Anna and Ben sit down to investigate the rebellious origins of BBS Productions' film Five Easy Pieces. While not actually a comedy, they examine it as a forerunner of Nicholson's manic performances and an extension of Rafelson's work with The Monkees, and then delve into trivia surrounding the classical music featured in the soundtrack. Sources … Continue reading 12 September 1970: Five Easy Pieces

Anna sits in with Ben to once again revisit anniversary cinema and discuss Billy Wilder's The Apartment on the event of its sixtieth anniversary. Does the romance hold up under contemporary power strictures, how has Mad Men influenced our opinions about office culture in the '60s, and who knows anything about that mishegas down at … Continue reading Episode W861: The Apartment Complex

Diverting somewhat from the mainstream of their remit, Nathan and Ben celebrate the 45th anniversary of the original broadcast of Eric Idle's Rutland Weekend Television by watching the first episode, "Gibberish", and weighing it against half a century of Python comparisons. https://audioboom.com/posts/7579644-episode-1975-rutland-weekend-television Sources and References Eric Idle and Neil Innes interviewed by the NME about … Continue reading Episode 1975: Rutland Weekend Television

A one-off episode in honor of the fiftieth anniversary of the theatrical release of Robert Altman's M*A*S*H and inspired by avoiding the stress and pressure of social distancing.  Join Ben and special co-host Anna as they discuss the sexism, criticism, and other isms embedded in the trauma and drama of this wartime comedy. https://audioboom.com/posts/7534753-episode-4077-the-m-a-s-h-report Sources … Continue reading Episode 4077: The M*A*S*H Report

Nathan and Ben come to the end of the first series of the Flying Circus, weigh the episode's anarchic nature, tally its in-jokes, and other phrases, man. Money isn't real, but their hiatus until the next episode will be. There will now be a whopping great intermission. https://audioboom.com/posts/7475750-episode-13-intermission

Nathan and Ben heed the legend of the Sloan Rangers and peer into the inherited tendencies of the landed gentry. As they weigh the tension of delaying the expectations of an obvious laugh, does that mean they're falling for stalling? Or mauling for trawling, or squalling while zalling? "Zalling"? Is that even a word? https://audioboom.com/posts/7469970-episode-12-the-naked-ant

Nathan and Ben offer context on celebrity boutiques and the internal lives of Python's characters, while speculating on editing and group dynamics. And a quiz on Gumbies is deadly enough to qualify for the Batley Townswomen's Guild historical re-enactments. https://audioboom.com/posts/7464539-episode-11-the-royal-philharmonic-orchestra-goes-to-the-bathroom

Nathan and Ben delve into the episode's running question: is this satire or "zany madcap humour", or does one change to the other as references fade from currency? Can they find an answer by looking at daredevil stunts, wooden hosts, and the censoring of lurid libraries? https://audioboom.com/posts/7460725-episode-10-untitled

Nathan and Ben try to figure out how to pronounce "Brian Equatol" and whether his permissiveness is a secret foil for repression or just delicious raunch.  They also still are finding Python legacy firsts this late in the series, and lamenting their utter unfamiliarity with Spanish. https://audioboom.com/posts/7451373-episode-09-the-ant-an-introduction

Nathan and Ben reminisce about performing the Parrot Sketch in high school and where it fits into Python's notoriety repertoire. They also try to define the essence of the word "silly" and determine if silly is always funny. https://audioboom.com/posts/7443965-episode-08-full-frontal-nudity