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In follow-up to their wildly successful Monty Python & the Holy
Grail action figures, SideShow Toy will be releasing additional Holy
Grail action figures this year! Wednesday,
13 February 2002
John Cleese will be presented this year's Sir Peter Ustinov / Comedy
Network Award at the 2002 Banff Television Festival. Thursday,
21 February 2002
John Cleese, Robin Williams and Michael Palin will pay tribute to Spike
Milligan in a TV special on Britain's Channel 4 on March 2 at 9pm. Spike
died two days after this announcement, so the tribute is fitting. Monday,
25 February 2002
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's/Sorcerer's Stone failed to win in
any of the seven BAFTA categories for which it was nominated. Cleese
did participate in a comedy sketch with Pierce Brosnan honoring 40 years
of James Bond. Monday, 25 February 2002
On 28 February, Michael Palin published his tribute "Simply Spike"
in The Guardian. Thursday, 28 February
2002
Here follows Darryn Hall's tribute on PythOnline the week following
Spike Milligan's death. It includes a short piece written by Terry Gilliam
exclusively for PythOnlne. Thursday, 7
March 2002
John Cleese will star (from time to time it seems) in a new situation
comedy for ABC with the ridiculously silly title Wednesday 9:30 (8:30
Central) which will begin airing this month on March 27. Fittingly,
the show airs Wednesday's at 9:30 (8:30 Central). Friday,
8 March 2002
Friends fear that Barry Took, 73, does not have long to live. Tuesday,
12 March 2002
The producers of the new James Bond movie, until now simply known as
"Bond 20," said Tuesday that it has been titled "Die
Another Day." Wednesday, 13 March
2002
Funny quote from Michael in The Times, London. Wednesday,
20 March 2002
British-born actor and comedian Dudley Moore died at his home in New
Jersey this morning. What a blow to British comedy. First Spike and
now Dudley. Both paved paths for the Pythons to do their stuff. Thursday,
28 March 2002
There are no shortage of articles on Dudley today. It is hard to point
to a single good tribute, they are all wonderful, so I just nicked this
one from The Telegraph, which I thought was very nice. Thursday,
28 March 2002
British television executive, comedian, and writer Barry Took died today.
His illustrious career also included bringing together the founding
members of Monty python. Sunday, 31 March
2002
Nike unveiled Terry Gilliam's elaborate 2002 World Cup television commercial,
April 4. The three-minute film is about a secret tournament involving
25 of the world's best soccer players. Sunday,
7 April 2002
John says network executives are too conservative and afraid of ratings.
Tuesday, 9 April 2002
Terry Jones is in the hospital, having recently undergone surgery. Here
is what Darryn Hall posted on PythOnline recently. Wednesday,
10 April 2002
Here is a hilarious and NEW Monty Python and the Holy Grail video game.
Available at classiccomedy.net, a comedy website run by Richard Bentine.
Friday, 12 April 2002
John Cleese says that he is not angry about the cancellation of the
ABC sitcom Wednesday 9:30 (8:30 Central) which was pulled from ABC's
lineup after just two episodes. He talks about the nature of successful
situation comedies. The Express Monday,
15 April 2002
Production has begun on "The Soul Patrol", a new Disney Channel
Movie starring Eric Idle, Tommy Davidson, and Kathy Najimy as a trio
of spirits who help two teens fight a local legend who's come back from
the dead, seeking revenge on a town. Disney Channel Press Release
Thursday, 25 April 2002
John Cleese told the Calgary Sun recently about his
time on the set of the new James Bond film, Die Another Day.
"I am Q now -- I actually have a name," says Cleese. Cleese
takes over the role from the late Desmond Llewelyn who died in a tragic
car accident December 1999. Saturday,
27 April 2002
British film magazine SFX reports in its April
2002 issue that Hallmark Entertainment has bought the rights to produce
two 2-hour television sequels to Terry Gilliam's 1981 cult-classic Time
Bandits and will begin filming in August. Read about the history
of TB2 and the plot! Thursday,
9 May 2002
After his recent health scare which sent him into
the hospital for a short time, Terry Jones is now doing so well, he
wants to share the experience with us. Now, for the first time, you
can see the insides of Mr. Creosote... and we're not kidding! Warning,
graphic operation photos of Mr. Jones' intestines enclosed. Thanks to
Darryn Hall and Pythonline for... erm... sharing. Thursday,
9 May 2002
Eric Idle passed along some info about an event this
month at the Museum of Television & Radio in case any were
interested in attending. Eric will be there to introduce screenings
of some rare material and will take questions from the audience.
Friday, 10 May 2002
The real-life Sybil Fawlty has broken her silence for the first time
in more than 30 years to defend her late husband, the hotel owner on
whom John Cleese based the character Basil Fawlty. Monday,
13 May 2002
Independent film company Hippofilms is developing a $10 million film
based on the life story of Graham Chapman. The film will most likely
be called Gin and Tonic and will begin principal photography this November
in London and Cambridge. Monday, 13 May
2002
He flew in sort of under the radar, but Terry Jones was featured in
a small cameo in ABC's Dinotopia, the most expensive television film
ever made. Monday, 13 May 2002
Here are excerpts from another article about Betty Sinclair and her
reaction to John Cleese's portrayal of Basil Fawlty (inspired by her
husband) in the British sitcom Fawlty Towers. I found this interesting
as it also quotes reactions by John Cleese and Michael Palin. Tuesday,
14 May 2002
John Cleese has signed on to star in an Australian film called The Shoot.
Produced by Jigsaw Entertainment, the comedy is written by Josh Goldin
and Bruce Hancock. Tuesday, 14 May 2002
In early anticipation of Monty Python's 35th anniversary, Orion Publishing
Group will be publishing a new coffee table book called Monty Python
by the Pythons. The book will be written and produced by all of the
Pythons, including the Estate of Graham Chapman. The book has been three
years in the making and is expected to go into worldwide circulation
on September 24, 2003. Wednesday, 15 May
2002
John Cleese has been listed in the cast of this summer's Eddie Murphy
sci-fi comedy Pluto Nash (in theaters August 16). John Cleese
allegedly voices the robot chauffeur who carts around Eddie Murphy's
character. Thursday, 16 May 2002
I hadn't reported on Michael Palin in a while, so I trolled through
some dustbins and dug up several juicy tidbits on Michael from the gossip
columns of U.K.'s finest newspapers... Friday,
17 May 2002
Michael Palin talks to Vanya Kewley of the Sunday Times about
his wanderlust. He describes some of his earliest travels, some of his
favorite places, what motivates his desire for discovery, and what might
be next. Friday, 17 May 2002
The debate over whether Gleneagles Hotel manager Mr. Donald Sinclair
was anything like Basil Fawlty rages on... A letter and a series of
articles were published this past weekend concerning Rosemary Harrison's
experiences as a waitress at the Torquay-based hotel in 1973. Tuesday,
21 May 2002
The Financial Times reported today that John Cleese is threatening
to sue the Evening Standard for running a nasty article about
John's career. Somehow journalist Pete Clark felt it necessary to share
his personal dislike of Cleese's films... or perhaps to blame California
for having knicked one-too-many sunny days, not to mention Cleese too.
Tuesday, 21 May 2002
Toronto's Globe and Mail interviewed Eric Idle on the set of
Disney Channel's new film Soul Patrol, in which Eric portrays
the ghost of Coffin Ed, a British soldier from the American War of Independence.
Eric talks about sex and the nature of comedy. Saturday,
25 May 2002
In what is being called Fawlty Gate, the controversy rages on over whether
the Gleneagles Hotel and its manager in the early 1970s, Mr. Donald
Sinclair, were anything like Cleese's sitcom Fawlty Towers. Letters
have come in from hotel owners, guests who experienced
Mr. Sinclair first-hand, and even a waiter who says he was the
real-life inspiration for Manuel. Sunday,
26 May 2002
Terry Gilliam and 600 other celebrity guests came out for a reception
on May 22nd honoring the Queen. The Queen was on hand to mix with the
stars at London's Royal Academy of Arts for the Golden Jubilee, celebrating
Elizabeth II's 50 years of queendom. Monday,
27 May 2002
The Comedy Network of Canada will be airing all 45 episodes of Monty
Python's Flying Circus starting on June 17. They also plan to run a
Python-a-thon Festival and will be honoring John Cleese with a special
award at the Banff Television Festival on June 10. Tuesday,
28 May 2002
Eric Idle is to direct a film parody of British period dramas. The
Remains Of The Piano will star Geoffrey Rush and will hopefully
be shot in Toronto this summer. Wednesday,
29 May 2002
The producers of a new film about Graham Chapman hope to persuade Rhys
Ifans to play him. Jim Yoakum tells Ananova that an open casting call
will be held for actors to play the young Pythons. Wednesday,
29 May 2002
John Cleese was in San Francisco this past Sunday for a special visit
to the San Francisco Zoo. The Daily Llama was there for the exclusive
event! Cleese headlined an informal ceremony to inaugurate the Lipman
Family Lemur Forest, a new enclosure that will be the world's largest
outdoor exhibit for this endangered species. Thursday,
13 June 2002
John Cleese has landed a role in Shrek 2, the sequel to Dreamworks'
animated comedy adventure. Cleese will supply the voice of Princess
Fiona's father in the sequel, which is scheduled to debut Memorial Day
weekend, 2004. Thursday, 13 June 2002
On June 1, Nike began airing two further "Secret Tournament"
commercials directed by Terry Gilliam. The ads, a 30 and 60-second spot
called "Rematch," are part of Nike's World Cup campaign and
were shot by Gilliam in January in Rome. Tuesday,
18 June 2002
Lost in La Mancha premiered on 11 February at the 2002 Berlin
Film Festival and is making the film festival circuit this summer. This
June 6th article, from The Scotsman, is a great account of the
documentary and Gilliam's failed project The Man Who Killed Don Quixote.
Wednesday, 19 June 2002
Even though the cancelled sitcom My Adventures in Television
(formerly Wednesdays 9:30 (8:30 Central)) has only aired five
times, the June 5 episode nevertheless managed to seriously offend parents
with adopted Chinese children. Even advertisers have pulled commercials
from that timeslot. Wednesday, 19 June
2002
From the June 18 London Evening Standard:
Terry Gilliam's next door neighbors and the Highgate Society are upset
with Gilliam's plans to build a futuristic roof extension on his house
in South Grove. Thursday, 20 June
2002
John Cleese was in Banff, Canada recently to receive the Sir Peter
Ustinov/Comedy Network Award at the 2002 Banff TV Festival.
John was also interviewed live about his perspective on his long and
illustrious career on both sides of the Atlantic, the roots of comedy,
and his current perspectives on the industry. Saturday,
22 June 2002
In Banff, Cleese was invited to take part in a number of discussions
and interviews on the subject of television programming. One common
theme was how television executives have dropped their gut instincts
for by-the-numbers decision making. Saturday,
22 June 2002
Sideshow Toy, Inc. has added a number of new figures to their Monty
Python & the Holy Grail line-up. Set for release later this
year, the new figures are rapidly expanding this very successful series.
Soon, we might be able to re-enact the entire film in our living rooms.
Now suppose we build a small wooden badger...
Wednesday, 26 June 2002
The producers of a new film about Graham Chapman
have been given permission to use his personal diaries. The diaries
will now form the basis of the film. Wednesday,
26 June 2002
Despite what seemed as a torch-passing scene in 1999's
'The World Is Not Enough,' Cleese didn't expect to be promoted
so soon to the role of 'Q'. Cleese explains his pact with Desmond Llewelyn
about the head of Q-Division. Wednesday,
26 June 2002
Michael Palin is filming a documentary about two Baltimore (Maryland)
sisters — Claribel and Etta Cone — who assembled one of the
most important collections of paintings by Henri Matisse. The documentary
will air in the UK in September. Friday,
28 June 2002
John Cleese and his wife, Alyce Faye, on 28 June unveiled a commemorative
plaque on the north London home of the founder of psychoanalysis, Sigmund
Freud. Friday, 28 June 2002
PythOnline has 'acquired' the Daily Llama and its
webmaster, Hans ten Cate, in a move to expand Pythonline's offerings
of timely and behind-the-scenes information to fans. PythOnline will
be maintained by Darryn Hall and Hans under the auspices of the Python
Office in London. Tuesday, 2 July
2002
Eric Idle was at the Hollywood Bowl last Friday, 28 June, to induct
George Harrison into the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame. Eric sent us the
text to his speech. Wednesday, 3 July
2002
Terry Gilliam and his Flying Circus animations were honored at the 2002
Melbourne International Animation Festival. PythOnline's webmaster,
Darryn Hall, was a guest at the event. Wednesday,
3 July 2002
Monty Python godfather Barry Took has been remembered as a "comedy
genius" by friends and stars at a memorial service in London. Terry
Jones and John Cleese were there at St. John's Wood Church in north
London for the service on Wednesday. Saturday,
6 July 2002
Entertainment Weekly's sixth annual "It" issue celebrates
the most creative people in the entertainment industry. Lo and behold,
John Cleese is featured, with a nice photo at his home no less. Read
why EW thinks Cleese is "it" this year. Saturday,
6 July 2002
Terry Jones' documentaries Hidden History of Egypt and Hidden History
of Rome will be airing this Sunday, July 14, on Europe's Discovery
Europe channel (8:00 PM and 9:00 PM GMT). The two specials aired
on the American Discovery Channel in January and are finally seeing
airtime in the UK and neighboring countries. Thursday,
11 July 2002
Lost in La Mancha, the amazing documentary about Terry Gilliam's
even-more amazing attempt to film The Man Who Killed Don Quixote,
is touring film festivals at the moment. Here are some official
UK release dates and the latest news from Terry himself. Thursday,
11 July 2002
Two Air Force Academy officials have been placed on temporary leave
and an investigation has been launched into complaints after cadets
performed a Monty Python skit at a pregraduation party. Sunday,
21 July 2002
Lost In La Mancha had it's London Premiere on July 25. Producer
Lucy Darwin tells us exclusively about the incredible week leading up
to the event, which was attended by Terry Gilliam, Michael Palin, and
a special appearance by Johnny Depp. Wednesday,
31 July, 2002
Paris is now even gayer thanks to Les Pythons and their French stage
version of Monty Python's Flying Circus. Terry Gilliam tells PythOnline
readers that this is "Python reborn with garlic and a gal. I've
seen the show and liked it." Wednesday,
31 July, 2002
SideShow Toy has announced that they've added two
further figures to their Holy Grail action figure line-up. This winter
expect the King of Swamp Castle and Prince Herbert to your home.
Sunday, 25 August 2002
The 54th annual prime-time Emmy award nominations
were announced on July 18, 2002 in Los Angeles. The Human Face, With
John Cleese scored two nominations in the categories of non-fiction
programming. Sunday, 25 August
2002
John Cleese will be featured in Charlie's Angels
2: Halo, the sequel to the very successful 2000 film. Cleese's role
will involve about a week's worth of filming, and he will be in several
scenes, playing the father of one of the Angels. Sunday,
25 August 2002
Michael Palin is to be the first British author to release a new work
as a talking book before it comes out in print. Palin will publish Sahara,
which recounts his travels across the Sahara Desert, as an unabridged
book on tape. Wednesday, 4 September 2002
Phil Stubbs, proprietor of the Terry Gilliam website, Dreams, has written
a nice review of Neil Innes's Ego Warriors show, which recently
played at the 2002 Edinburgh Festival. Wednesday,
4 September 2002
The 1968 John Cleese film, How to Irritate People, is to be released
on DVD in September. The special edition will include a new interview
with David Frost, who originally produced the film. Tuesday,
10 September 2002
Michael Palin will be touring bookstores and other literary venues to
promote his new book, Sahara, starting this month. Tuesday,
10 September 2002
British comedy stars are to pay tribute to Spike Milligan in a fundraising
gala. Tribute To Spike will take place on September 15 at London's
Guildhall. Tuesday, 10 September 2002
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is hosting a film tribute dedicated
to our resident visionary, Terry Gilliam. The festival, entitled Tilting
at Windmills: The Fantastical Worlds of Terry Gilliam runs over the
course of several weekends starting November 15. Wednesday,
16 October 2002
Michael Palin has officially unleashed himself and his brave crew of
explorers on cyber-space. The site, Palin's Travels (www.palinstravels.co.uk),
is more than a website; it is an online travelogue/documentary/how-to/where-to
and for-how-much travel experience that promises to inform and entertain
at the same time. Wednesday, 16 October
2002
In what must surely be one of the most bizarre and surprising associations
in recent Python memory, John Cleese is set to co-write a 96-page, graphic
novel Superman adventure for DC Comics. Monday,
11 November 2002
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John
Cleese Visits Lemurs at San Francisco Zoo
John
Cleese Lands Role in Shrek 2
John
Cleese's The Human Face Receives Two Emmy Nominations