Michael Palin

TV guide: 12 of the best new shows to watch, beginning tonight

July 7th-12th: From new Instanbul-set crime crama The Turkish Detective to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s new reality

Sun Jul 07 2024 - 05:00

Michael Palin on the loss of his wife of 57 years: ‘you feel you’ll never have a friend as close as that’

‘I’d love Helen to still be here, telling me off,’ says 80-year-old former Python and veteran television traveller

Mon Apr 15 2024 - 05:30

The closing act of mischievous Eddie Jones will not be dull or safe

Like Muhammad Ali, England coach knows how to engage the public and sell the game

Sat Mar 12 2022 - 06:01

Has the time come to reduce the number of Catholic dioceses in Ireland?

Spending resources on maintenance of many churches is seen as no longer justified

Mon Feb 14 2022 - 01:12

Paws for Thought – On lion-taming for beginners, Ireland’s animal rights pioneer, and prevention of cruelty to Meath footballers

An Irishman’s Diary

Wed Jul 21 2021 - 19:01

Michael Palin, Mike Leigh and Christy Moore: This week’s unmissable online events

Celine Byrne and Robert Webb also among the virtual attractions over next seven days

Thu Apr 29 2021 - 06:00

The traditional joke is all but dead. Help us resurrect it by sharing your favourite

We have never needed a laugh more. Share your jokes and we’ll publish the funniest ones

Thu Mar 25 2021 - 06:00

How Disney plans to turn the universal appeal of dragons into movie success

Raya and the Last Dragon looks to buck the trend of mediocre serpent-centred features

Tue Mar 02 2021 - 05:00

Steve Martin at 75: ‘The name Dr Michael Hfuhruhurr still makes me laugh’

Sarah Silverman, Reginald D Hunter and more on a ‘profoundly stupid, completely brilliant’ comic

Thu Aug 13 2020 - 06:00

Hell isn’t so much other people as specific other people. Ask Rupert Murdoch

Patrick Freyne: Rise of the Murdoch Dynasty is another great sitcom on a powerful patriarch

Fri Jul 17 2020 - 08:51

John Cleese has a faulty sense of humour about the Irish

The comedian’s mockery of Irish people and names began in 1975 and continued this week

Thu Jul 02 2020 - 13:00

Terry Jones was the John Lennon of comedy

The Monty Python founder had the idea of dropping punchlines for an absurdist style

Wed Jan 22 2020 - 16:00

Terry Jones, Monty Python star, dies at the age of 77

Actor and comedian, who had dementia, directed Life of Brian, among other films

Wed Jan 22 2020 - 13:21

Mackenzie Crook as Worzel Gummidge: ‘A lot of things don’t add up’

The Office and Pirates of the Caribbean star was drawn to the role of the TV scarecrow

Sat Dec 21 2019 - 05:00

Monty Python: BBC archive reveals the secrets behind the sketches

An archive of unearthed material has been released to celebrate 50 years of the comedy troupe

Mon Oct 07 2019 - 10:06

Monty Python reveal events to mark 50th anniversary

Cast of seminal comedy TV show detail record attempt and special shows to celebrate

Thu Jun 27 2019 - 06:20

Monty Python’s Life of Brian: ‘John Cleese refused to ad-lib. He’s a humour fundamentalist’

Michael Palin and Terry Gilliam: ‘We didn’t ad-lib because Cleese doesn’t like it’

Thu Apr 18 2019 - 06:00

Fintan O’Toole: The bad ship Brexit needs a skilful mutiny

HMS Brexit moored between Cape Disappointment, Delusion Point and Exasperation Bay

Tue Nov 27 2018 - 06:00

Food made simple: Yotam Ottolenghi pares things back

The chef explains why he changed his food mantra to ‘minimum hassle, maximum joy’

Sat Sept 08 2018 - 08:00

Vanity Fair: Rebooting Thackeray for the Twitter generation

A new TV adaptation of the classic novel stars Olivia Cooke as one of fiction’s greatest female characters, Becky Sharp, and the production strives to be as daring as its protagonist

Mon Sept 03 2018 - 05:00

Monty Python to missing ship: Michael Palin to feature at Dublin Festival of History

Broadcaster will discuss disappearance of HMS Erebus during an expedition to find Northwest Passage

Fri Aug 24 2018 - 12:18

Camilla Cleese on her dad, John: ‘He’s not my favourite Python!’

The comedian on her reconciliation with her father – and doing jokes about his ex-wives

Thu Aug 16 2018 - 09:10

Unseen Monty Python sketches found in Palin archives

Groundbreaking British comedy group produced their last film 35 years ago

Wed Aug 01 2018 - 08:00

Russian release of ‘despicable’ Death of Stalin movie withdrawn

Satire an effort ‘to breed bad blood into social harmony reached in Russian society’ – official

Tue Jan 23 2018 - 17:49

The Death of Stalin: Mortal panic with a ghastly conclusion

Given the mortal terror, Armando Iannucci’s latest political satire is weirdly light on its feet

Fri Oct 20 2017 - 05:00

The jaw-dropping life of Jan Morris: ex- soldier, ex-spy, ex-man

James Morris, born 90 years ago this weekend, lived a life of extraordinary manliness before undergoing gender reassignment in 1972

Sat Oct 01 2016 - 06:00

Divine Indian essence

A year after the end of her marriage, the winner of the 2015 Irish Times travel writer competition, Ruth Petherick, finds enduring love in mother India.

Sat Apr 16 2016 - 05:24