British Comedy Guide
This Cultural Life: Michael Palin. Image shows left to right: Michael Palin, John Wilson. Credit: BBC
This Cultural Life: Michael Palin

This Cultural Life: Michael Palin

  • TV chat show
  • BBC Four
  • 2024
  • 1 episode

TV broadcast of programme in which the Python discusses his cultural influences. Stars John Wilson and Michael Palin.

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This Cultural Life: Michael Palin. Image shows left to right: Michael Palin, John Wilson. Credit: BBC

Key details

Genre
Chat Show
Broadcast
2024
Channel
BBC Four
Episodes
1
Stars
John Wilson and Michael Palin
Company

John Wilson talks to actor, comedian, broadcaster and writer Sir Michael Palin. A founding member of the hugely influential comedy troupe Monty Python's Flying Circus, he wrote and performed in its five television series and three feature films including The Life Of Brian. Other big screen credits include A Fish Called Wanda, Brazil, The Missionary and The Death Of Stalin. Michael is also a globetrotting documentary presenter and bestselling author.

Michael recalls the early influence of listening to radio comedy as a child, especially the absurdist humour of The Goon Show devised by Spike Milligan. Meeting Terry Jones at Oxford University in 1962 proved to be a life-changing event as the two soon started working on sketches together and after graduating were hired for David Frost's satirical television show The Frost Report. It was on this programme that the duo first worked with future Python members John Cleese, Graham Chapman and Eric Idle.

Starring in Alan Bleasdale's 1991 ground breaking television drama GBH allowed Michael a departure from comedy but also set the bar high for future acting roles which he increasingly forwent in favour of writing and presenting documentaries, including a particular favourite about the Danish Painter Vilhelm Hammershøi.

Catch-up

Additional details

Picture
Colour

Broadcast details

First broadcast
Sunday 5th May 2024 at 8:30pm on BBC Four
Episode length
30 minutes

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