Comedy sketch series initially conceived for children and shown at 5.20pm, the series featured half of Monty Python (Michael Palin, Terry Jones and Eric Idle) and also featured Denise Coffey, David Jason and music group The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band. Each edition featured an episode of an adventure serial called Captain Fantastic which saw David Jason (as Captain Fantastic) doing battle with the evil Mrs Black (Denise Coffey).
This serial was quite popular and ended up continuing as a regular segment on Magpie. During the second season Terry Gilliam also came on board. When Thames were keen to keep the series for kids and the Python boys were not, the trio left and the show ended (Idle, Gilliam, Palin and Jones then carried on doing exactly the same with Monty Python’s Flying Circus.)
production details
cast
David Jason
Michael Palin
Denise Coffey
Terry Jones
Eric Idle
Neil Innes
Vernon Dudley Bowhay Nowell
Terry Gilliam
Roger Ruskin Spear
Vivian Stanshall
crew
Writers: Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin
Producers: Humphrey Barclay ( Season 1), Ian Davidson ( season 2)
UK / ITV Network – Rediffusion (season 1 + 1st Special) – Thames (2nd Special + season 2) / 28×30 minutes / 1×50 minutes / Broadcast 26 December 1967 to 14 May 1969.
