Before there was Monty Python and Ripping Yarns, there was The Complete and Utter History of Britain. Written by and starring comedy legends Michael Palin and Terry Jones, The New (In)Complete Complete and Utter History of Britain (12) includes the two surviving episodes, along with never-seen-before footage available to own for the first time in any format. This DVD and Blu-ray set is out now, courtesy of Network Distributing.
For the first time in any format, the two existing episodes can be seen as recorded and as transmitted, plus a new 50-minute feature with brand new linking material by Palin and Jones, and previously unseen series footage from Terry Jones’ personal archives.
Shown in 1969, the same year that Python became part of the national consciousness, this series takes a typically skewed look at British history – and reports it as if television had been around to cover it at the time. A notable influence on television comedy, this series fed directly into the work they did for Monty Python’s Flying Circus.
The set includes;
• 50-minute feature containing new linking material by Palin and Jones
• interview with producer Humphrey Barclay
• the first two episodes as transmitted (the only ones still to exist)
• the first two episodes as recorded (includes some different sketches to that which was transmitted)
• all existing film insert material used throughout the series, kept safe by Terry Jones for over 40 years
• brand new booklet by archive television historian Andrew Pixley
• extensive image gallery
• script and production paperwork PDFs
Only existing incompletely in the archive, Palin and Jones revisited this series in 2013 and recorded new material to link the best of the existing material into a completely new feature: The New (In)Complete Complete and Utter History of Britain 2013!
To be in with a chance of winning one of three copies of this collection SIGNED by Michael Palin, just answer the question below.
The competition closes at 23.59 on May 2nd 2014.
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