The Piranha Brothers pt. 1

Ethel the Frog looks at the violence of British gangland.
From Monthy Python Series 2, Episode 1 (Face the Press).

[@BassandoForte]

The best Python sketch I reckon, 'They were born, on probation'

[@00bikeboy]

OMG I forgot how funny this stuff was. Jones interviewing Chapman and pointing the mic away from him. It's just gags layered on absurdities on top of an insane premise. God love them.

[@alwilson3204]

I really miss this brand of silly nonsense.

[@Ant57fr]

"Ethel the Frog" is such a nice title for a TV show, even if the contents of the show are completely unrelated. More TV shows should be called "Ethel the Frog"

[@cushyglen4264]

‘He was a cruel man, but fair.’ A great line.

[@peterrebelwithoutamenopaus6962]

Agreed. A line I still use now. 😂😂😂😂

[@paulmorphy6187]

It gets changed to 'Vicious but fair' in some versions I believe

[@alfx5432]

😂

[@kennyhagan5781]

This is the sketch that hooked me. I knew nothing about the Kray twins, but I knew that this was the funniest bit that I had ever seen. Long live Spiney Norman.

[@aaronTNGDS9]

This is comic gold, the height of nonsense/hilarity blended together with such style as only the British could do. There are wonderful examples of human comedy across the world--it's part of the nature of the all humans to have a sense of humor. The hominids who wandered into Britain and settled just happened to come up with a uniquely wacky way of expressing humor.

[@cube2fox]

Bless the British, they've got an extra dose of funny genes.

[@johngale9098]

.. .. .. excellent .

[@TheWarriorPoet]

When I was in high school, Python played on WTTW in Chicago 11:30 on Sunday night. I spent about a month prowling the halls between classes, poking around corners and saying "Dinsdale... Dinnnssssdal?!?" in a pretty good imitation. The vast herds around us thought we were crazy.

[@tourdekangaroo]

Ццццыыыццццццыы́ѳйййфйф

[@Yorksbloke]

Did you understand all of the references - like this one on Billy Bremner - or did you try and look them up. Easy nowadays with Google. Tough if not impossible in those days.

[@matthewsonnenberg303]

Same here! In high school back then and laughing about the naughty bits! Of course keen on discussing the philosopher references, too! Then there was Carol Cleveland...

[@markevans8054]

Yep remember that in the 70's

[@jimrichardson4055]

I remember it being on at 1030 in Chicago on Wttw

[@mkrbrtsn1]

Such a great piss take of the Kray twins.

[@zekelucente9702]

I remember watching Monty Python with my sister after we had worked late in a restaurant and laughing our asses off and our dad would come downstairs in his underwear and watch for a few minutes before stating “I don’t get it” which made it even funnier.

[@jeffreymichaeljackson1835]

Brilliant skit on The Krays!!!!!

[@ericdover6984]

After seeing the Movie "Legend" this sketch is funnier than ever.

[@han5234]

Graham was fantastic in this sketch.

[@Hqhq-01]

This was probably his best moment as a Python, in perhaps their best sketch. This sketch might have also been one of Palin's finest moments. Pure comedy gold.

[@andyblackwood8794]

Agree

[@andyblackwood8794]

'biting the heads off whippets'

[@andyblackwood8794]

Lovely stuff.

[@rickarnold6704]

My father was from E. London and I heard stories about the "wide boys" and out and gangsters he knew of and this skit certainly resonates with me in the most hilarious way. I had relatives and met people when I was there who had accents like that. Funniest people I have ever met.

[@wokeeye6441]

An interesting expose of the London underground in the 1970s. Very historically valuable.

[@raypurchase801]

Many references to corrupt politicians, gaydom and the coppers are very close to the truth. The Krays were still alive at the time this was broadcast. I wonder what their reaction was when they saw this.

[@fredrikmoller629]

Ethel the frog. Just the title makes me laugh. One of the best scenes they done. Together with Wrong way Norris and Dennis Moore.

[@roymarsh8077]

Comedic genius . The twists and turns. Wonderful

[@bergamotblonde]

'he was a cruel man but fair " ah my hero

[@sutilversatil]

Mi sketch favorito de todos los tiempos...Lo mejor que hay,me crie mirando a estos grandes...Monty Phyton para siempre

[@GreenHairedKaiba]

I love this episode! The whole concept on nailing someone's head to the floor is crazy lol!

[@alfx5432]

One my favorites 😂

[@GreenHairedKaiba]

@@alfx5432 lol thanks for reminding me about this after 15 years!

[@aaronTNGDS9]

Only the British, and maybe the Mafia, would come up with a line like that.

[@BrianBattles]

Love holding the mic to the one not talking!

[@gunproofgrandad4381]

+Brian Battles Graham's physical acting is hilarious.

[@mikeinla6922]

We called a little kid who lived across the street Dinsdale for years. Not our fault his name was Doug.

[@jlhs92]

"Well one day I was at home threatening the kids"

[@doraburany4118]

😂

[@Bizarronumber4]

One of my favorite Python sketches.

[@richstrobel]

My family lived in England for four years when I was a child. I recognize the name Billy Bremner as a football player on Leeds United.

[@thunderbolt2145]

"Screwed my pelvis to a cake stand" 😂

[@AlmostEthical]

Eric's and, especially, Roger's acting are hilariously good in this one

[@raypurchase801]

Excellent acting from whichever of them played Spiney Norman.

[@AlmostEthical]

@@raypurchase801 kzbin.info/www/bejne/rn-ThKawgZyUa5Y

[@danielwoodhouse5531]

Who's Roger?

[@raypurchase801]

@@danielwoodhouse5531 Maybe a pseudonym for Ethel the Frog.

[@sutilversatil]

R.I.P Graham Chapman..A Legend!!!!!!

[@peterrebelwithoutamenopaus6962]

Watched these from 1969 as a 20 year old in England. Reminded me after reading this anecdote from Bob Hope, years later. Bob Hope reminisced that he was playing a theatre in Chicago in the 30s when Capone ruled the city. Hope was already quite famous by then. During the show his straight man said, 'My brother slapped Al Capone's face last week'. Hope said, 'He's a brave man, where is he? I'd like to shake his hand'.The straight man replied, 'I'm not gonna have him dug up just for that!' It got a big laugh in the theatre.. Later, Hope said he was relaxing in his hotel room with a drink before bed, and the phone rang. A classic gangster voice on the line (not Capone, obviously one of his lieutenants) said, 'Are youse Bob Hope de comedian?' Hope cautiously said, 'Yes'. 'I believe youse told a joke about Mr Capone last night, and Mr Capone would prefer you didn't tell dat joke again'. Hope said, 'Yes sir, no problem, sorry sir, never, again'. And he never did, of course. I wonder if a Kray brother rang Python from prison? 😂 Only joking. They were doing 30 years then and died in prison. Superb sketch as 99% of Python sketches are. 'He was a cruel man, but fair'. Always remember that line as other people have commented that it was their favourite.

[@SODEMO2007]

oh god "They split me nostrils open!" cant stop laughing

[@iconoclast137]

when terry jones and graham chapman do the interview where he messes up the timing of the microphone is great

[@SiruselVaranus]

This is one of the funniest things I've ever seen in my life.

[@LMatters1]

The Krays, brutal poofs. Just love this episode.

[@douglassun8456]

I learned about the Krays years after I first saw this sketch. At first, I just thought it was a brilliant bit of nonsense - and I watched and listened to it over and over, had the TV episode on video tape and I also had the album. After hearing about the Kray Twins and their careers, everything kind of came together.

[@DieFlabbergast]

Only one of them was gay.

[@davemoore9901]

​maybe 🤔

[@PaulRudd1941]

I totally forgot they were "Born, on probation..." 😂

[@Luke175]

I hear you've been a naughty boy, Clement

[@twilitezn]

My name’s not Clement 😗

[@BaldwinVoice]

This was my all-time favorite skit from the Flying Circus

[@thelegendfamily4836]

The Piranha brothers ran the "other, other operation" protection racket w/"Dean-O" and Luigi Fercotti on British Army bases in the Seventies.

[@TheMorticeLock]

'The Golden Age of Ballooning' and 'Mr Neutron' episodes were also single uninterrupted sketches.

[@neonatalpenguin]

The Piranha Brothers are being incorporated into the new League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

[@adi87tya]

TV quizmaster...lol this one is timeless

[@Brendanvio]

Their father, Arthur Piranha, a scrap metal dealer and TV Quiz Master...........

[@Filmdude2001]

-Best Part- Reporter: He nailed your head to the floor? Vince: At first, yeah. Perfect!.

[@stalhandske9649]

Ooh, never noticed that the Pythons used a clip from Jean Sibelius' work (however short!), at 0:17 here. It's Intermezzo from _Karelia Suite_ (composed in 1893.) It's one of my favorites too!

[@ultraflash]

Yup def Graham Chapman, my favourite part of any Monty sketch! ...and then he nailed my head to the floor! ha! Amazing

[@johnhofstetter5515]

The interview looks like something Steve Farrell would steal.

[@krimskrams]

this is one of the best sketches ever! *lol* i completely forgot this one! "starring...billy bremner"

[@bootymanager]

"I've been told Dinsdale Piranha nailed your head to the floor" "No, never! He was a smashing bloke, used to buy his mother flowers and that. He was like a brother to me." "But police actually have film of Dinsdale nailing your head to the floor." "Well, yeah, he did that." "Why?" " Well, I 'ad transgressed the unwritten law" " What had you done?" "Er, he didn't tell me that, but he said their was a case and that's good enough for me with old Dinsie. I 'ad to insist! He wanted to let me off!"

[@andysmallwood3300]

That's my favourite part, because that's exactly how certain people talked about the krays 😂 As though they were really nice blokes, and not homicidal gangsters 😂

[@Ant57fr]

Classic line amongst classic lines. Classicest I'd say.

[@thelegendfamily4836]

IIRC the MCC still controlled/had the biggest voice in the game worldwide at the time this episode was filmed.

[@vardellsfolly5200]

I always subscribe to those who upload monty's silly sketches!

[@manofweed1]

The real ones had just been sent down by then, but their influence still carried on................Funny sketch, and quite brave considering !

[@DaL33T5]

Y'know, my parents know a builder who sounds almost exactly like that! (minus the kid-threatening part; he's actually a nice guy.)

[@johngale9098]

.. & did he nail there heads to a coffee table?!

[@pronkb000]

@@johngale9098Worse: he used sarcasm.

[@larrymcmonagle738]

The true Beatles of comedy!

[@MasteroftheForce1337]

Cleese you brilliant genius.

[@ralphgilbert23]

Ethel the Frog. Love it!

[@ilokivi]

Alas, Graham Chapman and Terry Jones have both joined the choir invisibule.

[@ackerjawaka4742]

Spinny norman 😂😂

[@bold810]

Oof Da, "Slit up a treat"?? 😮😦😯😮😮!

[@danielwoodhouse5531]

At the age of 15 The Piranha Brothers started attending primary school Hmmmm

[@Kevin-cc8qk]

The whole thing is quite funy..

[@johngore7744]

The Krays. I remember this from 1973 on PBS.

[@tonycavanagh1929]

pisstake on how people always romance the krays

[@mortalclown3812]

Born on probation. 😂

[@NYCentralSpotter1070]

First they began to operate what they called The Operation. In it, they would select a victim and then threaten to beat him up if he paid them the so-called protection money. Four months later, they started another operation which they called The Other Operation. In this racket they selected another victim and threatened not to beat him up if he didn't pay them. One month later, they hit upon The Other Other Operation. In this, the victim was threatened that if he didn't pay them they would beat him up.

[@FrazerRice]

genius.

[@Penningtontj]

This, for the Piranha Brothers, was a turning point.

[@clivenaylor5392]

Nailed your head to the floor. Preferential treatment.

[@asldkjaslkdj]

Any relation to the Krays is purely deliberate....

[@CptSchmidt]

Does anyone have any idea what that intro music is at the very beginning?

[@srbrant5391]

3:46 - Best. Name. Ever.

[@toddreeder8010]

I like Eric Idle's voice.

[@ReyaitheShadowWolf]

You, uh... got a nice army base here, Colonel...

[@Hero1957]

I love Ethel The Frog

[@qwadratix]

It was a huge joke that the Piranha Brothers were 'sentenced to 400 years'. In the USA that happens routinely. I always wonder how long they really keep the corpse in the cell.

[@JamesSmith-zk8gl]

Spiny Norman

[@CptSchmidt]

@flautobasso THANK YOU :D

[@iansaville5496]

I WAS a man in a brown coat lol

[@MisterSynyster]

wasn't a cake stand?

[@joshcarrico6534]

I just saw the trailer for the new Tom Hardy movie, Legend, and realized that the Piranha brothers were based on real people. Funny shit.

[@flautobasso]

Sibelius - Karelia Suite, 1st movement: Intermezzo

[@2old4gamez]

Vinc Snetterton Lewis, my role model.

[@WristCutGauze]

He just nailed my pelvis to a coffee table...

[@golden.lights.twinkle2329]

Cake stand.

[@ReyaitheShadowWolf]

Doug and Dinsdale were born, on probation... XD

[@1emmajones]

So funny. 😂😂😂

[@robertjsmith]

Cartesian dualism

[@teenonator]

It's a fair cop, but society is to blame.

[@Kevin-cc8qk]

John cleese is so funny in drag ........

[@Brendanvio]

@kenfig I must agree with you. I find this and Full Frontal Nudity two of my favourites.

[@goodiesguy]

The best parts are the school interview at 2:14 and the line "and tv quiz master". i lmfao at those. i have this on a dvd called "Micheal Palin's Personal Best", i also own "Eric Idle's Personal Best", "Life of Brian", "Holy Grail", "And now for something completly different", "Almost the truth", "At last the 1948 show". and this christmas, i hope to find the flying circus box set.

[@bold810]

Coach Red Ruffinsore use to date that'n yah? 🎉

[@j0njn]

I'm not British, so I have to ask; what is the MCC?

[@johnthompson16]

Marylebone Cricket club. (MCC) I think they run the Lords cricket ground. Very pukka...

[@BethGoth15]

Stig?! Wasn't he a Rutle? Lol.

[@haijyvelho]

0:16 on Jean Sibeliuksen säveltämästä Karjala-sarjasta. Torilla tavataan!

[@garyfrombrooklyn]

What did Clement do I wonder 😆🤔

[@Pagliacci_Rex]

A Kray bros reference?

[@patrickneylan]

Where's Spiny Norman?

[@greyforge27]

I want a conversation pit.

[@beatchef]

First second of really loud noise deafens with headphones on :(

[@perplacymp]

Nobody expects the Monty Python jumpscare!!!

[@jaspernatchez]

love it at 5:09

[@thelegendfamily4836]

@ about :13: BILLY BREMNER!!

[@neilreading3552]

"I ear you've been a naughty boy Clement"!

[@alan-sk7ky]

4:35 Charles Paisley the baby crusher? But what about Frank Goliath the Macedonian?

[@ZacHawkins42]

He sawed my head off... kind enough chap though...