Marriage Guidance Counsellor
Encyclopedia
The Marriage Guidance Counsellor sketch
is from the second Monty Python's Flying Circus
episode, "Sex and Violence", first broadcast late on Sunday, 12th October 1969. It was also featured in the 1971 spinoff film And Now for Something Completely Different
.
The sketch features Michael Palin
and Carol Cleveland
as a married couple (Arthur and Deirdre Pewtey) and Eric Idle
as their marriage counsellor. The marriage guidance counsellor flirts with a receptive Mrs Pewtey rather than giving the couple advice, and Mr Pewtey fails to react to this behaviour and stand up for himself, even to the point where he meekly leaves the room when asked by the counsellor, who is clearly about to make love to Mrs Pewtey. In the television version, an American cowboy
(John Cleese
) convinces him he must "be a man" while in the film version, the voice of God convinces him.
The television version of the sketch ends with Mr Pewtey getting hit in the head with a chicken by a knight in a suit of armour (Terry Gilliam
). In And Now for Something Completely Different, it ends with a 16-ton weight being dropped onto Pewtey's head. The words "So much for Pathos!" pops up after the weight lands on him.
Sketch comedy
A sketch comedy consists of a series of short comedy scenes or vignettes, called "sketches," commonly between one and ten minutes long. Such sketches are performed by a group of comic actors or comedians, either on stage or through an audio and/or visual medium such as broadcasting...
is from the second Monty Python's Flying Circus
Monty Python's Flying Circus
Monty Python’s Flying Circus is a BBC TV sketch comedy series. The shows were composed of surreality, risqué or innuendo-laden humour, sight gags and observational sketches without punchlines...
episode, "Sex and Violence", first broadcast late on Sunday, 12th October 1969. It was also featured in the 1971 spinoff film And Now for Something Completely Different
And Now For Something Completely Different
And Now for Something Completely Different is a film spin-off from the television comedy series Monty Python's Flying Circus featuring favorite sketches from the first two seasons. The title was used as a catchphrase in the television show....
.
The sketch features Michael Palin
Michael Palin
Michael Edward Palin, CBE FRGS is an English comedian, actor, writer and television presenter best known for being one of the members of the comedy group Monty Python and for his travel documentaries....
and Carol Cleveland
Carol Cleveland
Carol Cleveland is a British actress/comedienne, most notable for her appearances as the only significant female performer on Monty Python's Flying Circus.-Early life:...
as a married couple (Arthur and Deirdre Pewtey) and Eric Idle
Eric Idle
Eric Idle is an English comedian, actor, author, singer, writer, and comedic composer. He was as a member of the British comedy group Monty Python, a member of the The Rutles on Saturday Night Live and author of the play, Spamalot....
as their marriage counsellor. The marriage guidance counsellor flirts with a receptive Mrs Pewtey rather than giving the couple advice, and Mr Pewtey fails to react to this behaviour and stand up for himself, even to the point where he meekly leaves the room when asked by the counsellor, who is clearly about to make love to Mrs Pewtey. In the television version, an American cowboy
Cowboy
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the vaquero traditions of northern Mexico and became a figure of...
(John Cleese
John Cleese
John Marwood Cleese is an English actor, comedian, writer, and film producer. He achieved success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and as a scriptwriter and performer on The Frost Report...
) convinces him he must "be a man" while in the film version, the voice of God convinces him.
The television version of the sketch ends with Mr Pewtey getting hit in the head with a chicken by a knight in a suit of armour (Terry Gilliam
Terry Gilliam
Terrence Vance "Terry" Gilliam is an American-born British screenwriter, film director, animator, actor and member of the Monty Python comedy troupe. Gilliam is also known for directing several films, including Brazil , The Adventures of Baron Munchausen , The Fisher King , and 12 Monkeys...
). In And Now for Something Completely Different, it ends with a 16-ton weight being dropped onto Pewtey's head. The words "So much for Pathos!" pops up after the weight lands on him.