TOMORROW WITH TOM SNYDER {MONTY PYTHON'S FLYING CIRCUS: GRAHAM CHAPMAN, TERRY JONES, MICHAEL PALIN} {SEGMENT} (TV)
Summary
One in this series of late-night topical interview programs hosted by Tom Snyder. This segment features three of the six Monty Python comedy troupe members/founders, Michael Palin, Graham Chapman and Terry Jones. Snyder opens the show by briefly discussing the previous night's guest, Boston Red Sox player Carl Yastrzemski, who will hopefully be making his record-setting 3,000th hit in an upcoming game (which came to pass on Sept. 12, 1979).
Snyder sits down with Palin, Chapman and Jones and discusses the following topics, among others: their new religious satire film "Life of Brian" (1979), dreamed up during the press tour for their previous work, "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" (1975); religious backlash to the allegedly blasphemous film, in which an ordinary first-century man, Brian (Chapman), is mistaken for the Messiah; their views on the Bible, including the narratives of the Gospels; their research and the film's surprising historical accuracy; the film's efforts to explore "the absurdity of power" in the particularly silly portrayal of Pontius Pilate (Palin); reactions in the United Kingdom versus those in America; film and television censorship and ratings in both countries; the surprising revival of the antiquated formal charge of blasphemy, recently aimed at a small magazine that published a homoerotic poem concerning Jesus Christ; whether they intend to satirize Adolf Hitler or other similar historical figures; their sketch comedy series "Monty Python's Flying Circus" and its extreme popularity on PBS in America; why "Circus" didn't work on American commercial television; the edits made for content and commercial time that ruined some of the jokes; hypocritical opposition from people who haven't actually seen their shows and films; increased censorship in the U.K. regarding commentary on Northern Ireland and the royal family; and whether they are interested in being awarded Orders of the British Empire. Includes commercials.
(Snyder's interview with former NYPD "decoy cop" Richard Buggy is mentioned, but not included on this asset.)
Details
- NETWORK: NBC
- DATE: 1:00 AM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:38:16
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:13838
- GENRE: Talk/Interview
- SUBJECT HEADING: Talk/Interview; Comedians; Censorship; Religion
- SERIES RUN: NBC - TV series, 1973-1981
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - Campbell's soups
- TV - Commercials - Chicken of the Sea tuna
- TV - Commercials - Clairol Hairsetters electric curlers
- TV - Commercials - Lee Nails manicure sets
- TV - Commercials - MRA home alarm systems
- TV - Commercials - Maxwell House coffee
- TV - Commercials - Parker Brothers All the King's Men board game
- TV - Commercials - Potamkin Cadillac dealer
- TV - Commercials - Redi-Cut carpets
- TV - Commercials - Schick Super II Ultrex razors
- TV - Commercials - Sears stores
- TV - Commercials - Windex glass cleaner
CREDITS
- Tom Snyder … Host
- Michael Palin … Guest
- Graham Chapman … Guest
- Terry Jones … Guest
- Adolf Hitler
- Carl Yastrzemski