Out of the Trees (1975), by Graham Chapman & Douglas Adams

Special surprise for Towel Day 2012: "Out of the Trees", a show written by Graham Chapman and Douglas Adams in 1975. While Graham Chapman was still lingering in the Monty Python style of absurd comedy, Douglas Adams was already busy with themes like blowing up the world through crazy bureaucracy, ideas he would use later in the Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
After a rather unsuccesful transmission in 1975, no further episodes were produced although a second part had been written. The pilot was wiped, although the filmed inserts survived (Peony Sketch and some shots of Gengis). Then a couple of years ago it turned out a copy had been made off air on a Philips N1500 VCR. As you can see it isn't a lost masterpiece, because it's no longer lost and it never was a masterpiece.

[@estoy1001]

"Well, not as such; I more sort of don't." That's beautiful Douglas Adams wording, right there.

[@frankboogaard88]

Sometimes you are looking for some random thing and get a suggestion like this, then you click on it because you are bored. This? This made me happy again.

[@DWor-]

Feels like a Monty Python episode we never saw.

[@gavinreid8937]

The first sketch is like the 4 yorkshiremen in reverse.

[@BlackBuck777]

As a fan of both Adams and anything Python I'd like to note my appreciation for the algorithm that dropped this into my internet feed today. And castigate it for not doing it a darn sight sooner!

[@TheMontyPythonMuseumOnline]

Yep. In fact I wonder what DNA would write about algorithms if he were still alive today.

[@whoshotdk]

“What’s that parrot doing here? This is an algorithm class!” “Well, I thought he’d be able to help me with ‘Polly’-nomials, you see.” “Splendid idea, does it work?” “That’s where it all falls down, I’m afraid. He wants to know if it’s an African or European algorithm and I just don’t know!”

[@hedonismunderstands2469]

amazing to see simon jones with douglas adams here well before he played arthur dent so brilliantly...

[@2lefThumbs]

And being served (or not) by Mark Wing-Davey (who is a bit harder to recognise when he's only got one head 😉)

[@gijbuis]

"It never was a masterpiece???" It certainly is a masterpiece now...!! And so it shall remain - aaagh!

[@ianbird-radolovic7902]

Nice to see Simon Jones struggling to get a coffee when years later as Arthur Dent in THHGTTG he struggled to get a cup of tea. Maybe this is where Douglas Adams got the idea from.

[@iainhunneybell]

I don’t remember this at all, but have to laugh at “the mighty British Rail electric train” and they then show a Western diesel hydraulic, of of very few engines on BR not to use at least electric traction motors. Sorry, I’ll crawl back into my box now 😂

[@francisboyle1739]

Don't worry you weren't the only one to notice that.

[@andypanda4756]

How have I never even HEARD of this? Huge Douglas Adams/Python/Chapmann fan. Thank you so much for posting this ❤ Subscribing on general principle. I am hoping you have more gold like this.

[@MLB9000]

This is where the idea for the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy came from, and a lot of the actors too.

[@numbersix9468]

as someone who just found out about this a week before you did, you must not be a real fan

[@mdsf01]

@@MLB9000 Yes! The Coffee Guy is none other than Zaphod Beeblebrox from the BBC TV series of the Hitchhiker's Guide

[@BeesWaxMinder]

@@mdsf01AND he is serving Arthur Dent!

[@custardavenger]

Same, not heard of it either.

[@PRR5406]

Bloody hell, it is too a masterpiece.

[@Gary-Seven-and-Isis-in-1968]

You state that it isn't a masterpiece, but compared to the utter shyte produced nowadays. This comedy is biblical in stature. Somehow I missed seeing this back in 1975 and it is a joy to see it now. Thanks for the upload. 👍🏼

[@TheMontyPythonMuseumOnline]

You're welcome.

[@davidshurville3658]

Any archival footage is wonderful! Thank you so much. So clever in this age of dumbing down EVERYWHERE!!

[@Plethorality]

I saved time. Started off dumb! ; )

[@brigittegeorg]

​@@PlethoralityMe too. My best friend used to say to me, "You can dye your hair as much as you like but you'll still always be a dumb blonde." He was a great guy...no longer with us. ❤

[@GohAhweh]

Well said, cheers!

[@maisiesummers42]

5:28 - it's Arthur Dent!

[@brookmathews1]

4:52 - it's Zaphod Beeblebrox!!

[@maisiesummers42]

@@brookmathews1 Great Zarquon, you're right! I didn't recognise him without the accent and the extra head.

[@jonesfamily4326]

and tom....you know, tom.....Reginald Perrins son in law played by ian preece.@@maisiesummers42

[@allthatyoutouch3164]

​@@brookmathews1 Thanks. I thought it was.

[@DarrenShakey]

The Ghengis Khan parts are brilliant😂

[@Stephen_Strange]

We thank the late Graham Chapman for being himself, and for keeping a copy of this One off GEM.

[@jrpipik]

It's Dent Arthur Dent!

[@skribeworks]

And Zaphod.

[@jrpipik]

@@skribeworks He's a hoopy frood.

[@peterweeks2066]

I'm so happy I found this. I've never heard of it, and despite some of the comments here, I loved it. There is a complete dearth of surreal comedy on TV these days, and even radio now seems to be limited to I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue. New comedy is so boring, unlike this.

[@ianc4901]

You're right, modern comedy isn't funny at all, it seems like people are so scared of offending someone they just stick to visual gags and toilet humour !

[@iankearns774]

@@ianc4901 I agree, part of what makes something funny is the fact it crosses the line or gets close to. Todays comedy is very weak in comparison.

[@frankowalker4662]

I agree with everything you said. This show makes a refreshing change from all the dross.

[@BoSmith7045]

I had no idea Douglas Adams was on BBC shows before Hitchhikers. Sometimes I forget how surreal British humor could be in the 70s.

[@jonnaughton]

He also is only one of two “non-pythons” credited to writing for Monty Python (including Holy Grail). He also played a pepper pot in one the the episodes. Plus, he was a writer and script editor for Doctor Who and one of his proposed scripts (which was rejected by the BBC) was eventually used as the source material for Life, The Universe and Everything.

[@BoSmith7045]

@@jonnaughton Thank you. I had no idea.

[@princeofcupspoc9073]

From what I understand, the aborted 4th Python season (after Cleese left) was pretty much due to Adams and a TON of weed. And people wonder why Cleese ended Fawlty Towers after 2 seasons. When the creators are no longer putting the same manic energy into a show, it may not be worth doing.

[@andrewholliday251]

Not to mention another of his Doctor Who scripts (Shada) was later turned into the first Dirk Gently book....@@jonnaughton Douglas Adams was brilliant......but he wasn't prolific. If he had a good idea (and he had a few) he'd milk them relentlessly. The Pete Townshend of comedy.

[@RCassinello]

@@andrewholliday251I'd argue that "City of Death" is as much a part of Dirk Gently as "Shada" is.

[@moose6509]

Bloody lovely ! Back in the days when England was English and comedy was funny........

[@danieljob3184]

OMG! 😲 How is it that I have NEVER heard of this before?!? Thank you for posting! Marvellous! 😃

[@shaunhouse8469]

It nice to see them making use of the 4 Yorkshiremen sketch structure

[@EddyTeetree]

Thank you!!! When I started my first full time job at 15 Id race home to watch Monty Python late at night when my gran was asleep and almost piss my pants laughing. Id anearly forgot how good life can be. This is a good thing you’ve done here! The way characters in a Monty Python sketch establish their own validity was and still is a landmark in the genre!

[@TheMontyPythonMuseumOnline]

Oh, and did you also see this program, originally?

[@GenghisAttenborough]

The Peony Severance sketch was great!

[@Hajo87-tz7hz]

Hooray! Algorithm buddy, I love you!!! This channel is indeed a musuem. I never imagined there would be a Monthy Python channel. It's like brithday and christmas together. Thanks a lot, guys. 🤩👍✨💖

[@TheMontyPythonMuseumOnline]

They belong in a museum! Especially John! ;)

[@Hajo87-tz7hz]

@@TheMontyPythonMuseumOnline 😂 yes! Good thinking there! I'm happy to be able to ogle him anytime now 👀

[@blindguygamer]

How have I never heard of this? Hilarious! 🤣

[@GavTatu]

how thoroughly enjoyable !

[@gyrateful]

"Thooroughly," what a delightfully woody sounding word.

[@scunner6828]

​@@gyratefulYes but "splendidly" on the other hand ,is such a tinny word isn't? iirc.

[@frankshailes3205]

You can see Adams' continuing influence on the Pythons (and vice versa) in the Meaning Of Life film. Especially stuff like the Galaxy Song. The animations of Terry Gilliam and those of Rod Lord and Kevin Jon Davies in the Hitchhiker's TV series aren't a million miles apart in conception either.

[@paulmorris5166]

On pause...This is brilliant. Thank you.

[@darganx]

The first sketch has got to be Chapman.. the oneupmanship reminds me of the Yorkshiremen sketch!

[@answersquestioned]

Thank you for posting this, and for adding some excellent notes on its history

[@seamusheaney123]

I saw this as a kid when it was first shown. Like many on here, I was a huge Python fan and was very excited about seeing this show. I loved it. The utter lunacy. I thought it was much more experimental than most other stuff at the time. Disappointed it didn't get developed further by the Beeb. And many thanks for uploading this.Liked and subscribed.

[@TheMontyPythonMuseumOnline]

It's always so nice to hear from people who actually saw this originally. It happens once or twice a year. (I don't suppose you know anyone who audiotaped TV shows back then?)

[@seamusheaney123]

@@TheMontyPythonMuseumOnline Yes I was waiting all week for it to come on. I remember that opening scene where he comes in the train window. I will have a think as to who might have audio recorded it. I used to record a lot of stuff on an old tape recorder ( pythons and marx bros etc) but not this one. Thnaks again for posting this.

[@TheMontyPythonMuseumOnline]

@@seamusheaney123 The reason I mentioned it by the way: obviously this program is safe, but the Pythons "May Day special" or The Goodies on Engelbert have no English tracks anymore. So any audio from that would be a great help to the rescue.

[@seamusheaney123]

@@TheMontyPythonMuseumOnline Yes that would be great indeed.

[@TheMontyPythonMuseumOnline]

@@seamusheaney123 So far I wasn't able to find it. But if you can think of anyone who recorded that audio...

[@brigittegeorg]

I love all this old stuff, when you could swear your head off and be as sexist and racist as you like and Still get along with everybody happily. Thank you for putting this up. 🤩

[@Tim_the_Enchanter]

Wonderful.

[@cookster1001]

Really enjoyed this. This was better than some of the latter Python episodes

[@timelordvictorious]

feel this was way ahead of its time. And Graham was a person from another time who deserved better credit.but not surprised it never found its Audience.

[@MichaelKingsfordGray]

Thank you!

[@user-gu9co4li9l]

Bloody brilliant! 😎

[@chrisnewman7281]

Back, when British rail actually provided personalise service

[@nelsonclub7722]

Its almost as if Simon Jones was destined to play Arthur in THGTTG

[@Canalcoholic]

He was, it was written with him in mind.

[@nelsonclub7722]

@@Canalcoholic and so I googled that - and you are right

[@frankowalker4662]

That was fun. Thank you.

[@TheArticulateSpine]

Thank you thank you thank you thank you! For an Adams fan, this is such an unexpected gift. You can absolutely hear his cadence in much of the dialogue. What other secrets were published 11 years ago that might pop up this week?

[@christopheraaron8299]

Interesting that it has the Douglas Adams connection AND Simon Jones. Jones is one of my favorite British actors.

[@TUHATKISSAA]

BEAUTIFUL!

[@ceeemm1901]

Ahhh, back in the wonderful days of surrealist comedy, before the politicians decided to take up surrealism.

[@jedidrummerjake]

Just heard about this yesterday. Big Douglas Adams and M.P. fan.

[@anarchistfuture]

How fitting and astute they still are today.

[@Jimvanhise]

This is why Douglas Adams had to keep explaining that he wasn't part of Monty Python but he did work with them.

[@aishalotter9995]

Before he even puts spoon to grapefruit !!! Ha ha just brilliant !!! Couldn’t get away with it these days eh ?

[@davideaston6944]

Well, THAT'S one I think I missed! (Seems A LOT OF PEOPLE did...). Thanks for the upload; not great, but wonderfully nostalgic!

[@allthatyoutouch3164]

Thanks for posting. I subbed.

[@johnbarroll1120]

Love Graham C the funniest and most , missed brit. should be in westminster abbey

[@tomrobingray]

We look back to old MP sketches to regain a sense of sanity.

[@rochcarothers-ts3jx]

Tossing 🐈 in 🔥 :)

[@KAZVorpal]

If you look closely, this video includes Simon Jones, someday Arthur Dent, and Mark Wing-Davey, the future Zaphod Beeblebrox.

[@purplexs2506]

No wonder I'd never heard of it. I'm surprised anybody ever let it out of the reject basket .... .. unless ... !! ... .. this IS the reject basket !??!!

[@danieljob3184]

And so it was writ upon the mountain, Yea, there shall be an interconnectedness of all things. And yea, the forgotten pets shall be immortalised for all time. And it shall be called the Tube of You! (Thunder crash)

[@TheMontyPythonMuseumOnline]

That would explain a lot! (Perhaps you'd better go and see Wonko the Sane.)

[@ericwinnert]

Arthur Dent. All took me 28 minutes to twig 😂😂

[@doublelightangel]

Thanks for the heads up

[@Sojoboscribe]

9:30 So they actually DID The Private Life of Genghis Khan in real life (just without Wowbagger the Infinitely Prolonged showing up at the end.)

[@beamifrend]

Great stuff. The lawnmower skit was like women doing the four yorkshiremen!

[@Johntheheroman]

I dearly love all of Python and Douglas Adams, This is the worst thing they ever did. Terrible, hard to watch and I say that as a fan!

[@TheMontyPythonMuseumOnline]

Yeah I had the same feeling with Marty Feldman a while ago.

[@mandyminx967]

Brilliant. ❤😂

[@jonathanhindson4580]

RIP Dr Chapman, my ultimate hero (Read A Liar's Autobiography!)

[@teleroel]

The first sketch about the number of lawnmowers It's almost like the four Yorkshire men

[@2001davebowman]

I just wanted to see a bit of the world. (Picture of part of the earth) 😂

[@-Pol-]

4:30 = Arthur Dent from the original UK Hitchhikers Guide TV series.

[@raypurchase801]

I recall watching this when it was premiered! I hoped it'd become a series but it didn't.

[@TheMontyPythonMuseumOnline]

It's very rare to speak to someone who actually saw this on telly. I've shared and discussed this now and then but I think this is actually the very first time. Scrolling down reveals it's only the 2nd. (But if this copy hadn't turned up, then you'd have been all alone here!)

[@raypurchase801]

@@TheMontyPythonMuseumOnline WELL DONE FOR FINDING IT !!!

[@raypurchase801]

@@TheMontyPythonMuseumOnline I went to school and my sixth form friends were all saying, "Did you see that thing last night?" This was during the era when every self-respecting schoolboy could narrate the Parrot, Piranha and Argument sketches from memory.

[@maddog8621]

Members of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy on the train

[@grahvis]

And a number of ideas which appeared in Hitch Hiker.

[@geoffjoffy]

Never even heard of this before.

[@docastrov9013]

Well it doesn't exist then.

[@timcooper5564]

Simon Jones and Mark Wing-Davey from HHGTTG in there.

[@andressolo]

I lived in London for 10 years. Fortunately, I was living in Hackney and there were few pure-bred-Brits, who are usually hard to stand (not their fault, it's just a cultural thing, this with hypocrisy brought to the highest level). But one thing I always enjoyed and admired was English humour. And not just professionals', it's also cultural. Most Brits are great actors (needed for the hypocrisy bit) and comedians (needed in order to put up with the way they interact). I am a comedian myself, but I don't like almost any comedians... apart from Monty Python, Fry & Lawrie, Eddie Izzard (his early years)... and myself. Cheers and thanks for this gem!

[@TheMontyPythonMuseumOnline]

This is at least an interesting reply. But I don't quite know what to make of it. Is there a country with the perfect inhabitants, anywhere on earth? The longer you live there the more you start to notice the downside of anybody and anything.

[@andressolo]

@@TheMontyPythonMuseumOnline Swedish people smile too much. Fins just the opposite. Italians are sexist and eat pasta every day. Germans speak German far too often. French people say "hate" the same way they say "ate", so they've eaten so much hate that I hate them. Spaniards live mostly in Spain, which makes it more difficult to go around without seeing people. The Portuguese try to speak Galician, but they can't, and it's hard to understand them. They all deserve a slap in the wrist, I mean just to say the least (just because it rhymes). But the Brits... ouch! I guess it's just because that British culture collides abruptly with my personality. They consider me rude because I'm too honest. I consider them a bunch of hypocritical, britocentric, ignorant , supremacist, xenophobic, classist and somethingelsish phucs. I actually call them Britophackas (the white Brit stereotype). However, generalising is always a mistake. I had two good English friends. One died some weeks ago. I have an English friend. And he is probably the least British Briton on earth (the dead one was kind of the same). So I may have some kind of allergy or something, that doesn't allow me to enjoy the "excuse meeeee" in a very harsh tone, with a smile and, as we see, very polite words. Just taking the piece, in case it's not obvious. Thanks for the upload, mate!

[@andressolo]

@@TheMontyPythonMuseumOnline Swedish people smile too much. Fins just the opposite. Italians are sexist and eat pasta every day. Germans speak German far too often. French people say "hate" the same way they say "ate", so they've eaten so much hate that I hate them. Spaniards live mostly in Spain, which makes it more difficult to go around without seeing people. The Portuguese try to speak Galician, but they can't, and it's hard to understand them. They all deserve a slap in the wrist, I mean, just to say the least (only because it rhymes). But the Brits... ouch! I guess it's just because that British culture collides abruptly with my personality. They consider me rude because I'm too honest. I consider them a bunch of hypocritical, britocentric , supremacist, xenophobic, classist and somethingelsish celery bunches . However, generalising is always a mistake. I had two good English friends. One died some weeks ago. So I have an English friend. And he is probably the least British Briton on earth (the dead one was kind of the same). So I may have some kind of allergy or something, that doesn't allow me to enjoy the "excuse meeeee" in a very harsh tone, with a smile and, as we see, very polite words. Just taking the piece, in case it's not obvious. Thanks for the upload, mate!

[@Canalcoholic]

How strange, most comments from the last month, and others from 10 years ago. The algorithm works in a mysterious manner. I’ve seen bits of the peony sketch before and read the Genghis Khan stuff in “The Salmon of Doubt” (also on Audible read by Simon Jones), but never seen the whole programme.

[@djrichylaurence8991]

Mirthsome. 😊

[@Vinj94]

This is the most bizarre thing I have ever seen on YT

[@clownnookie]

Why is everybody so snobby against Graham? He could clearly write one of these kinds of episodes while standing on his head, and was a major part of the Python style that you previously enjoyed.

[@princeofcupspoc9073]

Graham was the heart and soul of Python. He often took the more intellectual sketches and added something completely out of left field. Like putting a penguin on the tele and running with it.

[@davidstuckey9289]

Is that Dentarthurdent? And a SHADO Lunar shuttle as well?

[@crazyjane6570]

The cops haven’t changed much!! Lol 😂😂❤

[@paulnolan4971]

It's Arthur before the Earth got a 'Dent' hehe

[@jamesbyersmusic]

I really enjoyed this, it's not brilliant, but I found it very funny. If this had been a python episode, you can clearly see who would have played who in the sketches, but it's great to see Chapman in his own very rare vehicle. Just think within not much more than a year after the end of the Circus we had Fawlty Towers, Ripping Yarns, Rutland Weekend and this. It's such a shame this was never picked up, or developed further!! 😞

[@JaimeWulf]

Probably because it was just "Monty Python" without everyone else...

[@CaptainTedStryker]

Michael Palin as the bicycle repairman for sure.

[@paulroberts1000]

wrong@@CaptainTedStryker

[@DrTomoculus]

I definitely see Eric Idle as the service attendant (I don't have coffee), and Michael Palin as the man who says beware of kittens.

[@525Lines]

Really needs some Gilliam bumpers.

[@katenunyabizness9221]

Wow, Zaphod and Arhtur! Seems British comedy is a small circle.

[@terrywalsh1943]

Yes, Arthur Dent ordering coffee, before he met up with Ford Prefect and developed a taste for something almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea...And took to rather more exotic modes of travel!

[@peterfireflylund]

Cambridge (and to a lesser extent, Oxford). Bron was from Cambridge, for example.

[@misterrea861]

the opening skit is just the Four Welshman

[@macsnafu]

Well, that was something. Not sure what it was, but it was definitely *something.*

[@awbs458]

damn. i was 7 when this was on.

[@TS-1267]

... " Out of the Trees & Into The Bush ".... HEY NOW!... Don't Be Mucky... 😂

[@instrumentalhumansmusic]

At first I was shocked that I'd never heard of this. I always thought that it was an utter tragedy that Monty Python never did a Hitchhiker's Guide series or at least work with Douglas Adams on something. Now I see why I never heard of this. Only 11 minutes in and that Genghis Khan bit was dark as hell. Funny but almost too dark.

[@SpartacusPlanktonpants]

Douglas Adams did do some writing for the team and had a bit-part in Python season 4

[@instrumentalhumansmusic]

@SpartacusPlanktonpants Wow I never knew that. If only they had done Hitchhiker's Guide though. It would have been absolutely perfect. It was so meant to be but somehow it just didn't happen.

[@jumpman8282]

The true "Try not to laugh" challenge, because every time you do you'll miss at least two of them.

[@adenovirus.]

I just saw Arthur Dent.

[@user-xj8rd2cy6q]

He looks just like Arthur Dent🤣

[@chatticheswick4939]

4:44 It's Bridie.

[@QXZJX]

❤

[@glenparker234]

I remember years ago Monty python members talking about trying to do strange thing that nobody had seen and now just about 60 years later it’s all true cops arresting people for picking a flower 🌺 while people are being beaten up and robbed and nobody cares about that. I seen a couple of years ago the train engineers were afraid to go back to work because kids were throwing big rocks at the trains and the engineers were afraid of going back to work after getting out of the hospitals. So were they telling jokes or were they really psychics predicting the future 😂😂😂

[@TheMontyPythonMuseumOnline]

The flower arrest bit was probably the best known, it was shown in a documentary about the Hitch Hiker's Guide To The Galaxy.

[@grahvis]

Back in the 70s I had a neighbour who was arrested for stealing a rose for his wife when coming home drunk. Unfortunately while that was his intention, it turned out more like a comedy sketch. The rose stem wouldn't break, and he eventually uprooted the bush. The police were called, arrested him and put him in the police car. He jumped out of the far door, ran down the road, saw a moped and tried to get away by pedalling it. Despite their laughing, the coppers had no problem catching him.

[@alchemy3264]

Its like the alternate version of the Four Yorkshiremen, the Four Posh Women.

[@keithnaylor1981]

I would accept the blurred and distorted picture if only the sound was synchronised.

[@StephenWorth]

Was that Alan Partridge going North on West Street and calling in for an ambulance? And who was the guy fixing the bike?

[@jonesfamily4326]

The guy fixing the bike was reginal perrins son in law. Tim preece.

[@StephenWorth]

@@jonesfamily4326 I thought I recognized his voice!

[@TheGrenfellRatio]

Zaphod the waiter

[@timhicks2154]

Echoes of the Cheese Shop sketch right there

[@rhymeswithorange6092]

I'm glad it got preserved and shown, but it was amazingly not great comedy.

[@TheMontyPythonMuseumOnline]

Fair enough!

[@julian4548]

A very early “ lived in middle of road …..” to kick it off.

[@robkunkel8833]

EXCUSE ME … as a buzzard, I take exception with the definition at … oh where is it now? … Suzan can you find? … ah here, at marker 3:09, you said that buzzards, not bastards are a “useless kind of hawk.” I am not useless and I am not a real hawk. Never have been a hawk and find the comparison condescending. I eat carrion and that is good for the environment. Do you really want to see animals on the beach, recently deceased, without the benefit of the work of others like me? No answer? The answer should be a resounding NO! You don’t. Thank you … Please continue with the sketch. Thank you.

[@Peorhum]

The humour is there but the timing and delivery is missing. It needed a better director for sure.

[@filbertthedilbert1]

A bit of an inverse four Yorkshiremen sketch to start with.

[@TheMagicCardTraderUK]

My sketch had FIVE Yorkshiremen...

[@ja-qk4vd]

The two southernwomen