Monty Python's Flying Circus: Terry Jones' Personal Best

The rabid "quality control" terrier of Monty Python was Terry J., who (according to the other members) cared about, and/or had a creative hand in absolutely everything - including preservation. There wouldn't be any Python reruns if it hadn't been for Jones, who saved the master tapes from being "wiped" by the geniuses at the BBC. (Just in time, apparently - so you can add "hero" to his impressive list of credits, along with writer, director, comedian, historian and satirist.) Think of THAT, no Flying Circus episodes - and no subsequent movie franchise either, because the popularity of the TV program in the U.S. powered the financing of the feature films. A life without Python? The mind boggles...

Here's a collection of Jones' personal best writing and sketch performances, as judged by TJ himself. Those who may not immediately identify Jones will be able to recall him as the loony nude organ player, the obsessively anal "Spam" waitress, or as the rattiest of the many rat-bag "pepperpot" housewives that the boys loved to impersonate, (for whatever Freudian reasons.) Many of Jones' favorites were collaborative efforts with Jones' writing partner Michael Palin, and are certified, imperishable classics. The "Funniest Joke in the World", "Bicycle Repairman" and the Olympic finals of the Hide and Seek championship are among them, all included. Some other gems, like "The Bishop", "Spanish Inquisition" and "Killer Sheep" appear in part - which is why the complete set of all 45 episodes is absolutely essential. However, the "Personal Best" series is more than worth the price for the hilarious, newly filmed introductions alone.

Don't like Spam? Well, you will after this!

Having bought this as a part of the box set of Personal Best disks because I saw that it listed a particular sketch I wanted, I was very disappointed to find out that there are only small portions of many of the sketches.
For example, every disk in its intro, references the Argument Clinic sketch, BUT, the sketch is never shown! There are a few seconds of the lead in to the sketch but not the argument itself!