Forerunner of Monty Python starring John Cleese and Graham Chapman. Comedian Marty Feldman was also a cast member for the sketch show that lasted thirteen episodes. Eric Idle was a guest star. The title refers to TV executives taking forever to make up their minds about everything.
Opening episode: February 15,1967: Stars with Chapman as a priest trying to get his congregation to sing a hymn. Frustrated he tells them to sing anything and they start doing “Oklahoma.”……Aimi MacDonald does a short bit at the piano….John Cleese does a very funny sketch where he’s a psychiatrist who lies on the couch and proceeds to talk about his last patient while his current one, Tim Brooke-Taylor, tries to get his problem out.
Another quick bit from Aimi….The theme from “The Avengers” is heard and Marty Feldman brings Cleese his tea. Cleese says he’s the head of the secret service and assigns Feldman to burn down the Kremlin. Cleese doesn’t know where Moscow is located. The sketch gets funnier as it goes along….Aimi’s back with a sing-a-long called “I Love The Lovely Aimi MacDonald.”.
Cleese is a zoo curator and asks the reptile keepers to come in. They carry a boa constrictor and put it on his desk. Inside is another keeper. Cleese is mad because it’s the fourth time he’s been swallowed. Cleese says he’s going to leave him in there….Aimi does a fund raiser for herself….Now a bit that doesn’t work. We learn a new dance called the chartered accountant from Brooke-Taylor…Aimi comes out to thank everyone connected with The Aimi MacDonald show and gets the names wrong. Then she asks for a big hand for herself.
The show closes with Cleese, Chapman, Feldman and Brooke-Taylor talking about how rough they had it growing up. The bit was revived a couple years later for Monty Python. Overall it’s a very funny show. Watch this one along with the soon to come Python members Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin in “Do Not Adjust Your Set.”
Aimi MacDonald
Great stuff.