Monty Python's Life of Brian Friday Night, Saturday Morning

(from left right) mervyn stockwood (the bishop of southwark), malcolm muggeridge, john cleese , michael palin on friday night, saturday morning. stockwood telling cleese , palin ll thirty pieces of silver .

on edition of 9 november 1979, hosted tim rice, discussion held then-new film monty python s life of brian, had been banned many local councils , caused protests throughout world accusations blasphemous. argue in favour of accusation broadcaster , noted christian malcolm muggeridge , mervyn stockwood (the bishop of southwark). in defence 2 members of monty python team, john cleese , michael palin.

according monty python - case against, robert hewison, show began affably enough, cleese , palin talking on own host, tim rice – himself lyricist of jesus christ superstar (which had been accused of blasphemy decade before). hewison continues while second clip film being shown, stockwood , muggeridge came on set. full effect of entry of bishop in sweeping purple cassock , chunky cross missed television audience, found him seated beside bronzed , gleaming malcolm muggeridge when film excerpt ended. tim rice explained stockwood , muggeridge had seen film earlier in day , invited comments. that, gloves off.

the debate heated, including following exchange:

muggeridge: started off saying such tenth-rate film don t believe disturb s faith.

palin: yes, know started open mind; realise that.

the pythons seemed shocked aggression of attack, because 4 had met before show, when there had been no hint come.

the bishop made point without jesus film not exist, , ignored pythons protestations film abuse of faith, not faith itself.

in diaries, published in 2006, michael palin wrote of bishop:

began, notes hidden in crotch, tucked down out of camera range, give short sermon, addressed not john or myself audience. in first 3 or 4 minutes had brought in nicolae ceauşescu , mao tse-tung , not begun make 1 point film. began turn movie. accused of making mockery of work of mother teresa, of being undergraduate , mentally unstable. made these remarks smug , patronising paraphernalia of gallery-player, believes audience see right, because bishop , re not .

muggeridge complained ease pythons able extract humour solemn of mysteries . said upset film was, him, denigrating 1 man inspired every great artist, writer, composer, etc. cleese keen point out there other religions, , civilisation existed before christ. michael palin says of incident in book pythons, edited bob mccabe, when muggeridge said christianity had been responsible more in world other force in history , cleese said spanish inquisition?

the studio audience appeared on side of pythons throughout, when cleese said, 4 hundred years ago, have been burnt film. now, m suggesting ve made advance.

at points, pythons tried control audience, who, believed, showing partisanship in favour.

cleese, defending film, went on closed systems of thought, whether political or theological or religious or whatever: systems which, whatever evidence given person, merely adapts it, fits ideology .

john cleese tells malcolm muggeridge 4 hundred years ago, have been burnt film. now, m suggesting ve made advance.

as debate went on, pythons found harder polite, because opponents barely let them word in. according palin, bishop outrageously dismissing points made rubbish or unworthy of educated man .

stockwood particularly upset @ use of crucifixion, forgetting distinction between christian symbol , use traditional roman punishment. debate ended bishop pointing @ pythons , saying ll thirty pieces of silver .

cleese has said enjoyed debate, because, believed, film intellectually defensible .

palin told mccabe: turned out, after show, d missed first fifteen minutes of film, d been having nice lunch. john brilliant in show. remember used douglas adams s favourite bit of television ... thought such rivetting piece of tv, , . palin claimed that, after discussion, both foes said how pathetic, hopeless , meaningless , juvenile was. instead of there being sort of division between afterwards, came though d been showbiz together, out doing entertainment, bishop saying seemed go . hadn t realised weren t being vindictive, performing crowd.

also backstage, according palin, had met raymond johnston nationwide festival of light, prominent christian group had been campaigning have life of brian banned. instead of aggression, though, johnston complimentary palin, saying had been embarrassed performance of bishop. palin says [johnston] had found quite clear brian , jesus separate people , , film making valid points organised religions .

looking back, michael palin recalled in guardian: [w]e had done our homework, thinking going quite tough theological argument, turned out virtually slanging match. surprised that. don t angry often, got incandescent rage @ attitude , smugness of . cleese preferred sum saying felt won 1 behaving better christians .

the programme , events surrounding told in pythonesque fashion in 2011 television film holy flying circus, broadcast on bbc 4 in october 2011.

after debate, parody of discussion appeared on satirical comedy show not 9 o clock news. chaired host played pamela stephenson (who herself later appear guest on friday night, saturday morning), parody discussion involved bishop (played rowan atkinson) defending new film, general synod s life of christ, accused of being thinly disguised , blasphemous attack on members of monty python, men are, today, still revered throughout western world.