SHAKESPEARE

Alternative title

Monty Python in Deutschland

Synopsis

In the first episode of the Monty Python special (performed in phonetic German), a documentary about Albrecht Dürer is interrupted by a condensed performance of The Merchant of Venice, starring ‘The Bad Ischl Dairy Herd’. The film footage depicts a herd of cows; surtitles in English and German translate their mooing into lines from Shakespeare’s play. Later in the programme, a theatre critic (Eric Idle) favourably comments on this interpretation which, he suggests, "has always been a difficult play for animals". This is followed by "The Doctor’s Version of The Merchant of Venice’", presented by Dracula and acted by two doctors.

Series

Monty Python’s Flying Circus

Language

German (Standard)

Country

Germany

Medium

Television

Technical information

Colour / Sound

Transmission details

3 Jan 1972 at 21:00 (Channel: ARD)

Duration

45 mins

Credits

Director

Ian MacNaughton

Producer

Thomas Woitkewitsch

Cast

Eric Idle
Graham Chapman
John Cleese
Michael Palin
Terry Gilliam
Terry Jones

Additional Details

Production type

Sitcoms/Variety

Plays

Merchant of Venice, The

Subjects

Drama

Keywords

animals; Shakespeare, William (1564-1616)

Notes

Notes

Both episodes of the German Monty Python special were released on a single VHS tape by Guerilla Films in 1998 but this seems to be currently out of stock (1/2007). Equally mysterious are the whereabouts of the DVD, allegedly released in 2002 by the Australian DVD company Rainbow Entertainment (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monty_Python’s_Fliegender_Zirkus#Episode_1_.28produced_in_1971.29)

General

Other Python episodes, too brief to catalogue individually, are a sketch entitled SHAKESPEARE in the episode ARCHEOLOGY TODAY (tx 17 November 1970 ) in which Shakespeare, washing up at the sink, gives Beethoven tips on how to compose the Fifth Symphony. He dismisses the name David as a suitable title for his play (preferring the name Hamlet as suggested by Beethoven). Shakespeare tells Michelangelo that he can have the name. HAMLET (tx 21 November 1974) follows some of the action and characters of the play - Terry Jones plays Hamlet. In THE SPANISH INQUISITION (tx 22 September 1970) there is a sketch JULIUS CAESAR WITH AN ALDIS LAMP.

History

One of two Monty Python shows commissioned by the West German broadcasting station WDR. The first episode was shot on film on location in Bavaria in 1971.

Textual information

A full transcript of this episode is available at: http://orangecow.org/pythonet/zirkus/zirkus-1.html

Reviews

'Monty Python’s Flying Circus’, in Mark Lewisohn, Radio Times Guide to TV Comedy (London: BBC Worldwide, 1998), 449-451.

Production Company

Name

Bavaria Atelier GmbH

Sponsor

Name

Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR)

Archive

Name

BFI National Archive

Web

http://www.bfi.org.uk/archive-collections/searching-access-collections/research-viewing-services External site opens in new window

Phone

020 7255 1444

Fax

020 7436 0165

Address

21 Stephen Street
London
W1T 1LN

Distributor (Sale)

Name

Guerilla Films Limited

Contact

info@guerilla-films.com

Email

info@guerilla-films.com

Web

http://www.guerilla-films.com External site opens in new window

Phone

+ 44 (0)20 8758 1716

Fax

+ 44 (0)20 8758 9364

Address

35 Thornbury Road
Isleworth
TW7 4LQ
United Kingdom