Dirty Digest #24: December 2024

ALL FACTS VERIFIED BY THE RHODESIAN POLICE

Dec 13, 2024

Recently, I embarked on yet another rewatch of Monty Python’s Flying Circus. I always find the TV incarnation a slightly odd experience. There are enough episodes, and the shows themselves are so packed with stuff, that no matter how many times I see them, huge swathes of sketches are somehow always a surprise.

So as usual, I’d completely forgotten about International Wife-Swapping. Which among many other highlights, also contains Michael Palin doing his Frank Bough:

“Just a reminder that on Match of the Day tonight, you can see highlights of two of this afternoon’s big games: Mrs. Robinson v. Manchester United, and Southampton v. Mr. Rogers. Unusual game, that. And here’s a late result: Coventry City 0, Mr. Johnson’s Una, 3. Coventry going down at home, there.”

And I laughed at that final line… before stopping to think slightly. Was I just, as I have done many times before when watching comedy, making up my own jokes?

Luckily, we can know for sure. On the extras of the incredible Network Blu-ray release - or bootlegged if you’re one of those people - are the raw pre-recorded inserts for Series 3 Episode 13, commonly known as “Grandstand”.1 And one of these inserts is Michael Palin as Frank Bough, recording the above line.

A chalkboard VT clock, followed by Michael Palin as Frank Bough looking very amused at Eric Idle's dirty joke

And after one particular take, we get Palin grinning widely, followed by…

PALIN: Eric Idle joke. Man of the world, Eric…

So firstly, I now now for sure that it was a deliberate gag. But more importantly: if there’s anything more pleasurable in the world than watching Michael Palin laugh at Eric Idle’s dirty joke, I have yet to discover it.

Not on Dirty Feed

Serious About Comedy - A near-complete archive of the BBC7 comedy discussion show, which I never heard at the the time, but looks wonderful. (via Billy Smart)
Retro No More: Interactive Fiction of the Early Comp Era - Jimmy Maher, on a fascinating part of computer game history which really should be more widely-known about.
Crowther’s Adventure and Mirkwood Tales - While we’re on the subject of text adventures, you really wouldn’t think there was anything new to write about the original Crowther/Woods Adventure, would you? Jason Dyer proves you very wrong indeed.
Doctor Dwarf: Who’s Who? - Do you want a list of every single actor who has appeared in Red Dwarf and Doctor Who? Ian Symes has your back.
When did Star Wars Chapter 2 become Episode V? - Terence Eden asks THE BIG QUESTIONS.
Goon Pod: The British Comedy Awards 1994 - I’ve been very lax in recommending Goon Pod, possibly because - shhhh - The Goon Show was never much on my comedy radar, despite being obvious linking tissue across loads of stuff I love. Anyway, I shall try to be less lax in all respects.
The Quality Street Range - The Borthwick Institute for Archives, with a suitable seasonal thread.
Bother’s Bar: You Bet! - Brig’s site is always a good “bet” (!) for gameshow discussion, and I really enjoyed reading people’s comments on this frankly misguided reboot. It could have been fantastic. It was not.

This Month on Dirty Feed

A quiet month in terms of bigger articles, although you might like my thoughts on great studio audience reactions, or people acknowledging comedy as worth fighting for.

Mainly though, there was a look at my favourite things I’ve written in 2024, published a little early for the sake of MY OWN CONVENIENCE. And please take note of what I say at the end of that article, about pulling away from Dirty Feed a little next year…

…which makes some sense of what I’m about to say now. This is the last monthly newsletter from me, at least for a while. Instead, it’ll be moving to a quarterly schedule, with the next one in March 2025.

Truth be told, after a pretty good 2023, I’ve struggled this year to find the time to write what I would consider to be an interesting enough newsletter every month, and keep the site updated. And with me planning to spend a little less time on Dirty Feed next year anyway, that problem is only going to get worse. Far better to give you four proper newsletters a year, rather than something slightly anaemic.

Thanks for reading, and don’t worry, I’m not disappearing entirely. I’ll see you in the spring.

RX: 18th May 1972. TX: 18th January 1973.