Ripping Yarns : Complete BBC Series (2 Disc Set) [1976]

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Starring: ~ Michael Palin,
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Product Details:

Studio: Network

Region: 2

Number of Discs: 1

Format: PAL,

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Sales Rank: 861

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Customer Reviews:

Idiots (27 August 2008)
The reviewers who gave this 1 or 2 stars are complete idiots. This is pure comedy gold. Buy and enjoy

Boys Own Adventure Series (13 February 2008)
`Ripping Yarns' ran for three years with a pilot episode broadcast in 1976, a first series of five episodes broadcast in 1977 and a final run of three episodes in 1979. In a world hungry for more Monty Python it was an assured success.

Written by Michael Palin and Terry Jones, the Oxford University contingent of Python, whom were also to be it's stars although Jones took a back seat after the pilot to allow Palin to shine on his own. Each episode was a self contained story entirely shot on film which was perfection in every aspect except for an annoying laughter track which fortunately can be omitted when playing as from the DVD.

The stories were `Ripping Yarns' as they were on the main affectionate parodies of the `Boys Own' adventure type stories that were popular with schoolboys all over Britain with Adventures such as Quartermain and Hannay forever saving England from fiendish communist Jew threats of war and adventure.

The Quality is so high it is difficult to pick out favourites but I never tire of watching `Across the Andes by Frog', `The Testing of Eric Olthwaite' and `Golden Gordon'. Ripping Stuff.

Dissappointing (12 October 2007)
I am a huge fan of Michael Palin, he is my favourite of the Pythons and I love his travel shows. So having read some of the rave reviews about this series and also lived through the making of the series in reading his diaries I bought this DVD set with huge anticipation.

Sadly I was disspointed, although I had to watch about 5 episodes before I would admit to my wife that I found it as dull as she did. The plots were thin, and predictable, they failed to make me laugh. It didn't survive the test of time. I thought it would redeem itself when I watched the one episode I had seen before "Golden Gordon" which I had fond memories of, but even this failed to deliver. I will at some point try and watch the 3 or so episodes on the set which I haven't got round to watching yet, but it will have to be when my wife is asleep !

Fine comedy (26 August 2007)
Highly amusing stuff. The school bully episode made me laugh so hard I think I may have slipped a disc. Not all the others are so good but they are all good in differing ways, especially the escape from the POW camp. Strongly recommended, don't listen to one or two sniffy reviewers who apparently thought the absence of silly walks ruined this show. Balls.

Rose-tinted spectacles (07 June 2007)
As an 11-year-old schoolboy, my attention was brought to Ripping Yarns before it was even broadcast by my English teacher who happened to stumble onto the set of the 'Golden Gordon' episode of the series while on holiday.

I vividly remember him coming into tutorial one morning and telling us how he had met his heroes (Palin, Cleese) in the flesh and that we should all keep our eyes open for it when it appeared in the TV schedules.

When it did appear (on BBC2, I think) I thought it was fantastic and certain episodes stuck firmly in my mind.

Some years on I decided relive my TV youth, bought the 'complete' boxset and settled down to watch some 'classic telly'. I have to say I was deeply disappointed.

Some episodes of 'Ripping Yarns' COULD have been comedy classics ('Curse Of The Claw', 'The Testing Of Eric Olthwaite', 'Golden Gordon'), but the scripts are just too flimsy. A few more months should have gone into the writing of Ripping Yarns and perhaps then the resulting series may have approached 'classic comedy' status.

As it is, Ripping Yarns is more of a curiousity piece. Interesting to see how a couple of the Pythons used their time in the late 70s, but ultimately frustrating and unrewarding.

Shame.

I can't help thinking that this is how shows like 'Little Britain' and 'The Catherine Tate Show' may be thought of in 30 years time. Or last week.