Monty Python: The shooting scripts

The original Flying Circus shooting scripts have never been published. The Just The Words scriptbooks feature transcripts from the shows, although editor Roger Wilmut worked in tandem with the original script material to verify spellings, inaudible passages, etc. (The animation sequences are alluded to merely in passing – an artistic decision – and the only major untransmitted piece included in the books is the ‘Choreographed Party Political Broadcast’ though this may have been an oversight on Wilmut's part.) The stage directions also appear to have been culled from the original scripts, but these have been tidied up to avoid confusion - for instance the multiple camera shots from 'Salad Days' are alluded to as 'as per 'Zabriskie Point'' whereas in the original script the wording was 'as per French Rubbish Dump film' (an internal direction note alluding to the art-film parody in Series 2 which itself parodied the exploding TV sets of Antonioni's 'Zabriskie Point'!).

As the previous pages have shown, the shooting scripts boast some very interesting and funny material.  We'll be bringing you more and more of the stuff as and when we get hold of it, but we'll leave the following list pretty much as was for now - the changes spotted by Kim Howard Johnson in his 1989 book Monty Python: The First 200 Years. Johnson’s writing style is sloppy and verbose, and it is likely that his observations are highly selective; however, he is one of the few Python commentators who has bothered to consult this primary material, so his findings are unique. Quite why he didn’t bother to quote any of the missing material is another matter...

Series 1, Show 1
A Milano V Napoli fight originally broke out at the end of the ‘Italian Lesson’ sketch, and the ‘Funniest Joke In The World’ featured a Churchill speech and a modern-day section about German jokes coming through Britain. Sketches dropped from this show (and used elsewhere in the series) were ‘Lingerie Robbery’, ‘Dirty Fork’, ‘Johann Gambolputty...Of Ulm’, the ‘Donkey Rides’ joke, and Palin’s ‘Redcoat’ linkman.

Series 1, Show 2
Further Pepperpot/philosophy dialogue was cut (‘Would you swap Descartes for, say, Hegal and Heideggar?’ – though this bit was retained for the first Python LP), and the ‘Epilogue’ sketch originally featured a panel of nuns. ‘Musical Mice’ is handwritten, suggesting it was inserted at the last minute, and ‘The Amazing Kargol And Janet’ were supposed to follow ‘The Mouse Problem’. Judging by Johnson’s excitement over the ‘Wacky Queen’ section, we can assume that this section was cut from the American edit.

Series 1, Show 3
The ‘Larch’ amusement is not in the script, and Idle’s courtroom character was originally called ‘Mr Millet’. ‘Storytime’ was supposed to link into ‘Vocational Guidance Councellor (as opposed to ‘Dirty Fork’). The ‘Irving C Saltzberg’ (used in Show 6) was supposed to follow ‘Stolen Milkman’ and include allusions to the ‘Stolen Newsreader’. Graham was originally down to play one of the schoolchildren before ‘Nudge Nudge’.

Series 1, Show 4
The original running order was substantially different. It began with the ‘Bookshop/Spy’ sketch, leading into ‘Changing On The Beach’, and the ‘Art Gallery/Art Critic’ material. ‘Buying A Bed’, ‘Hermits’ and the ‘Sedan Chair’ joke (all eventually used in Show 8) followed, leading into ‘Soft Fruit Defence’ which closed the show.

Series 1, Show 5
The pre-titles sequence was intended to feature the It’s Man being hurled off a cliff (which was actually used in Show 4). The ‘Ron Obvious’ sketch was intended to close this show, and the credits were going to played over trick footage of the It’s Man swimming backwards back out to sea with Palin’s Vercotti character standing on the beach watching.

Series 1, Show 6
The ‘Scotsman Rescuing A Groom’ quickie is not in this script. Also, the show opens with three men in pub (Palin, Cleese and Idle) trying to identify an ordinary-looking, Mr Pewty-esque man (Terry Jones): they ask him to repeat various phrases in order to jog their memories, and believe him to be - in turn - Jimmy Stewart, Eddie Waring, Anthony Newley and David Frost. It transpires that he is Arthur Figgis., and this leads into ‘Johann Gambolputty...Of Ulm’.

Series 1, Show 7
No information

Series 1, Show 8
The original version of ‘Buying A Bed’ (intended for Show 4) was much longer, and featured other word-substitutions such as ‘pesos’ for ‘lettuce’. Following ‘Hell’s Grannies’, the Colonel character presents a sketch he’s written: it is ‘Interesting People’, which eventually turned up in Show 11.

Series 1, Show 9
The show originally began with a different version of the ‘Barber’ sketch, in which the entire cassette is played without the customer noticing. This is then followed by ‘Letters’, ‘Ken Bhudda’. and an alternate version of ‘The Visitors’ with a slightly different premise: a couple turn up for a dinner party seven hours late and their sleepy host has to try and remain as polite as possible.

Series 1, Show 10
The ‘Prawn Salad’ (Accidents) sketch, which later turned up in Series 2 Show 5, was intended to link ‘Ron Obvious’ and ‘Gorilla Librarian’. Meanwhile, ‘Vocational Guidance Councellor’ was intended for Show 13.

Series 1, Show 11
Cut from ‘Interesting People’ is Herbert Arkwright, who can eat a herd of buffalo. Also, the ‘Agatha Christie’ sketch led onto a drunk interviewer talking to a boxer called Henry Pratt, who ‘combines a lack of ability with extreme physical cowardice’.

Series 1, Show 12
Neither ‘Ken Shabby’ nor ‘Upper Class Twit Of The Year’ were in the original script, although the latter was hastily hand-written.

Series 1, Show 13
Sketches absent from the script include ‘Come Back To My Place’, ‘Historical Impersonations’, ‘Child Stockbrokers’ and ‘Magic Police’. There was also a cut section in which a policeman solved crimes sent in by viewers.

Series 2, Show 1
The ‘And now for something completely different’ intro was supposed to feature the Chelsea football team rampaging down a pitch and past Cleese at his desk. (The post-credits sequence, meanwhile, was to be filmed in the players’ changing room.) This idea fell through when Chelsea FC refused to participate. Meanwhile, ‘Timmy Williams’ Coffee Time’ was intended for this show (following ‘Ministry Of Silly Walks’).

Series 2, Show 2
‘The Smoke-Signal Version Of Gentleman Prefer Blondes’ was to be followed by an announcer promising ‘The All-Talking Version Of The Chemist Sketch’, which was to lead into the ‘Aftershave’ sketch (later used in Show 4). Said sketch is slightly different, with ‘Biscuit barrel’ instead of ‘Semprini’ and is followed by a ‘different courtroom sequence’: the latter still featured the ‘Nobody expects the...oh bugger’ ending, but was intended to take place post-credits.

Series 2, Show 3
‘Election Night Special’ (eventually used in Show 6) was supposed to follow ‘It’s The Mind’ (used in Show 4), together with a very brief deja vu ending.

Series 2, Show 4
When The Bishop bursts into Ron Devious’ office, the set was supposed to shake and fall apart.

Series 2, Show 5
A long sequence was cut in which Praline and Brookie discuss phone service, as was a sequence (following the ‘Alternately Rude And Polite Butcher’ scene) in which members of the 1958 Cup Final appeared on a chat show and discussed the implications of the preceding sketch.

Series 2, Show 6-8
No information.

Series 2, Show 9
Johnson sounds surprised at the ‘little chicken man’ dragging a ‘How To Recognise Different Parts Of The Body’ banner, suggesting it was cut from the American edit.

Series 2, Show 10
Material cut from ‘Scott Of The Sahara’ included ‘a lunchtime interview with Gerry Schlick’ (discussing making Evans into a girl), and Lemming talking about Oates. Bowers was seen to fight a ‘dreaded Congolese ringing tarantula’ (by shooting it). The football match at the end originally featured the Long John Silver Impersonators playing the Bournemouth Automobile Association, rather than the Gynaecologists.

[NOTE: ‘Howard’ Johnson claims that the original script had Evans pursued by a ‘roll-top writing desk rather than a set of teeth’. In fact the transmitted show features the desk (with teeth) but the narration is drowned out by audience laughter.]

Series 2, Show 11
The ‘Ramsay MacDonald Striptease’ originally featured Stanley Baldwin, and was intended to follow the titles. The Jackie Charleton and the Tonettes song at the end was originally ‘Don’t Treat Me Like A Child’ rather than ‘Yummy Yummy Yummy I’ve Got Love In My Tummy’, and the reprise of the show in thirty seconds was originally intended for Show 6. Material concerning Arthur Crackpot’s ‘Handbook’ was also cut, including the maxims ‘Blessed are the wealthy, for they have the earth’, and ‘It is easier for a rich man to enter heaven as anybody - if not easier’.

Series 2, Show 12
‘Spam’ was not in the original script, but ‘Bing Tiddle Tiddle Bong’ (used in Show 9) was. Johnson gets confused about the appearance of ‘Abigail Tesler’, ‘Pigeon Fancying’, and ‘Gumby Flower Arranging’ in the script, claiming they appear in different episodes.

Series 2, Show 13
Two unknown sketches (‘International Chess’ and ‘Life Saving’) were to follow the ‘Exploding Version Of The Blue Danube’. A ‘Critic’ character then links into ‘Girls Dormitory’.

Series 3, Show 1
The ‘Comedy Ahoy’ trailer (from Show 12) was intended for this episode, designed to follow ‘Whicker Island’. There was then to be another brief instalment of ‘Njorl’s Saga’ in which Njorl throws a pie in his horse’s face.

Series 3, Show 2
The It’s Man’s chat show was to feature ‘Four extraordinarily famous guests (John and Yoko)’.

Series 3, Show 3
‘Salvation Fuzz’ is not in the script, although its presence is noted. The ‘Money Song’ is much cruder than the one performed (‘Money! Wonderful money, money, money, money, money! Wonderful money!’, etc).

Series 3, Show 4
The show was supposed to begin with a caption reading: ‘‘Loretta Returns To Whitemead College’ by Some People And Their Brains’, which was then followed by ‘Blood, Devastation, Death, War And Horror’.

Series 3, Show 5
The ‘Disturbing Vicar’ (used in Show 10) was intended to precede the titles.

Series 3, Show 6
‘Gumby Brain Surgery’ originally ended with the doctor pounding on Mr Gumby with a mallet shouting ‘Get better, brain!’. He also abstains from dressing as a Gumby when he does so. [Note: According to Palin, the ‘No no, the brain in my head’ line was an ad lib.]

Series 3, Show 7
The ‘Richard Baker’ and ‘Seashore Interlude’ sequences are not listed in the script.

Series 3, Show 8
An animated section was cut: a advert for ‘Lenin’s Chartbusters Volume III’.

Series 3, Show 9
The ‘Amazing Mystico And Janet’ characters appear (see Series 1, Show 2), although the sign in front of Chapman still reads ‘Kargol’.

Series 3, Show 10
E Henry Thripshaw was designed for Show 13 (following ‘Oscar Wilde’). Contained in the script, meanwhile, are ‘Big Nosed Sculptor’, ‘Wee Wee Winetasting’, and ‘Cocktails’, all of which were cut. Johnson also notes ‘an early version of ‘Eric The Half A Bee’, the end of which was used on Previous Record’.

Series 3, Show 11
The post-credits sequence showing the judges on the bus originally followed the animation after ‘Ideal Loon Exhibition’. This then linked into ‘Off Licence/Poetry’.

Series 3, Show 12
The ‘Rival Documentaries’ battle over the microphone was supposed to be followed by ‘Mrs Zambesi’s New Brain’ (which turned up in Show 13).

Series 3, Show 13
No information

Series 4, Show 1
A montage of Benny Zepellin’s life was cut, including a scene at ‘The Royal Institute For Less Talented Brothers’ (with Harpo Nietzsche).

Series 4, Show 2
A scene between Chris Quinn and the Icelandic honey salesman was cut, as was a ‘Paisley Counter’ sketch.

Series 4, Show 3-6
No information

Monty Python: BBC repeats

To date, no one has published a comprehensive list of the Monty Python’s Flying Circus episodes repeated on the BBC. We include a summary here (comprehensive since 1987) partly for reference and partly to illustrate how bad the BBC has been at scheduling re-runs of the series.

It is known that Series 2 was repeated in 1971 (with ‘Spot The Brain Cell’ and ‘Undertaker’ removed and the ‘Cancer’ line censored), and that selected shows from Series 3 were repeated in 1979 . (Roger Wilmut refers to the first uncensored broadcast of the ‘Summarising Proust’ episode in From Fringe To Flying Circus; it is also likely that ‘Choreographed Party Political Broadcast’ was cut for this run).

The BBC planned to release two series on video in 1985, and asked the Pythons to nominate their preferences: in an unusual display of giving a fuck, they chose Series 2 and 3, and the 26 episodes in question were duly released. In 1987, these two series were given a complementary repeat run on BBC1 - the shows were broadcast at various times (usually at around 11pm) on Saturday nights. This run became infamous for showing the BBC at their most inept, and we include the following week-by-week list (based on information collated by Clinton Heylin for inclusion in the And Now For Something Completely Different fanzine) as an illustration of this:

4/4/87: Series 2, Show 1
11/4/87: Series 2, Show 2
18/4/87: No repeat
25/4/87: No repeat
2/5/87: No repeat
9/4/87: No repeat
16/4/87: Series 2, Show 3
23/5/87: No repeat
30/5/87: Series 2, Show 4
6/6/87: Series 2, Show 5
13/6/87: Series 2, Show 6
20/6/87: No repeat
27/6/87: Series 2, Show 7
4/7/87: No repeat
11/7/87: Series 2, Show 8
18/7/87: No repeat
25/7/87: No repeat
1/8/87: Series 2, Show 9
8/8/87: Series 2, Show 10
15/8/87: Series 2, Show 11
22/8/87: Series 2, Show 12
29/8/87: No repeat
5/9/87: Series 2, Show 13
12/9/87: Series 3, Show 1
19/9/87: Series 3, Show 2
26/9/87: Series 3, Show 3
3/10/87: Series 3, Show 4
10/10/87: Series 3, Show 5
17/10/87: No repeat
24/10/87: Series 3, Show 6
31/10/87: Series 3, Show 7
7/11/87: Series 3, Show 8
14/11/87: Series 3, Show 9
21/11/87: Series 3, Show 10
28/11/87: No repeat
5/12/87: No repeat
12/12/87: Series 3, Show 11
19/12/87: No repeat
26/12/87: No repeat
2/1/88: Series 3, Show 12
9/1/88: Series 3, Show 13

[NOTE (1): This run featured the newly restored ‘Undertaker’; sequence from Series 2, Show 11. ‘Spot The Brain Cell’ and ‘Choreographed Party Political Broadcast’ were still absent, although ‘Summarising Proust’ was once again intact.]

The first series was given a 20th anniversary re-run on BBC2, starting on 30/11/89 (Thursday nights at 9pm). It ran for only nine editions (missing out Show 8), ending with Show 10 on 25/1/90.

There were further repeats on BBC2 later that year (Fridays at 9pm), starting with Series 1, Show 8 on 28/9/90. The final three episodes of Series 1 followed, and carried on into repeats of Series 2 (Show 1 broadcast on 25/11/90). Series 2 would have been shown in its entirety, were it not for Shows 12 and 13 being cancelled due to ‘war’ references (Show 12 was replaced with Series 1, Show 3, closing the repeat run on 3/2/91). In this run, ‘Spot The Brain Cell’ was again missing.

Series 1 was repeated again on BBC2 in 1994, starting on 10/7/94 (various times on Sunday evenings). All thirteen episodes were shown, plus the first two episodes of Series 2. The run ended on 16/10/94.

A few more Series 2 shows were broadcast on BBC2 (Friday nights at 10pm), starting with Show 3 on 24/6/95 and ending with Show 11 on 26/8/95. (The original version of Show 7, including ‘Spot The Brain Cell’, was repeated on 29/7/95.) This is the last time Monty Python’s Flying Circus has been broadcast by the BBC.

Listed below are the 45 episodes (and three specials), and the date on which the BBC last broadcast them:

Series 1
1: 10 July 1994
2: 17 July 1994
3: 10 October 1999
4: 31 July 1994
5: 7 August 1994
6: 14 August 1994
7: 21 August 1994
8: 28 August 1994
9: 4 September 1994
10: 11 September 1994
11: 18 September 1994
12: 12 October 1999
13: 2 October 1994

Series 2
1: 9 October 1994
2: 16 October 1994
3: 24 June 1995
4: 8 July 1995
5: 15 July 1995
6: 22 July 1995
7: 29 July 1995
8: 5 August 1995
9: 11 October 1999
10: 19 August 1995
11: 26 August 1995
12: 22 August 1987
13: 5 September 1987

Series 3
1: 12 September 1987
2: 19 September 1987
3: 26 September 1987
4: 3 October 1987
5: 10 October 1987
6: 24 October 1987
7: 31 October 1987
8: 15 October 1999
9: 14 November 1987
10: 21 November 1987
11: 12 December 1987
12: 2 January 1988
13: 9 January 1988

Series 4
Never repeated in full, but Show 6 re-broadcast 17 October 1999

(Original transmission: 31 October-5 December 1974)

Specials:
Monty Python’s Fliegende Zirkus: Never broadcast
Schnapps With Everything: 16/4/93
Montreux compilation (30m edit?): 10 March 1989

In 1999, to co-incide with the 30th anniversary, BBC2 broadcast five separate episodes (supposedly the Pythons’ own favourites), which included the first BBC repeat of a Series 4 episode. Transmission times were typically all over the place:

Eric Idle: Series 1, Show 3 (Sun 12:15pm, 10/10/99)
Michael Palin: Series 2, Show 9 (Mon 7:30pm, 11/10/99)
John Cleese: Series 1, Show 11 (Tue 11:20pm, 12/10/99)*
Terry Jones: Series 3, Show 8 (Fri 12:40am, 15/10/99)
Terry Gilliam: Series 4, Show 6 (Sun 11:35pm, 17/10/99)**

[* Edited slightly following Paddington train crash. Stock film of the London to Brighton train journey had originally followed the ‘Spectrum’ sketch, culminating in the train entering a tunnel with a loud crash and Jones’ signalman yelling ‘Sorry!’. This section was removed, cutting straight to Idle arriving outside the bed and breakfast.]

[**Full version - see Point whatever.]

Here, based on Wilmut's script book details, are the recording details of Flying Circus. Reading between the lines can be fun here as it gives us a chance to put ourselves in the Pythons' shoes.

Saturday 30 August 1969: Recording of #2
Sunday 7 September 1969: Recording of #1
Sunday 14 September 1969: Recording of #3
Sunday 21 September 1969: Recording of #4
Friday 3 October 1969: Recording of #5

Friday 10 October 1969: Recording of #7

Wednesday 5 November: Recording of #6 [Transmission on hold for 3 weeks]

Tuesday 25 November: Recording of #8

Sunday 30 November: Recording of #10 Sunday 30 November 1969: Transmission of #7

Sunday 7 December 1969: Recording of #9 Sunday 7 December 1969: Transmission of #8

Sunday 14 December 1969: Recording of #11 Sunday 14 December 1969 Transmission of #9

Sunday 21 December: Recording of #12 Sunday 21 December 1969: Transmission of #10

Look at this - four Flying Circus shows recorded on the night a Python show was broadcast.  How pissed off would you be?  This would mean, for instance, that if you attended the recording of Show 9 you'd miss the broadcast edit if you attended the following week's recording.  Wow.

Sunday 4 January 1970: Recording of #13 Sunday 4 January 1970: Transmission of #12

Another double-session, recording Shows 5 and 6. Both shows are notable for a large amount of pre-filmed material (including all the elongated 'Grill-O-Mat Snack Bar' links in Show 5). These two shows don't differ vastly in atmosphere however.

Friday 25 September 1970: Recording of #9

Friday 2 October 1970: Recording of #7
Friday 9 October 1970: Recording of #8 [Transmission on hold for 3 weeks]
Friday 16 October 1970: Recording of #13

Friday 4 December 1971: Recording of #3
Friday 11 December 1971: Recording of #4
Friday 18 December 1971: Recording of #12
Thursday 7 January 1972: Recording of #7
Thursday 14 January 1972: Recording of #1
Thursday 21 January 1972: Recording of #6
Thursday 28 January 1972: Recording of #2
Monday 17 April 1972: Recording of #11
Monday 24 April 1972: Recording of #5
Thursday 4 May 1972: Recording of #8
Thursday 11 May: Recording of #9
Thursday 18 May 1972: Recording of #13
Thursday 25 May 1972: Recording of #10

Saturday 12 October 1974: Recording of #1
Saturday 19 October 1974: Recording of #2
Saturday 26 October 1974: Recording of #3

Saturday 2 November 1974: Recording of #4

Saturday 9 November 1974: Recording of #5

Saturday 16 November 1974: Recording of #6