The Best of Monty Python on Dick Cavett | The Dick Cavett Show

To celebrate Monty Python's 50th Anniversary we're showcasing the best moments from the comedy group on The Dick Cavett Show.
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Dick Cavett has been nominated for eleven Emmy awards (the most recent in 2012 for the HBO special, Mel Brooks and Dick Cavett Together Again), and won three. Spanning five decades, Dick Cavett’s television career has defined excellence in the interview format. He started at ABC in 1968, and also enjoyed success on PBS, USA, and CNBC.
His most recent television successes were the September 2014 PBS special, Dick Cavett’s Watergate, followed April 2015 by Dick Cavett’s Vietnam. He has appeared in movies, tv specials, tv commercials, and several Broadway plays. He starred in an off-Broadway production ofHellman v. McCarthy in 2014 and reprised the role at Theatre 40 in LA February 2015.
Cavett has published four books beginning with Cavett (1974) and Eye on Cavett (1983), co-authored with Christopher Porterfield. His two recent books -- Talk Show: Confrontations, Pointed Commentary, and Off-Screen Secrets (2010) and Brief Encounters: Conversations, Magic moments, and Assorted Hijinks(October 2014) are both collections of his online opinion column, written for The New York Times since 2007. Additionally, he has written for The New Yorker, TV Guide, Vanity Fair, and elsewhere.
#thedickcavettshow #MontyPython #JohnCleese #MichaelPalin

[@traceh4693]

Cleese just loves to appreciate the absurdity of life. Comic genius and sharply witted

[@KlausSgroi]

Palin was so spontaneous at 3:59. What a nice (and funny) guy, really.

[@biglee93]

Why did you put "and funny" in brackets? 😅

[@KenFromBeara]

He is very funny indeed and a very nice man

[@dwightstjohn6927]

was??? he's still alive

[@dwightstjohn6927]

@@biglee93 why did he put "was"???

[@biglee93]

@@KenFromBeara I don't know him

[@quintbromley2112]

Legends, the lot of them.

[@philsarkol6443]

It is extraordinairy how well Dick Cavett knows his guests, so it seems. He is so good in asking the right questions at the right time, and at the same time makin it look like a conversation, allways with great respect.

[@deborahdodson9367]

She's one of them

[@dhh488]

They're all mad, but Terry Gilliam's a mad genius. I like his enthusiasm. There's a documentary out there on the making of The Holy Grail. Everybody looks miserable but Terry is having the time of his life.

[@MyLateralThawts]

There’s a bit from the making of Holy Grail where Gilliam recalls how the other Python’s were complaining incessantly and so he just snapped and went off in a huff to cool down. He then said it was a good thing they had two directors so Jones could take over at those times.

[@brancaleonedanorcia4622]

You can see Dick's mind doing the anagrams as John Cleese says the names they had in mind. hahah

[@myleschilton3473]

Cavett showed class his entire professional life. Kudos.

[@deborahdodson9367]

Cavett is also Carson

[@firenze5555]

Not always - his interviews with Marlon Brando and Chevy Chase are cringeworthy. He didn't know how to handle those guests. Most of the time, Cavett is spot on.

[@v-town1980]

​@@firenze5555Well,who would? Those two are/were very temperamental.

[@firenze5555]

@@v-town1980 I don't think that Chevy Chase is temperamental - he has an extremely dry, sardonic sense of humor that some people just don't get - and Cavett was one of them. He seemed irritated with Chase and didn't get his humor. This interview that I'm talking about was when Chase was at the top of his game and young, very tall, handsome and imposing for Cavett. As I said, most of the time Cavett is great and I miss that type of talk show. He did have misses, though.

[@lpickman8514]

My favorite part of these is the After footage. You can see their true beauty. It makes my heart smile.

[@jimmyb1559]

I remember the show coming on around 10-11 o'clock central time on Sunday night in the 70's. My brothers and I started work very early on Mondays but we made sure we stayed up to watch them. Not to mention we had to watch them in the basement so we wouldn't wake up the rest of the family. I remember trying ti imitate their skits and laughing our heads off. Its hard to believe how long its been. Still as funny today.

[@MyLateralThawts]

In another interview, Gilliam recalled how he was asked to pitch his vision of Harry Potter. He was very enthusiastic, but alarmed the producers so much they went with a more conventional director. In the near future, I sincerely hope the producers of Jumanji approach him to make a movie in the franchise.

[@pale_saint]

Well it’s better Gilliam didn’t make that crap legendary

[@MyLateralThawts]

@@pale_saint Sure, why not? Everyone’s entitled to their opinion.

[@firenze5555]

I was so disappointed that they didn't pick Gilliam for directing Harry Potter - he would have made it genius level work. What a missed opportunity.

[@v-town1980]

Jumanji? Ugh, who needs another one of those? Start with a new idea.

[@MyLateralThawts]

@@v-town1980 You’re right, who needs or even watches movies that come close to making a billion at the box office?

[@richardwaldron1684]

That Newcastle regional opt-out joke had me in stitches...Priceless

[@bfkc111]

Awesome 6:18 He always has such funny descriptions of Terry Gilliam.

[@maskedmarvyl4774]

God I miss Monty Python...

[@mrcydonia]

Luckily, most of it is preserved on Blu-ray.

[@MilesBellas]

"Flywheel, Shyster, and Flywheel is a situation comedy radio show starring two of the Marx Brothers, Groucho and Chico, The series was originally titled Beagle, Shyster, and Beagle, with Groucho's character named Waldorf T. Beagle, until a real lawyer from New York named Beagle contacted NBC and threatened to file a lawsuit unless the name was dropped."

[@markfryer9880]

Beagle, bloody silly name for a lawyer. He should have changed his name.

[@corwinorr]

@@markfryer9880 He's a legal Beagle.

[@petejones879]

I remember watching that first show at 11pm Sunday eve.. My mom went mad at me as I was only 13 at the time.. But I knew of John Cleese from the David Frost program The Frost Report.. And I was an avid comedy fan after years of listening to the Goon shows.. I had no idea back then who the others were.. Palin Jones idle Chapman and Gilliam etc. I've been a Python fan ever since

[@iancurtis1152]

My favourite Gilliam animation is the Victorian Aviator having a shave😂

[@Greenballoffire]

mine too!

[@iancurtis1152]

Favourite Palin character is Mr Pither on his cycling tour of Devon and Cornwall.

[@trekkiejunk]

How unfortunate he wasn't able to interview Graham Chapman, Terry Jones and Eric Idle.

[@mikethenumber1]

There was another hour-long Palin appearance in the early 80s which was on youtube years ago, but can´t find it anymore, does anybody have it? If so, pleas upload it :) Thanks

[@BrianKishreviews]

cool, never seen the stuff with palin!

[@acchaladka]

Wow, I never have heard the story of the Nixon and the foot in mouth graphic. Outstanding clips and great interviews as usual from Monsieur Cavett.

[@chazs001]

Read Joe orton,

[@charlespeterwatson9051]

I wish Cavett interviewed Jones and Chapman to complete the circle.

[@jeremymullins1294]

What about Idle? Did he ever interview him?

[@charlespeterwatson9051]

@@jeremymullins1294 I apologize for that oversight. He didn't interview Idle and I wish Cavett was healthier now to do any interview.

[@willard2729]

Wow - haven’t heard “LILCO” since about 1973. Long Island Lighting Company - Cavett makes a LILCO reference in the Gilliam segment

[@horsthanetz3652]

The Monty-People are the best forever, Giants of Comedy, Titans for all eternity

[@waynej2608]

No, they're not.

[@v-town1980]

​@@waynej2608Yeah, they are. Maybe over your head.

[@LeaderOfTheRedNinjas]

Jesus Christ look at the length of his limbs. What a monster. A Lot of celebs overstate their height but he's probably even taller than people think

LeaderOfTheRedNinjas in Fawlty Towers his wife calls him a stick insect ! Legs

[@waynej2608]

Making his 'silly walks', all the better.

[@Nebuchadnezzar31]

Good interviews 👍

[@iancurtis1152]

Favourite Python skit…..Fish Slapping Dance😅

[@nhmooytis7058]

I ❤️ all the Pythons and miss Graham Chapman.

[@farrahfawcettmajors896]

Wow time bandits I'm always quoting the ending with the microwave noooooo

[@lpsp442]

That's... definitely a different version of the parrot sketch origin story that what we hear the rest of the time.

[@bfkc111]

Aye, I thought it was Graham Chapman that came up with the idea of a parrot, because he had the oddest ideas. Maybe it was some line then, like "Norwegian blue" or "pining for the Fjords".

[@lpsp442]

That's correct, Chapman was always the generator of wildcard killer apps, born from carefully meditating on an entire sketch and producing the single most piquant way to make a mad situation madder. Out of the many Python interviews about the Parrot Sketch I've watched, almost all of them have had the "Graham came up with the dad parrot and pet shop" story. Meanwhile this particular version, I've never encountered anywhere else. I think John just got forgetful this one time. Everyone's mind slips time-to-time.

[@WaterShowsProd]

They actually did the version with the car on How To Irritate People, and I’d read that it was based on an experience Michael Palin had with a car dealership. Then it was later rewritten as The Dead Parrot, though the two sketches bare little resemblance in terms of style or structure. I’ve seen Michael Palin and Terry Jones say that Graham came up with “Nowegian Blue” but maybe that was after John thought of using a parrot.

[@lpsp442]

That's correct, Stephen, the original car dealership sketch debuted in How To Irritate People. The critical difference being that, since it was obviously a car falling to pieces, there wasn't any point in having Graham as the purchaser complaining pertinently as it would be too obvious. Graham's brilliance was changing the car to something so obtuse that John as the customer could properly go off on a rant about the state of the product he was sold.

[@tarnopol]

These guys are so funny the Dick Cavett Show logo can't stop shaking from laughter. That's funny. PS: 20 minutes was not enough. Make more of these. Right now! And please add -- no, fuck "please" -- I demand that you do the same for the Beyond the Fringe fellas, too. OK, fine (my cat is nudging me): "Thanks." (Jeez.)

[@iancurtis1152]

Favourite Eric Idle character is Michelangelo in live at the Hollywood Bowl.

[@iancurtis1152]

Favourite Terry Jones character is The Bishop😄

[@calvertbriand]

I made it there but I was missing a tab of butter.

[@iancurtis1152]

Favourite Cleese character is the Hungarian tourist😆

[@v-town1980]

Is that the skit with the "My hovercraft is full of eels" line? Love that❤

[@iancurtis1152]

@@v-town1980 Ja Ja🥸

[@GamesWithBrainz]

damn did john really do that to his cat :(

[@iancurtis1152]

Favourite Chapman character was the flight instructor (not on a wire)😆

[@Io-Io-Io]

6:57 he pretends it didn't hurt him and quite obviously it did and made him furious, very much so because that's exactly what nagged on him, that these brits were so eloquent and he wasn't to that amount and making fun of that is not very kind and somethnig one probably shouldn't do because it's hurtful for that person-obviously, if it wasn't so, it's another story but intentionally hurting someone else's feelings is hardly a good idea.

[@miriamgreen3973]

Removing cat claws compared to medical experiments on humans without anesthetic Whole Ass (say it 5x fast)

[@GlennDavey]

PSA: Please never de-claw a cat, it's like chopping their fingers off. And I shouldn't have to say this but don't remove their vocal chords either.

[@asnowballinhell]

People remove cats' vocal chords?

[@0eroOverride]

Jack Cheese.. always loved him

[@camrsr5463]

To them Jarrow is just a memory.

[@winnifredforbes8712]

I would really like to know how this entire team got together in the first place.

[@quad1000]

cleese and idle knew each other in college but then all became acquainted, loosely, from working on different early '60s British comedy shows. how they eventually became python is fairly well documented.

[@deborahdodson9367]

They are all members of the same bloodline family aka acting troupe. They have many personas

[@calvertbriand]

Later we'll ger ice cream.

[@TheEleatic]

two down, four to go.

[@TheRightLadder]

they should try using grenades

[@briankelly3931]

Things that apply then can more than ever apply now. In history has shown it over and over again because we're too stupid to recognize it

[@silverdragon710]

the bit about political parties in the life of brian always strikes me anew with how up to date it is, more applicable today than back then or ever. the bit where stan says he wants to be a woman and have babies and is offended when someone says he cant but then they agree they should fight for his right to have them as symbolic of his struggle against oppression and then reg mutters "symbolic against his struggle against reality". that exactly is our society today lol

[@v-town1980]

​@@silverdragon710who would have thought people would become that goofy?

[@pleasuresunknown1615]

Do the Americans watch Palins travel programmes?

[@bookwoman53]

I haven’t seen it yet. . It would probably be broadcast on public tv channels known as PBS. Bake Off, old British comedies and at one time the Pythons were on PBS.

[@Jimvanhise]

John Cleese has told the origin of the parrot bit about 3 different ways. The one I liked was that it was a toaster and that he'd come up with the whole thing himself when Graham announced that it would be funnier if it was a parrot and John became furious and went on for about ten minutes complaining before he realized that Graham was right.

[@petejones879]

I thought after seeing John Cleese on the Graham Norton show with Taylor swift that he hated cats?

[@honeybeebadger]

Laurel Hardy Marx Bros Monty Python Best comedy all time

[@coachhannah2403]

SNL

[@v-town1980]

​@@coachhannah2403Far from it. Especially the last 25 years.

[@coachhannah2403]

@@v-town1980 - I watched it at the beginning. Very funny! Today, a bit more uneven. Intended as more current-topical than the others. Big Python fan, BTW!

[@jamesfeldman4234]

Dick's interview with Michael has a new twist, wherein Dick was pointing out that MP material does not become dated because it generally avoids contemporary news references. However, what Dick didn't perceive then was that, eventually, the "insanity" of MP humor could ultimatey become reality. Take for example, the following MP clip. Although "crazy" then, today, people are having this very discussion, including in the US Supreme Court. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hoDFc3RorK1oopI

[@deborahdodson9367]

Because they knew the plan...they're part of it.

[@ADAMSIXTIES]

7:40 John Cleese, you bastard! If it's true declawing is considered mutilation, and vocal cord removal even worse. Sick.

[@perniciouspete4986]

Please consider that it may not be a true story. Cleese had previously made fun of Gilliam.

[@plekkchand]

Agree wth Cleese about Gilliam.

[@JettMoonwing]

Cleese always makes Gilliam sound dumb though, and he's far from it. He just likes picking on him because he's American...

[@v-town1980]

You don't know how smart Terry really is. He's quite intelligent. Cleese is just being a bitter Brit.

[@cbjgdicad1]

Dr mengleclaws

[@pronemanoldbutyoung5548]

Why does John pronounce schedule wo the k? Its pronounced skedjule, not schedjule

[@lpsp442]

Both pronunciations are legit.

[@panzram31614]

Because he's a twit (pronounced thveet).

[@TheRightLadder]

Skutup

[@michaelkennedy8270]

What a silly bunt.

[@HappyCynic]

Why are Kansas and Arkansas pronounced differently?

[@willnvictus7947]

If that Cat story is true (about Cleese), I've lost a significant amount of respect for him.

[@perniciouspete4986]

Did you ever consider that the story wasn't true, that Gilliam was just saying that to get back at Cleese because Cleese had made fun of the way Gilliam talks?

[@lindas.martin2806]

No, he does not love his cat , stop laughing. Call the SPCA, bastard.

[@briankelly3931]

Was that story about the cat a description of Nancy Pelosi what needs to be done? Is that what the gist of the story is?

[@seansmith3058]

Nope.

[@waynej2608]

You're out of line, that's the 'gist'.