John Cleese rages at BBC for not showing ‘Monty Python’ reruns

John Cleese gave new voice to a familiar grudge on Tuesday, angry at the BBC for not allowing repeats Monty Python.

The 83-year-old actor and comedian asked his 5.6 million Twitter followers: “Can anyone (including BBC staff) tell me why the BBC didn’t show Monty Python for a few decades?”

The question asked the BBC’s celebration of the iconic comedy, which broadcast the first episode of Monty Python’s Flying Circuson the occasion of the 50th anniversary in 2019.

John Hoare, a television director, replied to Cleese, reminding him of the night dedicated to him python on the BBC. “I sat in the BBC Two press suite on 7 September 2019 and prepared an episode of Monty Python for broadcast as part of an evening of Python-related programmes, and then got it on the air if that helps,” Hoare said said.

Cleese’s tweet also made no mention of any rights deals for the Monty Python back catalogue. The show and movies, included Monty Python and the Holy Grailall streaming on Netflix in the UK.

That’s TV, a British television network, also struck a deal earlier this year to repeat all four seasons of the comedy starring Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Graham Chapman, Michael Palin and Terry Gilliam.

The rights to Monty Python is owned by Python (Monty) Pictures. Cleese, Palin, Idle and Gilliam are all managing directors of the British company.

Cleese’s tweet about python has been interpreted as a dog whistle centered around the demolition culture, which he has vocally fought against in recent years.

He wanted to make a documentary for Channel 4 on the subject. Cleese also announced plans to host a program on GB News, the UK’s right-wing news channel, which will defend freedom of expression.

In response to Cleese’s question about the BBC, Rob Schneider said: “They still haven’t edited out the parts that don’t match their ideology. It’s the whole series!”

Cleese has complained several times about the BBC not turning up python. In 2020, he said: “The BBC hasn’t broadcast Monty Python on terrestrial television for 20 years and young people don’t know about it… Now young people have no idea who I am and it seems strange how I think they would . ” Python has fallen.”