Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
As Eric Idle himself notes in the amusing, newly filmed prologue featuring a series of faux Idle on Idle interviews, it's only fitting that he, if not the funniest of the Pythons, then certainly, by his own estimation, "the third tallest," launch this new-to-DVD collection of favorite sketches as selected by each of the troupe's surviving members. Of the prolific Python boys, Eric has been anything but Idle. He has been particularly busy of late keeping the Monty Python fires burning, from his Greedy Bastard Tour, (as chronicled in The Greedy Bastard Diary: A Comic Tour of America) to his crowning achievement, Spamalot, the sensational Broadway musical adaptation of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. As Idle himself notes in the amusing prologue, thanks to DVD, Python's "particular brand of cheap sketches will always be available for recycling." Sampled here are Idle's memorable gallery of unctuous talk show hosts ("World Forum"), supremely annoying blokes ("Mr. Smoketoomuch") and loonies ("The Man Who Talks in Anagrams"). Also of note are some of Idle's most memorable musical contributions, including "Never Be Rude to an Arab" and his rendition of "The Lumberjack Song," both from the classic Monty Python Live from the Hollywood Bowl concert film. His signature sketch, "Nudge-Nudge," is also included, so as far as Idle fans are concerned, we can probably say no more. --Donald Liebenson

[b]Kevin:[/b] This could be good, and hopefully it launch a release of the compelte series. (Yes, I know about that American A&E crappy set.) It hasn't been released at all in R2. But can all the surviving Pyhtons select favourite sketches that without duplicating ones on other volumes of the series? (Even if they do favour themselves.)

I like the A&E discs. I watch them every so often.

Three episodes on a disc (less than 90 minutes), unremastered image, edited episodes, extras that merely recycle sketches from other discs in the series, released in three different formats with the exact same discs for each...Wait until there is a proper release when that post will come to haunt you.

In fairness to A&E, many television programs are released in crummy formats.

My R2 season one is still in transit, but from what I read, they are a VAST improvement over the crappy A&E discs.

From another board:
(http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?p=2465261#post2465261)

The transfers are excellent, save for a tiny bit of grainyness. Just as good as most BBC DVDs in any case. The shows look FAR better than the NTSC A&E discs.

- The "I'm not a Spanish person!" line is back in the Biggles Dictates a Letter sketch!

- In the Penguin On The TV sketch, the Pepperpots mumble 'The Girl From Ipanema' while walking to the television! (The A&E discs used a version with 'Genie With The Light Brown Hair' because of rights issues)

- The Undertaker Sketch (Cannibalism) is still a slightly smeary NTSC conversion, but it looks much better than the A&E one.

- Choreographed Party Political Broadcast is still missing, but this sketch only exists on an NTSC off-air recording and a B&W kinescope, so its ommision is reasonably valid. The Satan Animation isn't included either, for the same reason. Hopefully both of these will be on the "Extra-packed" edition of the series, supposedly coming out next year.

- Dad's Pooves is back!

- The Bus Conductor sketch is still missing the "Tonight, tonight! I'm getting pissed tonight!" line. This line isn't in the "All The Words" book. Is it on anyones (Off-air or official) VHS copy?


And last but not least....


- The All-England Summarise Proust Competition is completely uncensored!!! Woohoo!!