 | | | Subject: Out of Trees
Posted Feb 5, 2002 by  Orcus
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 | | This was discussed on Douglas Adams' tribute programme on the BBC last year if oyu remember. It's most notable for the 'Peony severance' sketch in which Douglas Adams first blew up the earth.
Just thought that might be worth a mention.
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| | | Subject: Out of Trees
Posted Feb 5, 2002 by Orcus
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 | | Also, I always thought Terry Gilliam was considered by the others as the biggest nutter of the lot.
I've heard John Cleese tell that if any of them ever suggested anything for the show, hours of argument would ensue. Unless, that is, Terry Gilliam suggested it as it was always so wacky and  that it would go in instantly.
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| | | Subject: Out of Trees
Posted Feb 6, 2002 by Danny B
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3
| | I always got the impression that the reason Terry G's stuff went in was because none of the others, particuarly John Cleese, ever understood it, as it was mainly visual. Also, he'd prepare his animations on his own and bring them along to the Python meetings as ready-prepared items, so there wasn't much the others could do but put them into the shows as they were... The comments about Graham Chapman at the end are from people outside the Python team - I think Jonathan Lynn (co-writer on Yes Minister) said one of them.
I like the extra Douglas Adams reference - I'll have to put that into the article!
Danny B.
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| | | Subject: Out of Trees
Posted Feb 6, 2002 by Orcus
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4
| | Well Chapman did once receive an award by grabbing it between his teeth and skwawking all the way back to his seat. 
The peony severance sketch. Quite funny actually. Two lovers pluck a peony flower because of its beauty (one of these being Simon Jones [Arthur Dent] no less!). A policeman is immediately allerted "Peony severance alert", whilst running he causes an accident, an ambulance is called and causes further chaos which ends up with armies and navies firing off missiles, nuclear weapons get thrown about until eventually two robots in a spaceship are in a panic and going "unable to compute Peony severance"... then the earth explodes. 
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| | | Subject: Out of Trees
Posted Feb 6, 2002 by Danny B
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5
| | The 'peony severance' episode also appears in Chapman's autobiography (which is a fantastic book, if you haven't read it!) It actually happened to Graham and partner David Sherlock (although without the missiles, robots etc. ), when they were stopped by the police for 'stealing' a peony from someone's garden. Anyway, I've added the Earth-blowing-up reference to the article.
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