Bonus: Remembering Monty Python's Terry Jones

Bullseye with Jesse Thorn

NPR

Society & Culture

4.7 • 2.7K Ratings

🗓️ 25 January 2020

⏱️ 30 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This past week, we lost a talented comic genius: Terry Jones. He was one of the founding members of the legendary British sketch comedy group Monty Python. He co-directed Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and directed both Monty Python's Life of Brian and Monty Python's The Meaning of Life. Terry was also a well respected medieval historian – in fact, he wrote two books on poet Geoffrey Chaucer. Later in his career, he became a prolific children's book author. His books were always a bit surreal, witty and charming. He was a hero to many comedy nerds obsessed with Monty Python. We're taking a moment to remember Terry Jones. When he joined Bullseye (then The Sound Of Young America) nearly 14 years ago he talked about his years with the Pythons. Plus, what it was like when he was given the opportunity to re-edit his cult classic The Saga of Erik the Viking.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, Bulls Ey listeners, it is Jesse.
0:03.1	So we got the unfortunate news this week that Terry Jones passed away.
0:08.1	Obviously, like any other self-respecting comedy nerd, I grew up obsessed with Monty Python,
0:14.5	and I also grew up obsessed with a book that Terry Jones wrote called Fairy Tales, which
0:19.2	is beautiful and still in print.
0:23.2	And so for that reason, when I had the opportunity to interview Terry Jones, I was genuinely
0:29.8	humanly terrified.
0:33.1	When people ask me sometimes if I'm nervous about doing interviews, I say no, and I just
0:38.7	generally true, unless I haven't had the time I'd like to prepare or something like that,
0:43.7	I generally feel fine about my interviews, you know, people are people and so forth.
0:50.0	But I vividly remember being in my apartment in Criatown, from which I recorded this interview,
0:57.1	and looking at my finger as I was dialing the phone and realizing that it was actually
1:03.5	literally shaking.
1:05.3	Anyway, this conversation was one of the things that convinced me that I needn't be nervous
1:10.9	about interviews because Terry Jones was such brilliant and hilarious, but ultimately
1:20.9	lovely and kind man as well.
1:23.2	It was so nice of him to do this interview on my show when very few people listen to
1:27.8	my show and it is one of the greatest highlights of my career.
1:32.6	So in memory of a great artist and a kind man, my conversation from almost 14 years
1:42.1	ago, 2006.
1:44.4	You're listening to the Sound of Young America.
1:46.1	I'm Jesse Thorne America's Radio Sweetheart.
	...

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