This was ITV's attempt to buy itself a Monty Python. Monty Python (BBC) consisted of the Oxford and Cambridge graduates (plus Terry Gilliam) out of two earlier shows that ITV had shown: Do Not Adjust Your Set, a kids show (!) had Jones, Palin, Idle, Gilliam. At Last The 1948 Show had Cleese and Garden. I'm sorry, I'll read that again (BBC radio) also had Cleese and the 3 Goodies. After appearing in the 1948 show, Marty Feldman had his own BBC show that was thought to appeal to a more mainstream audience, partly because he had already scripted Round The Horne and other radio vehicles. This show also featured Tim Brooke-Taylor, who had also been in the 1948 and ISIRTA shows. ITV realised that Feldman's humour was closer to the BBC2 Pythons than the BBC1 Two Ronnies (who had started out with Cleese on David Frosts shows) that he was classified with, and made a big play. Feldman had a big budget, and it showed. I've never understood why this show failed, except that, simply, the ITV demographic wasn't ready. Eventually a Pythonesque series did make it past the first season, Sunday afternoon's "End of Part One", but who remembers that now?
Review of The Marty Feldman Comedy Machine
