Eric Idle wrote a bit of Classic SNL

Joliet jane B

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Oct 14, 2001, 3:55:12 AM10/14/01

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I read in a book about Monty Python (The First 28 Years Of Monty Python, a must
for any Pythomaniac) that the "Drag Racing" sketch was actually written by Eric
Idle, but he could neither be paid nor credited for it by Lorne and NBC becuase
of some legal junk. But it was fun to get it made.
Also, I learnt from the book that most of the cast absolutly worshiped him.
Doesn't everyone, though? Also in there is a pic of Laraine Newman with John
Cleese.

TegSkywalker

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Oct 14, 2001, 7:23:00 AM10/14/01

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Yeah, I watched that skit. It was very funny. Heck, the entire show with
Idle was great.

"Joliet jane B" <jolie...@aol.com> wrote in message
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Joliet jane B

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Oct 14, 2001, 2:15:27 PM10/14/01

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Now that I think of it, that entire episode was very pythonesque, with some of
the sketches cutting and blending into each other. I hear that's the way Lorne
wanted it (he got the idea for the show while watching Monty Python's Flying
Circus in Canada), but commericals made it mostly impossible. Anyone who's
seen MPFC might've seen some similarities in the Idle show.

On pythonline.com, there was but is no longer a long retelling of Eric SNL
days-- hangin w/ norm. meeting his future wife, and coming to some apartment
shared by some of Not Ready for Primetime Players and a big dog. They heated
the place by keeping the door to thier sauna open all the time, which was ok,
because the electricty was "somehow" connected to the car rental place below
it, hee hee.

Joliet jane B

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Oct 14, 2001, 2:20:32 PM10/14/01

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>hangin w/ norm.

What a doubly retarded typo! I meant Lorne, not Norm Macdonald....

Shawn O'Neal

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Oct 14, 2001, 2:28:34 PM10/14/01

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"Joliet jane B" <jolie...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20011014035512...@mb-cn.aol.com...

> I read in a book about Monty Python (The First 28 Years Of Monty Python, a
must
> for any Pythomaniac) that the "Drag Racing" sketch was actually written by
Eric
> Idle, but he could neither be paid nor credited for it by Lorne and NBC
becuase
> of some legal junk. But it was fun to get it made.
> Also, I learnt from the book that most of the cast absolutly worshiped
him.
> Doesn't everyone, though?

Idle's probably my favorite Python, partly because of some of his work with
the SNLers ("The Rutles" was great). But probably the best collaboration
between a Python and SNL was the two-part Miles Cowperthwaite piece with
Michael Palin. They ought to do something like that again.

Shawn

Spoctober

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Oct 14, 2001, 11:11:59 PM10/14/01

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I'd forgotten how bad the old, old SNL was. It just isn't funny from a
modern perspective. The only thing I get from watching them is a certain
nostalgic value. The later years of the original cast are funny though.

Gern Blanston

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Oct 15, 2001, 2:06:14 AM10/15/01

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You mean the drool bucket, and the seizures of touching other people's
private parts? Bwaaaa.......!!

(laughing so hard he cannot breathe)

...aaa...

"Shawn O'Neal" <res0...@verizon.net> wrote in message
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Shawn O'Neal

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Oct 15, 2001, 2:49:45 AM10/15/01

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"Gern Blanston" <vice_...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:xYuy7.151$sn6....@newsfeed.slurp.net...

> You mean the drool bucket, and the seizures of touching other people's
> private parts? Bwaaaa.......!!
>
> (laughing so hard he cannot breathe)
>
> ...aaa...

And don't forget Captain Ned of the Ragin Queen.

Shawn

James Allen

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Oct 16, 2001, 5:27:38 PM10/16/01

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>From: jolie...@aol.com (Joliet jane B)
>Date: 10/14/01 3:55 AM Eastern Daylight Time
>Message-id: <20011014035512...@mb-cn.aol.com>

Idle probably wrote more than just the drag racing sketch. For example, the bit
where he feeds the fish human food is Python all the way.

Joliet jane B

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Oct 21, 2001, 12:55:22 AM10/21/01

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> For example, the bit
>where he feeds the fish human food is Python all the way.

O yeah; the exact same sketch was on MPFC except it was preformed by Michael
Palin.

James Allen

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Oct 21, 2001, 1:11:42 AM10/21/01

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>From: jolie...@aol.com (Joliet jane B)

>> For example, the bit

Exactly.

On the next show Idle hosted (from later that season) he and Aykroyd do a bit
called "Plain Talk" which was originally done by Idle on "Rutland Weekend
Television" (which is also the show where "The Rutles" clips from last week
came from.)

Douglas North

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Oct 21, 2001, 3:56:30 PM10/21/01

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Also that Game Show sketch where the whole show is explaining the rules
of the game.. this was just a slightly re-written version of a Python
sketch whose name I can't remember. It was sightly Americanized, calling
Gilda's character the "Baroness of Detroit" or something like that. I
can't give you exact quotes because I don't get Classic SNL, and I don't
have the tape of this one.

Greg Darby

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Oct 21, 2001, 9:03:09 PM10/21/01

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Also, the very first SNL sketch, the Belushi "wolverines" sketch, is
basically the same as a Python sketch: The one where the phrase translation
book is all wrong...... "I will not buy this record, it is scratched"...

"James Allen" <sji...@aol.com> wrote in message
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Joliet jane B

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Oct 22, 2001, 4:38:25 AM10/22/01

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>The one where the phrase translation
>book is all wrong...... "I will not buy this record, it is scratched"...

Hee hee the tobacconist's shop...

James Allen

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Oct 22, 2001, 2:14:23 PM10/22/01

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>From: "Greg Darby" gda...@home.com

>
>Also, the very first SNL sketch, the Belushi "wolverines" sketch, is
>basically the same as a Python sketch: The one where the phrase translation
>book is all wrong...... "I will not buy this record, it is scratched"...
>

No, not really. The premises of both sketches are completely different.