"Monty Python's Flying Circus"
The War Against Pornography (1972)

Director:

Ian MacNaughton

Writers:

Graham Chapman (written by) &
John Cleese (written by) ...

TV Series:

"Monty Python's Flying Circus" (1969)

Original Air Date:

23 November 1972 (Season 3, Episode 6)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

Plot Keywords:

Nose Joke | Doctor | Actor Playing Female Role | Eccentric | Prank

Cast

Graham Chapman	...	First Pepperpot / Surgeon Gumby / Mrs. Jalin / Loony / Sir Jane Russell / Sir John Cunningham / Various
John Cleese	...	Announcer / Gumby Specialist / Mr. Zorba / First Interviewer / Various
Eric Idle	...	Voice Over #1 / Third Pepperpot / Second Presenter / Lieutenant Commander Dorothy Lamour / Rating / Woman outside Runcorn Avenue / Mr. Badger / Various
Terry Jones	...	Second Pepperpot / Nude Organist / Mr. Jalin / Politician / Second Interviewer / Various
Michael Palin	...	It's' Man / T.F. Gumby / Edna OBrien / Newsreader / Waiter / Various
Terry Gilliam	...	First Presenter / Various
Lyn Ashley	...	Nurse (as Mrs. Idle)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Connie Booth	...	Animated mother

Quotes:

Voiceover: We would like to apologise for the way in which politicians are represented in this programme. It was never out intention to imply that politicians are weak-kneed political time-servers who are concerned more with their personal vendettas and private power struggles than the problems of government...

Movie Connections:

References "Dr. Kildare" (1961)

A sot on the Magna Carta

Mrs. Grundy on the march, setting Britain to rights (it is a military operation, in fact a Fascist takeover).

As a parallel to this, gumby brain surgeons, leading necessarily to a critique of television as pedantic or salacious.

The man in the street is an infant who sucks it all in.

Television, a surreal blur of political news and unending dramas and documentaries and children's stories, in a continuous stream. The management apologize for demeaning politicians as precisely what they are.

A hipster Navy explore the lake at 22A Runcorn Street, in the basement. The couple who live there complain of damp, ward off sharks and wear scuba gear.

A sot is interviewed on the Magna Carta and taken to dinner in "the silliest sketch I've ever been in."