John Cleese dies in the first minute—and somehow gets funnier from there.
Monty Python's Personal Best is a miniseries of six one-hour specials, each showcasing the contributions of a particular Monty Python member. The show begins with a plaintext "memorial" to the "late" John Cleese. It then cuts to a fairytale starring the troupe ("The Princess with the Wooden Teeth" from Monty Python's Fliegender Zirkus), which then cuts to a poolside interview of a cranky, senile old man (Cleese) by Dayna Devon, a reporter. The supposedly 96-year-old Cleese usually answers her questions in the raunchiest manner possible, culminating in his "death" (by heart attack, apparently) at the end of the show.
Writing
Cleese's 96-year-old dirty old man improv with Dayna Devon.
Acting
Cleese playing 'dead' John Cleese roasting his own career.
Production
The fake memorial opening—pure Python anti-sentimentality.
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The 'memorial' format was recycled for all six Personal Best specials, with each Python member 'dying' at their episode's start—because nothing says 'greatest hits' like pretending your cast is deceased.
Dayna Devon was a legitimate entertainment reporter (Extra, 1999-2008), making her straight-man suffering genuinely unscripted—she had no idea what Cleese would say next.
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