Previously unseen sketches from Monty Python have been unearthed in the archives of Michael Palin, revealing material written for the group's 1975 film 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail' that was ultimately left on the cutting room floor.
The material, deposited at the British Library in 2017, includes two unused sketches: one set in a Wild West bookshop and another featuring an 'amorous Pink Knight'. These will be displayed alongside over 50 notebooks containing notes on 'Holy Grail' and 'Life of Brian'. Some material deemed too risqué at the time was reportedly discarded and would still be considered controversial today.
Palin, now 75, has given permission for the sketches to be reproduced. He explained that the group often generated more ideas than needed, saying: 'The Holy Grail took shape gradually and at the beginning it had far more ideas in it than ended up on screen because you had to have a narrative. In the end the story of the knights was strong enough.'
The archive spans Palin's creative life from 1965 to 1987, covering his work as a writer, actor, comedian and TV presenter. Meanwhile, fellow Python John Cleese recently suggested that 'Monty Python's Flying Circus' is no longer regularly shown on television because it is 'too funny' compared with modern comedies.
