E. Henry Thripshaw's Disease 

A police investigator is mistaken for Sir Philip Sidney in a Tudor-period job agency, which actually deals in pornography; King Solomon judges the case of a stray bee; a panel of dead ... See full summary »

Director:

Ian MacNaughton

Writers:

Graham Chapman, John Cleese

Stars:

Michael Palin, Terry Jones, John Cleese

Cast

Episode credited cast:
Michael Palin	...	Superintendent Gaskell / Sir Philip Sidney / Rev. Arthur Belling / The 'It's' Man / Mr. Burrows / Vicar / Various Roles
Terry Jones	...	Tudor Job Agency Assistant / Messenger / Post Office Clerk / Various Roles
John Cleese	...	Announcer / Roger Last / Dr. E. Henry Thripshaw / Various Roles
Terry Gilliam	...	Man with Pile of Books / Messenger / Animation Voices
Graham Chapman	...	Bookstore Customer / Sergeant Maddox / Interviewer / Mr. Kirkham / Various Roles
Eric Idle	...	Second Assistant / Elizabethan Gent / Mr. Husband / Various Roles
Carol Cleveland	...	Mrs. Sidney / Disturbed Girl
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Rosalind Bailey	...	Elizabethan Girl
The Fred Tomlinson Singers	...	Amantillado Chorus

Storyline

A police investigator is mistaken for Sir Philip Sidney in a Tudor-period job agency, which actually deals in pornography; King Solomon judges the case of a stray bee; a panel of dead people debates the question "Is There a Life After Death?"

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Plot Keywords:

nose joke | doctor | 

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

TV-14

Did You Know?

Trivia

"Thripshaw's Disease" may not have had a name at the time, but it is very similar to the actual psychological condition known as "word salad," in which the patient says the wrong words without realizing it.

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Goofs

During the "Is There?" sketch, one of the show's guests who is supposed to be dead (Sir Brian Hardacre) is quite noticeably breathing.

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Quotes

Second Assistant: There's a 'Bridget - Queen of the Whip'.
Porn Shop Customer: Yes...
Second Assistant: Or 'Naughty Nora'... or there's this one: 'Doug, Bob and Gordon Visit the Ark Royal'. Or there's 'Sister Teresa: The Spanking Nun'.
Porn Shop Customer: Mmmm, I see. You don't have anything specially about Devon and Cornwall?
Second Assistant: No, I'm afraid not, sir.
Porn Shop Customer: The one I was really after was Arthur Hotchkiss's 'Devonshire Country Churches'.
Second Assistant: Well how about this, sir: 'Bum Biters'?
Porn Shop Customer: No, not really. I don't suppose you have any general surveys of English church architecture?
Second Assistant: No, it's not ...
[...]

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Crazy Credits

The opening credits don't appear until halfway through the show.

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Connections

References Call My Bluff (1965)

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Soundtracks

Oh! Susanna
(uncredited)
Written by Stephen Foster
Performed by Michael Palin

User Reviews

Details

Release Date:

21 December 1972 (UK)

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Runtime:

28 min