Terry Jones is one of those geniuses that they don’t seem to get enough credit. I don’t know what it is! Maybe its their modesty, or their idiocyncracy, or their persona, or that they are perceived as part of the whole. Most people fail to recognise what’s in front of them. For all of you pythonians, you must already know that Tery Jones is one of the pillars of the Monty Python team, writing a great number of sketches and making his absurd surreal humor characterise the whole series. He used to argue, artistically that is, a lot with his friend John Cleese, and write with his friend Michael Palin. He also directed Life of Brian, and co directed Holy Grail. He is also a unique comedic actor and makes me laugh whenever I see him on a sketch. But he is also a scholar, and he gave us brilliant series like The Crusades, the most comprehensive TV guide as to what happened then, so that we better understand today. And of course my favorite, Medieval Lives, where he gives a very vivid picture of what those so called Dark Ages were. Did you know that never humans believed the Earth was flat? And that the pitiful Medieval peasant worked less hours a week than us, the superior beings? Well, thanks Terry…

Michael Palin is my favorite Python. He began writing sketch material with Terry Jones (whom he had befriended at university) for various television shows, in addition to working in cabaret with him as a double-act. When they were recruited to the writing team of The Frost Report (BBC, 1966-67) they were brought into contact with fellow writers John Cleese (who was also a performer on the show), Graham Chapman and Eric Idle. Monty Python’s Flying Circus (BBC, 1969-74) finally saw Palin and Jones united with Cleese, Chapman, Idle and Gilliam to create what was to become one of British television’s most influential series, and comedy team. The perfomance and comedic genius of Michael Palin can be seen in almost all sketches, my favorite is The Fish Slapping Dance. Close your eyes, try to imagine your favorite Monty Python sketches… Is Michael Palin in all of them? The Parrot Sketch, The Spanish Inquisition, The Cheese Shop, The Lumberjack Song, The Argument Clinic, Ministry of Silly Walks… Its interesting to notice that in whatever interview that John Cleese gave, he always praised Michael Palin, that he was the only who could make him laugh, and that they were friends. Which is sweet. Michael was friend to all of them, the “most normal person in the world” as described by Graham Chapman on the set of “The Life Of Brian”. Palin followed Monty Python’s Flying Circus with his own superbly realised series, Ripping Yarns (BBC, 1976-79). He starred in each episode of this anthology series and co-wrote all of it with Terry Jones. You must REALLY CHECK OUT Ripping Yarns, it’s great. His movies A Fish Called Wanda, Jabberwocky, Brazil and of course his unique entertaining and educative travel documentaries.

John Cleese, needs no introduction, he is an institution of comedy by himself. Monty Python, Fawlty Towers, Frost Report, A Fish Called Wanda, need I go on? An asteroid and a species of lemur are named after him in his honour. He is the smartest of comedians, the greatest of comedic actors, a great innovator and he is one of my idols. Oh, dear! I just had a terrifying thought! Could you imagine our world without a John Cleese? Oh, dear!