# John Cleese died?!?!? (False rumor) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 2, 2006, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-died-false-rumor/346716 "2006-03-02T03:10:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-died-false-rumor/346716/1 "2006-03-02T03:10:32Z")
So I was sitting down tonight to watch “Monty Python’s Personal Best” and it had a brief note at the start of the program, saying that John Cleese recently **passed away!!!** I have checked many different news resources and also Wikipedia and found nothing that can confirm this. Has anyone here heard anything? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-died-false-rumor/346716/2 "2006-03-02T03:13:44Z")
No, I think either you misheard or the whooshed you. But way to scare me. Geez. :eek: Jim ---
**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-died-false-rumor/346716/3 "2006-03-02T03:17:41Z")
> [@What Exit?](#): > > No, I think either you misheard or the whooshed you. > > But way to scare me. Geez. :eek: > > Jim Yeah, it scared the bejezzers out of me. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-died-false-rumor/346716/4 "2006-03-02T03:23:33Z")
> [@Dragwyr](#): > > Yeah, it scared the bejezzers out of me. Maybe you could ask for a Title change for your thread. With the number of John Cleese fans on this board, you’re liable to cause undue wailing, sobbing and misery. Jim ---
**Author:** ![Lissla\_Lissar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lissla\_Lissar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissla_Lissar)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-died-false-rumor/346716/5 "2006-03-02T03:42:21Z")
Thanks for nearly giving me a heart attack. ---
**Author:** ![Nic2004](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/4491bb/32.png) [@Nic2004](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nic2004)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-died-false-rumor/346716/6 "2006-03-02T03:45:49Z")
Jeez! Now for something completely different. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-died-false-rumor/346716/7 "2006-03-02T03:47:16Z")
> [@What Exit?](#): > > Maybe you could ask for a Title change for your thread. With the number of John Cleese fans on this board, you’re liable to cause undue wailing, sobbing and misery. > > Jim And probably a few heart attacks, stokes and asthma attacks. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-died-false-rumor/346716/8 "2006-03-02T03:47:28Z")
Well at least we have a thread ready if he does suddenly die. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-died-false-rumor/346716/9 "2006-03-02T03:52:18Z")
> [@Joey P](#): > > And probably a few heart attacks, stokes and asthma attacks. When I read it, it was probably one of the few times I actually said Gack out loud spontaneously. Jim ---
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-died-false-rumor/346716/10 "2006-03-02T03:53:07Z")
I highly doubt that John Cleese could die without MSN having it on the front page. Sounds to me a lot like the kind of joke he would love to play. Anyway as for these very cool looking shows, the WGBY (PBS for Springfield MA) site says that each of the 5 **living** members wrote and produced their own Personal best show and collaborated on one for Graham Chapman. There is no update on the site saying he died since producing the show. For those of you who want to know, the site also says that the episodes will air over a three week period in two-hour blocks on PBS on February 22, March 1 and March 8. So, we already missed the first two. But, **TVGeek** , who used to work for WGBY, says that if he knows PBS, they will show them all back to back shortly after the final two are aired. But I’m sure anyone who has ever watched PBS will know that much like Roy Orbison, these shows will most likely be pledged to death. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-died-false-rumor/346716/11 "2006-03-02T03:53:41Z")
Large \. Then \! ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-died-false-rumor/346716/12 "2006-03-02T03:54:46Z")
He’s gotta die sooner or later. Later would be preferable, but will you have a heart attack if he dies tomorrow instead of 20 years from now? If he does die 20 years from now will you have a heart attack then? ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-died-false-rumor/346716/13 "2006-03-02T03:59:24Z")
Perhaps he’s merely pining for the fjords? ---
**Author:** ![roger\_thornhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@roger\_thornhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roger_thornhill)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-died-false-rumor/346716/14 "2006-03-02T04:03:14Z")
Reports of ‘is bleedin’ demise have been greatly exaggerated. ---
**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:** [March 2, 2006, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-died-false-rumor/346716/15 "2006-03-02T04:04:03Z")
He can’t die, we just had three old guys die. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-died-false-rumor/346716/16 "2006-03-02T04:06:28Z")
John Cleese was heard to say today: “I’m not dead. I’m not dead. I’m getting better. I don’t want to go on the cart. I feel fine. I feel happy. I feel happy.” Jim ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-died-false-rumor/346716/17 "2006-03-02T04:07:25Z")
> [@Joey P](#): > > And probably a few heart attacks, **stokes** and asthma attacks. Anyone who’s stoked to hear John Cleese died is beggin’ for an ass kickin’. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Syntropy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@Syntropy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Syntropy)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-died-false-rumor/346716/18 "2006-03-02T04:12:09Z")
> [@Airman Doors](#): > > He’s gotta die sooner or later. Hush. He doesn’t either. LALALALALALALALALA!!! ---
**Author:** ![JustAnotherGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/58f4c7/32.png) [@JustAnotherGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustAnotherGeek)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-died-false-rumor/346716/19 "2006-03-02T04:13:13Z")
to the **OP** , DON’T DO THAT! :mad: Bad **Dragwyr** , BAD! ::whack:: ---
**Author:** ![Electronic\_Chaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Electronic\_Chaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electronic_Chaos)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-died-false-rumor/346716/20 "2006-03-02T04:13:51Z")
I think the joke was a tie-in to the fact that he was pretending to be 96 years old. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-died-false-rumor/346716.md?page=2)