The New Incomplete Complete and Utter History of Britain

Trust Michael Palin and Terry Jones to re-write history and dish it up in the wackiest way possible! First shown in 1969, and pre-dating Monty Python and Ripping Yarns, this hilarious b/w treasure takes a somewhat distorted look at Britain’s history and presents it as if TV and cameras had been in existence since the dawn of civilisation!

We see the first activity going on in the Stone Age, where a loved-up couple try to purchase a place and an estate agent is adamant to sell them Stonehenge, despite some of the stones falling over left, right and centre.
After various invasions (Vikings, Romans, Normans) things don’t fare much better in the year 1065 A.D. when a tradesman is stuck with, that’s right, 1065 souvenir mugs he can’t shift, as nothing of note happens that year.

On to William the Conqueror, who describes the Battle of Hastings as a football match, giving an exclusive interview. We then go on to the merry men of Sherwood Forest and Robin Hood, which provides more excuses for calamity and slapstick, plus a fight with a knight in shining armour… emphasis on armour as the person inside went for a lunch break!

Rural scenes of folk dancing are also depicted, in which couples dance to the rhythm of humming monks, whereas the first wandering minstrel (complete with drum-kit) gets a trashing from various women folk for being out of tune and a general nuisance.

Another riotous sketch is the one tackling the Tudor history and the reign of Henry VIII. Here, Anne Boleyn walks through the castle carrying her own decapitated head in one hand, while making an attempt to brush her teeth with the other hand.
Just as barmy is the scene in which a bishop and a king have a fall-out, followed by the pair falling out of a window. Priceless!

In 2013, Palin and Jones revisited their series for this release. Taking the roles of joint narrators they comically, and seamlessly, link back to the best of the existing material shot by their younger selves in 1969 to create a brand-new feature:
The Incomplete and Utter History of Britain 2013!

THIS SET INCLUDES (on both Blu-Ray and DVD):

- 50-minute feature containing new linking material by Palin and Jones
- Interview with producer Humphrey Barclay
- The first two episodes as transmitted (the only ones still to exist)
- The first two episodes as recorded (includes untransmitted sketches)
- All existing film insert material
- Brand-new booklet by archive television historian Andrew Pixley
- Extensive image gallery
- Script and production paperwork PDFs