It’s survey time as TV channel Gold will be showing the last time that the legendary comedy troupe Monty Python will appear together on stage. Well the ones that ‘aint dead at least. That show will be broadcast on Gold on Sunday July 20, 2014.
The UK has voted for their favourite Monty Python sketch. The favourite sketch isn’t a surprise as it’s probably the only sketch that anyone can name. It’s the one that involves an unhealthy Norwegian Blue parrot.
Nine of the top ten are original Python sketches but one is from At Last The 1948 Show. That being the Four Yorkshireman sketch. It is probably more famous from the last time the Pythons performed live in the 70s at the Hollywood Bowl.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAtSw3daGoo
The sketch is celebrating it’s 45th birthday in December, the 7th to be precise. Even so it is still funny but as we all get old, John Cleese’s manic beating of the parrot has slowed down. Apart from that it’s still the same sketch that we all love, even if John and Michael don’t like to perform it live as the audience are always half a line ahead of them!
If you catch the show on Gold, expect to see John trying to “corpse” Michael. Something that he has tried to do every time they have performed it live in the past. Mostly it works but occasionally it doesn’t.
Gold asked 2,000 British adults what their favourite sketch was and the results are below. They were given choice from a list of 35. I’m not sure that was necessary as the results show.
The nation’s favourite top ten Monty Python sketches
- Dead Parrot – 45%
- The Lumberjack Song – 28%
- The Ministry of Silly Walks – 23%
- The Spanish Inquisition – 16%
- Spam – 15%
- Four Yorkshiremen – 12%
- Nudge Nudge – 11%
- Fish slapping dance – 8%
- The Restaurant sketch (dirty fork) – 7%
- The killer joke – 6%
Just missing out on the top ten were the Silly Olympics, Hell’s Grannies and Gay Policemen (all with 6%).
The findings also reveal some interesting regional differences with Londoners the most likely to find Monty Python funny (81%), compared with those in the North East (69%). There was a surge of popularity for the Dead Parrot sketch in the East Midlands with over half (55%) voting it their top Python moment, compared to the national average of 45%. The Lumberjack Song was particularly popular in Northern Ireland (33%) and Scotland (34%), compared with a national average of 28%. While those living in East Anglia (28%) and Wales (27%) were particularly tickled by The Ministry for Silly Walks (compared with the national average of 23%).
Steve North, General Manager of Gold says, “It’s clear from our research that Monty Python has crossed the generations, 45 years on from the very first series. We’re honoured to be broadcasting the final Monty Python Live (mostly): stage show on our channel so that fans at home can be part of the last ever performance from the most iconic group of comedians in the world.”
The show can be seen on Gold.
Sky 110, Virgin 126, TalkTalk 408, Top-Up TV 20.
