Let's face it, Gumbies are an undervalued minority. I'm sure you've all heard the jokes - "My brain, my brain hurts" and all that - and let me assure you they are undeserved. Just because a person wears a handkerchief on his or her head, talks very loudly, and has an uncontrollable urge to bash his or her head into things doesn't mean they aren't people too. And this is why it gives me such great pleasure to introduce to you Professor A. I. Gumby of the Gumby institure at Totnes, one of the greatest Gumby minds in the country and a good friend of mine. Professor?
HELLO!!
HELLO!! ... I AM GOING TO SPEAK NOW!!!!! ... HELLO!!!!!!
HELLO!!!!!!!!!
I'VE HIT MY HEAD ON THE TABLE!!
HELLO!!!!!!!!!!!!
...MY BRAIN... MY BRAIN HURTS !!!
I couldn't have said it better myself. Thank you, professor.
Only six episodes of the series were completed after the departure of John Cleese. Cleese had left to seek other horizons (Fawlty Towers, as it turned out), and the remaining Pythons entered the fourth series with mixed emotions. The show was rechristened "Monty Python" (no "Flying Circus") and every attempt was made to differentiate the show from the earlier series (so no more "It's" man), in honor of John. Cleese's writing still appears in the fourth series, however, with left-over material cannibalized from Monty Python's Second Film, the rejected first draft of the Holy Grail. Note the "Ants" sketch in the "Michael Ellis" show and the "Psychiatrist" bit in "Hamlet" and you'll see what I mean. The fourth series is notable for more linear storylines and greater involvement from Terry Gilliam in the acting department, songs by Neil Innes, and even a sketch in the last show by Douglas "Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy" Adams...
Fourth Series Stuff
The Monty Pycon Icon Collection: Created by myself and Linus the Llama and quite possibly the greatest and most staggeringly huge collection on the 'Net. Pass it up and you'll regret it. Download the full set: Monty Pycons Volume 5 (.zip file) Look at a preview of Linus' hi-color icons. You can also look at a preview of Garrett's 16 color icons.
Song Lyrics:
Anything Goes (not that "Anything Goes")
When Does a Dream Begin?
Protest Song (cut from show 5)
And if you want to risk the links not working, I'll list the following Gumby pics from The Unofficial Monty Python Home Page:
Mr. T. F. Gumby
Mr. B&W Gumby
A Gumby Family Reunion
gumby /guhm'bee/ /n./ [from a class of Monty Python characters, poss.
with some influence from the 1960s claymation character] An act of minor
but conspicuous stupidity, often in `gumby maneuver' or `pull a gumby'.
2. [NRL] /n./ A bureaucrat, or other technical incompetent who impedes
the progress of real work. 3. /adj./ Relating to things typically
associated with people in sense 2. (e.g. "Ran would be writing code, but
Richard gave him gumby work that's due on Friday", or, "Dammit! Travel
screwed up my plane tickets. I have to go out on gumby patrol.")
Yeah, little green guy, right? Usedta hand around wit' Pokey...
Pictures, eh?
Pictures from all four seasons
(from Parrot Sketch Not Included)
Pictures from all four seasons
(production photos)
Miscellaneous Pics
The Scripts
Enjoy our
Flying Circus Sketches Collection, featuring basically every sketch performed on Monty Python's Flying Circus, all in one big ZIP.
MIDI Music
Synthesized versions of your Python favorites.
The Liberty Bell March : The march by John Philip Sousa better known as the Flying Circus Theme Song!
A Python Medley : Featuring the Theme and other Python favorites by the man revered as a god by a small tribe in the Himalayas, Steve Hull (STHMID@aol.com)!
Or
get our entire Monty Python MIDI Collection in one ZIP! It includes what's above and much, much more. If you haven't DL'ed it yet here's your chance!
SHOW 1 - The Golden Age of Ballooning
First aired on 31st October 1974
Starring the Mongolfier Brothers, Ferdinand and Benny von Zeppelin, and the Ronettes [--singing "King George III" by Neil Innes]. A rather weak series opener, despite some fine performances, particularly by Graham Chapman. One of the weakest Python eps, although not as bad as, say, "You're No Fun Anymore."
SHOW 2 - Michael Ellis
First aired
on 7th November 1974
Starring Chris Quinn, Queen Victoria, Marcus the Ant, and a great many dead poets. Salvaged from early writing sessions for "Monty Python and the Holy Grail." This character really reminds me of me. That doesn't make it especially funny, but it's a neat little story. Show 6's "Icelandic Honey Week" was originally intended for this show.
SHOW 3 - Anything Goes: The Light Entertainment War
First aired on 14th November 1974
Starring Alex Diamond, Squiffy Bovril, Cole Porter (not that Cole Porter), and a bunch of men in drag [--with the songs "Anything Goes" (Not that "Anything Goes") and "Where Does a Dream Begin (by Neil Innes)]. This is Neil's only real onscreen appearance in the Python show (although he can be seen briefly in show 6 demonstrating kung-fu). Neil is singing to Maggie Weston, Python makeup girl and future wife of Terry Gilliam. The plot of this one just goes around in circles, but it's a good one. A longer version of this episode exists, and has been released on video.
SHOW 4 - Hamlet
First aired on
21st November 1974
More early Grail-salvaged nonsense, with less of a plot than most of the fourth-series shows (unfortunate, as that is their most endearing characteristic). The Robinson/Non-Robinson/shopping/piston engine/bargain repeating scene sticks out in my mind (it's eminently quotable), as do all those Queen Victorias and Connie Booth's Ophelia. "Come, let us go together." This show does have the greatest ending of any of the Python shows, though, as Michael, calmly fleeing an explosion, simply says "And then..."
SHOW 5 - Mr. Neutron
First aired
on 28th November 1974
Too many Pythons attempting American accents, and something of a plot involving the world domination schemes of Graham's steely-eyed alien and the Postal Service. Nordics who dig ballet and a secret agent who's converted himself into a dog make it all semi-worthwhile, before the standard cop-out of an ending. Back-reference to the previous episode with "What is a hen-teaser?" Douglas Adams was an extra in the "nuclear arms on a truck" scene early in this episode, but cannot be seen clearly. A longer edit of this episode existed at one point and may still exist. An audio tape of it certainly does, and has been bootlegged. Terry Gilliam has talked in interviews about his American dialogue coach character who appears only in the longer edit.
SHOW 6 - Party Political Broadcast
First aired on 5th December 1974
Python ends the way it began, with quick, hit-or-miss sketches. It's a bit different, though, with more Grail discards and credits to Neil Innes and Douglas Adams, not to mention all that disturbing high-budget puppetry you only see in the fourth season. There are no hugs, there is no closure. It is simply another episode. It doesn't end well, it doesn't end badly. It just ... ends. With beans and tree urination. Douglas Adams helped write the Doctor sketch, Neil Innes helped write the Awful Family sketch (and appears as a man demonstrating kung fu). Terry Gilliam's "beans" character in "Awful Family" is fairly legendary.
Back to the Flying Circus
To find out more about the plight of the Gumby in American Society don't bother writing me at
Professor A. I. Gumby has banged his head on the table 
times since July 10, 1997
