for the Birds Eye company’s internal use.

German made-for-TV musical extravaganza starring Monty Python.

The Complete And Utter History Of Britain was a 1969 television comedy sketch show. It was created and written by Michael Palin and Terry Jones between the two series of Do Not Adjust Your Set. It was produced for and broadcast by London Weekend Television but was not shown in other ITV regions. The idea was to replay history as if television had been around at the time. Sketches included interviews with the vital characters in the dressing-room after the Battle of Hastings, Samuel Pepys presenting a TV chat-show and an estate agent trying to sell Stonehenge to a young couple looking for their first home. Seven programmes were written and produced, but LWT amalgamated the first two episodes into a single "stronger" episode, resulting in a six-part series. For many years the entire series was believed to have been wiped. However, copies of the first two episodes have now been found, as have the complete first two episodes as produced. As of June 2008, none are known to have been repeated on television or released on DVD. Terry Jones has expressed dissatisfaction with the show, complaining after a showing of surviving episodes that the pacing was off and the soundtrack all wrong.

Twice a Fortnight is a 1967 British sketch comedy television series with Terry Jones, Michael Palin, Graeme Garden, Bill Oddie, Jonathan Lynn and Tony Buffery. Graeme Garden suggested to the director, Tony Palmer, that Michael Palin and Terry Jones be included in the cast and writers of the show.

Brother and sister Alfie and Elise keep wishing for more, until the night before Christmas when the strange and mysterious Wish Collector appears and whisks them off to the Land of Sometimes, where all their wishes can come true.