MY NEXT GUEST IS A COMEDY LEGEND.
PLEASE WELCOME THE MYTHICAL JOHN CLEESE.
NOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE BUILDING PRETTY EXCITED YOU'RE
HERE.
OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE EXCITED YOU'RE HERE.
YOU WERE ONE OF THE COFOUNDERS OF THE GREAT MONTY PYTHON.
OBVIOUSLY, YOU CREATED ONE OF THE GREATEST SITCOMS OF ALL TIME
"FAULTY TOWERS."
ONE OF THE FUNNIEST MOVIES OF ALL TIME, "A FISH CALLED WANDA"
AND YOUR BOOK, "SO, ANYWAY" IS NOW AVAILABLE IN PAPERBACK.
ARE YOU A HEREEE TO SO MANY PEOPLE, SO MANY COMEDIANS.
>> I'M JUST GOING TO SAY, BUT I HAVEN'T HAD SO MUCH FUN FOR A
LONG TIME AS I HAD DOING THE HAT.
>> Stephen: REALLY?
>> IT WAS WONDERFUL.
>> Stephen: OH, MY GOD.
THAT'S A THRILL.
I WANT TO SAY-- I WANT TO SAY THEY MEAN THIS AS THE GREATEST
COMPLIMENT-- YOU LOOKED LIKE AN IDIOT UP THERE.
DO YOU ENJOY-- BECAUSE YOU'RE A SMART GUY.
DO YOU ENJOY BEING STUPID?
>> I LOVE BEING STUPID.
WHEN WE WERE WRITING PYTHON, THAT WAS THE WORD WE ALWAYS USED
"SILLY."
WE LOVED IT WHEN WAS SILLY.
SOMETIMES WHEN IT WAS NAUGHTY, BUT ALWAYS SILLY.
IT WAS ALMOST BEST WHEN IT MEANT NOTHING.
YOU KNOW THE FISH SLAPPING DANCE.
>> Stephen: THE FISH SLAPPING DANCE WAS ONE OF MY FAVORITES.
>> I HEARD, I HEARD, THEY TOLD ME.
IT'S HILARIOUS.
>> Stephen: YOU AND MICHAEL PALIN, RIGHT?
>> OH, WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL.
( LAUGHTER ) ( LAUGHTER )
( APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: MEANINGLESS.
>> MEANINGLESS.
>> Stephen: COMPLETELY MEANINGLESS.
>> ABSOLUTELY MEANINGLESS, AND IT'S HILARIOUS.
WE WERE ASKED TO DO A COMPILATION PROGRAM EACH.
WE ALL CHOSE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT STUFF, EXCEPT THE FISH
SLAPPING.
ALL FIVE OF US CHOSE THAT.
>> Stephen: WAS THERE, LIKE AIR, PYTHON FOR YOU, LIKE THE
PERSON LIKE YOU MEMORIZED WHAT THEY DID AND YOU WANTED TO BE
THEM WHEN YOU GREW UP?
>> UM, THERE WERE SEVERAL, BUT, YOU SEE, I GREW UP IN AMERICAN
COMEDY.
>> Stephen: REALLY?
>> REALLY.
BBC USED TO SHOW GEORGE BURNS, JACK BENNY, JOAN DAVIS, PHIL
SILVERS.
>> Stephen: NOBODY TALKS ABOUT PHIL SILVERS ANYMORE.
THE GREAT PHIL SILVERS.
>> AMOS AND ANDY WHICH WE DON'T MENTION.
>> Stephen: WE DON'T DO THAT ANYMORE.
>> AND LUCILLE BALL.
I GREW UP ON THAT.
IN THE LATE 80s-- LATE 50s, I'M SORRY.
I'M OLD.
IN THE LATE 50s, WE USED TO STAY ABREAST OF THE MOST
EXCITING COMEDY COMING OUT OF AMERICA WITH MIKE NICHOLS,
ELAINE MAY, MORT SAUL, SHELLY BERMAN, BOB NEWHART.
>> Stephen: BUT YOU NEVER DID POLITICAL STUFF.
YOU MADE FUN OF POLITICAL FIGURES FOR HAVING A STICK UP
THEIR BUTT BUT YOU NEVER DID POLITICAL.
>> IN 1982, WE WERE MAKING FUN OF THE QUEEN, AND THE PRIME
MINISTER AND PEOPLE LIKE-- THIS HAD NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE.
IF YOU DID AN IMPERSONATION OF THE PRIME MINISTER IN 1955, THEY
WOULD HAVE SAID IT WAS DISRESPECTFUL.
AND SUDDENLY, IN '62, PETER COOK, DUDLEY MOORE, JONATHAN
MILLER AND ALAN BENNETT DID THIS STAGE SHOW CALLED "BEYOND THE
FRINGE."
>> Stephen: INCREDIBLE.
>> AND I NEVER HEARD-- I NEVER HEARD LAUGHTER LIKE THAT,
STEPHEN.
ALAN BENNETT DID A PARODY OF A CHURCH OF ENGLAND SERMON, AND
PEOPLE WEREN'T LAUGHING.
THEY WERE SCREAMING, AND THEY WERE SCREAMS OF LIBERATION
BECAUSE WE HEARD THAT CLOTHIAN CRAP EVERY SUNDAY OF OUR LIVES.
AND SUDDENLY, SOMEBODY WAS MAKING FUN OF IT.
>> Stephen: I THINK ONE OF THE GREATEST LINES IN ANY MONTY
PYTHON THING OF ALL TIME IS MICHAEL PALIN WHEN HE SAYS, "OH,
LORD, ROUSSEAU VERY BIG."
>> THAT WAS BASED ON THE KIND OF STUFF THAT WE WERE GIVEN --
>> WHAT ABOUT THE BBC THINK THEY WERE GETTING WHEN THEY GOT YOU
GUYS.
>> THEY HAD NO IDEA PUP WON'T BELIEVE THIS.
I'LL TELL YOU AN EXTRAORDINARY STORY.
IT'S NOT THAT FUNNY BUT IT'S ABSOLUTELY TRUE.
I WAS WRITING WITH PETER SELLERS.
EVERY THURSDAY WE USED TO WATCH THIS KIDS' PROGRAM, USED TO COME
ON AT 5:00.
IT WAS THE FUNNIEST THING ON ENGLISH TELEVISION, PALIN,
JONES, IDOL, AND TERRY GILLAN.
>> Stephen: REALLY FOR CHILDREN?
A CHILDREN'S SHOW?
>> IT WAS A CHILDREN'S SHOW, 5:00.
AND WE RANG THEM UP ONE DAY BECAUSE WE KNEW WE HAD WORKED
TOGETHER BEFORE AND WE SAID WHY DON'T WE DO A SHOW TOGETHER?
AND THEY SAID WHY NOT.
AND WE WEE GOT SOMEONE TO FIX UP A MEETING WITH THE TOP GUY AT
B.B.C. TELEVISION, THE GREAT GOD OF TELEVISION COMEDY DEY.
WE MET HIM, MICHAEL MILLS, AND SHOOK HIS HAND AND SAID WE
GATHER YOU GUYS WOULD LIKE TO DO A SERIES.
AND WE SAID WE'D LOVE TO.
AND HE SAID WHAT DO YOU PROPOSE DOING?
AND BEING PYTHON WE HADN'T DISCUSSED IT.
SERIOUSLY.
WE SAID WE WANT TO DO HUMOROUS ( CLEARS THROAT )
MATERIAL WITH JOKES AND-- OF A COMEDIC NATURE.
AND HE SAID, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE GUEST STARS?
WE SAID ARE WE?
ARE WE GOING.
WHAT ABOUT MUSIC?
WE MIGHT.
ARE YOU GOING TO USE FILM?
AND I THOUGHT THIS IS PROFESSIONAL SUICIDE.
AND I -- >> YOU HAD NO FAITH IN YOUR OWN
PITCH?
>> NO, BUT IT WASN'T A PITCH.
IT WAS A NON-PITCH.
IT WAS AN UN-PITCH.
IT WAS AN EX-PITCH.
BUT MICHAEL LOOKED AT US, SHRUGGED AND SAID GO AWAY AND
MAKE 13 EPISODES.
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: THAT'S WHEN THE
BBC HAD SOME CASH TO BURN.
( LAUGHTER ).
>> YES, BUT THEY ALSO TRUSTED THEIR GUT IN THE OLD DAYS.
UN WHAT I MEAN, STEPHEN?
HE HAD NO IDEA WHAT WE WERE GOING TO DO.
WE HAD NO IDEA WHAT WE WERE GOING TO DO.
>> Stephen: YOU WERE SIX FEET TALL WHEN YOU WERE 12, SOMETHING
LIKE THAT.
>> THAT'S RIGHT, YEAH.
>> Stephen: DID BEING A CIRCUS FREAK HELP?
DID THAT HELP AS A PERFORMER?
BEING A COMEDIAN OR ANYTHING?
>> I THINK I WAS A VERY AWKWARD KID.
MY PARENTS HAD MOVED 13 OR 14 TIMES IN MY FIRST 13 OR 14
YEARS.
SO I HADN'T HAD A CHANCE TO MAKE REAL FRIENDS WITH ANYONE BECAUSE
THEN WE WERE OFF AGAIN, YOU KNOW.
SO WHEN I WENT TO SCHOOL, I WAS-- I WAS NOT-- I DIDN'T MIX
IN VERY WELL.
I DIDN'T REALLY KNOW HOW TO BE A SCHOOLBOY.
AND I GOT TEASED A LOT.
AND THE EMBARRASSING THING ABOUT BEING TEASED AND BULLIED IS THAT
IF IT'S DONE BY PEOPLE HALF YOUR SIZE, IT'S REALLY--
( LAUGHTER ) IT'S REALLY HUMILIATING.
( LAUGHTER ) BUT AT THAT TIME, I BEGAN TO GET
THEM TO LAUGH, AND WHEN THEY LAUGHED-- WELL, YOU KNOW THIS--
THE PEOPLE HAVE AFFECTION FOR YOU.
AND IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW HORRIBLE YOU ARE.
BASIL FORTY IS A TRULY GHASTLY HUMAN BEING, BUT HE MAKES PEOPLE
LAUGH SO THEY FEEL AFFECTION.
>> Stephen: HE'S SAD.
HE'S A VERY SAD CHARACTER.
>> YES, THAT'S RIGHT.
HE CAN'T DEAL WITH DEPRESSION AT ALL.
REMEMBER WHEN MANUEL WAS SAD ONCE.
HE SAID, "WE DIDN'T WIN THE WAR BY GETTING DEPRESSED, YOU KNOW."
>> Stephen: ARE YOU WRITING ANYTHING RIGHT NOW?
ARE YOU DOING ANYTHING?
>> I'M GOING TO GO DOWN TO THE WEST INDIES THE DAY AFTER
TOMORROW.
>> Stephen: THAT'S NICE.
>> I HAVE EIGHT EXERCISE BOOKS AND 100 PENCILS AND I DON'T KNOW
WHAT I'M GOING TO WRITE.
>> Stephen: WOW.
>> BUT I'M THINKING OF WRITING A SHOW CALLED, "WHY THERE IS NO
HOPE."
( LAUGHTER ) ( APPLAUSE )
>> Stephen: I LIKE IT.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: I LIKE IT.
>> BECAUSE THERE IS.
YOU SEE PEOPLE HAVE NOT GRASPED THIS YET.
THERE IS NO HOPE.
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: I DISAGREE.
>> DO YOU?
>> Stephen: YES, BECAUSE YOU HAVE JUST GIVEN ME HOPE THAT
THERE WILL BE ANOTHER JOHN CLEESE BOOK.
AND PLEASE COME BACK WHEN YOU'VE WRITTEN IT.
>> I'D LOVE TO.
>> Stephen: JOHN, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
IT WAS SUCH AN HONOR TO HAVE YOU.
"SO, ANYWAY" IS AVAILABLE IN PAPERBACK NOW.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.