BBC ‘nearly killed off ‘Monty Python’
August 4th, 2010 - 3:59 pm ICT by ANILondon, Aug 4 (ANI): ‘Monty Python’ star Terry Jones has revealed that BBC executives had almost killed off the television comedy sketch over fears that it would not bring in any money.
Jones, 68, who devised the show along with John Cleese, Eric Idle, Michael Palin, Graham Chapman and Terry Gilliam, said bosses at the corporation were not very impressed with the first series, which aired in 1969.
“They used to give us nonsense terms and conditions. We were never sure whether we’d be there for another season,” the Telegraph quoted him as saying.
“They didn’t believe we could make them any money, so they wanted to get rid of us at the very beginning,” he stated.
Jones said the show was saved only when a Spanish television executive approached the BBC to buy screening rights.
“They went to great lengths to tell him that it was not actually a circus at all and that he might not really like it but he still insisted on watching it and bought a full season. That saved us,” he added. (ANI)
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Tags: bbc, circus, comedy sketch, eric idle, fears, graham chapman, great lengths, john cleese, london, michael palin, money, monty python, nonsense, spanish television, telegraph, television comedy, television executive, terry gilliam, terry jones
