Before monty Python there was a show called Do Not Adjust Your Set Starring Eric Idle, Michael Palin, Terry jones, David Jason and had cartoons by Terry Gilliam. I’ve seen only one episode of the show, and DJ was just as funny as any of the others. Besides, he’s gone on to enjoy considerable success in both comedy and dramatic roles. I think we can say he has a fair bit of talent. What I’d like to know is, when the others went off to form Monty Python, why wasn’t David Jason included? Anyone know? Did the others not want him in the new show? Did he not want to join them? For what reason?
We know that Jones and Palin were a writing team and that Idle and Gilliam wrote alone without a partner. Jason is only listed for “Additional Material,” so he probably didn’t have the writing chops that Chapman and Cleese (who also wrote together) did.
Yeah, David Jason doesn’t write. He’s a brilliant character actor, and probably would’ve been fine in various extra roles in the show, but I think he had pretty much hooked up with Ronnie Barker by then, and appeared in his various shows (Open All Hours, Porridge). As well as striking out on his own in The Top Secret Life of Edgar Briggs.
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To Cafe Society.
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Do Not Adjust Your Set and At Last the 1948 Show, Graham Chapman’s & John Cleese’s pre-Python show, are both available on DVD. Neither are complete runs, only selected episodes: IIRC, not all episodes exist anymore.