# David Jason & Monty Python

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-jason-monty-python/345271>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [February 20, 2006, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-jason-monty-python/345271 "2006-02-20T01:36:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2006, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-jason-monty-python/345271/1 "2006-02-20T01:36:59Z")

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Before monty Python there was a show called [Do Not Adjust Your Set](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061247/) 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?

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**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2006, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-jason-monty-python/345271/2 "2006-02-20T02:01:26Z")

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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.

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**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2006, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-jason-monty-python/345271/3 "2006-02-20T04:35:08Z")

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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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**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2006, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-jason-monty-python/345271/4 "2006-02-20T04:42:13Z")

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To _Cafe Society_.

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**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2006, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-jason-monty-python/345271/5 "2006-02-20T04:46:51Z")

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[Do Not Adjust Your Set](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009GX20K/ref=pd_bxgy_text_b/102-0573542-5282546?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=130) and [At Last the 1948 Show](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009GX1ZQ/ref=pd_bxgy_text_b/102-0573542-5282546?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=130), 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.