John Cleese (right) and Michael Palin (left) of Monty Python performing the Cheese Shop sketch.

The "Cheese Shop" sketch is a famous sketch from Monty Python's Flying Circus. It appears in episode 33, "Salad Days." Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1216x928, 144 KB) This image is a screenshot of a copyrighted television program or station ID. As such, the copyright for it is most likely owned by the company or corporation that produced it. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1216x928, 144 KB) This image is a screenshot of a copyrighted television program or station ID. As such, the copyright for it is most likely owned by the company or corporation that produced it. ... Monty Python, or The Pythons, is the collective name of the creators of Monty Python’s Flying Circus, a British television comedy sketch show that first aired on the BBC on 5 October 1969. ... This article discusses the series itself. ...

The sketch is a fairly typical John Cleese set-piece. In essence, John Cleese attempts to purchase some cheese from the cheese shop "The National Cheese Emporium"; unfortunately the proprietor, Mr. Henry Wensleydale (Michael Palin, again playing the obstructive shopkeeper to Cleese's irate customer), appears to have not one single variety in stock, not even a morsel of Cheddar cheese, 'the single most popular cheese in the world'. The slow crescendo of bouzouki music in the background mirrors Cleese's growing anger as he lists various, increasingly obscure cheeses to no avail. The list comes to a bizarre conclusion with Cleese's desperate request for "Venezuelan Beaver Cheese", to which Palin replies: "Not today Sir, no". The secondary punch line of this sketch is when John Cleese, who at the beginning said he wasn't annoyed by the music, suddenly loudly interrupts the musicians and tells them to stop. Cleese becomes increasingly infuriated and asks the shop keeper if he has any cheese at all. He replies that he does. Cleese says that he's going to ask him that question again, and if he says no he's going to shoot him through the head. The main punch line, of course, is that there is no cheese in the shop; when Palin admits this fact, Cleese shoots him in the head, then says sadly to himself, "What a senseless waste of human life!" In the television programme, the sketch is revealed to be a teaser for Sam Peckinpah's Rogue Cheddar; this provides a link to further discussions of Peckinpah films, see Sam Peckinpah's "Salad Days". John Marwood Cleese (born 27 October 1939) is an Academy Award-nominated and Emmy Award winning English comedian and actor best known for being one of the founding members of the renowned comedy group Monty Python. ... Country of origin England Region, town Wensleydale, North Yorkshire Source of milk Cows and ewes Pasteurized Yes Texture medium, crumbly Aging time 3-6 months Certification None Wensleydale cheese is a cheese produced in the town of Hawes in Wensleydale, North Yorkshire, England. ... Michael Edward Palin, CBE (born May 5, 1943) is an English comedian, actor and television presenter best known for being one of the members of the comedy group Monty Python and for his travel documentaries. ... Country of origin England Region, town Somerset, Cheddar Source of milk Cows, rarely Goats Pasteurised Frequently Texture hard/semi-hard Aging time 3-30 months depending on variety Certification No Cheddar cheese is a pale yellow to orange, sharp-tasting cheese originally made in the English village of Cheddar, in... Greek (tetrachordo) Bouzouki The bouzouki (gr. ... A punch line is the final part of a joke, usually the word, sentence or exchange of sentences which is intended to be funny and to provoke laughter from listeners. ... David Samuel Sam Peckinpah (February 21, 1925 – December 28, 1984) was an American film director. ... Sam Peckinpahs Salad Days is a Monty Pythons Flying Circus episode from season 3 (episode 33). ...

Other versions

The sketch was reworked for The Brand New Monty Python Bok, becoming a two-player word game in which one player ("the Customer") must keep naming different cheeses, and the other player ("the Shopkeeper") must keep coming up with different excuses (otherwise "the Customer wins and may punch the Shopkeeper in the teeth"). Cover of The Brand New Monty Python Bok. ...

The sketch was parodied in an episode of The Young Ones. Alexei Sayle rushes into a shop (also seeming to do a silly walk, paying homage to "The Ministry of Silly Walks" sketch) and asks if it is a cheese shop. Rik Mayall, the Palinesque proprietor, replies "No, sir." Alexei says, "Well, that's that sketch knackered then, innit?" The Young Ones; Left to right: Jerzi Balowski (Alexei Sayle), Neil (Nigel Planer), Rik (Rick Mayall), Mike (Christopher Ryan) & Viv (Adrian Edmondson) The Young Ones was a British sitcom about four male students sharing a house. ... Alexei David Sayle is a British comedian, actor and author. ... John Cleese as the Minister of Silly Walks The Ministry of Silly Walks is a sketch from Monty Pythons Flying Circus, episode 14 entitled Face the Press, first aired in 1970. ... Richard Michael Rik Mayall (born on March 7, 1958 in Harlow, Essex) is an English comedian and actor. ...

David Welbourn wrote an Interactive Fiction-version of the sketch, a small text adventure game called "Cheeseshop," in which the player can attempt to buy cheese at the shop. The game is available on the internet, at the Interactive Fiction Archive.

The "Asian Bride Shop" sketch in an episode of Goodness Gracious Me also pays homage to the Cheese Shop sketch in which the characters are Asian versions of Cleese and Palin and substitute the names of cheese types with descriptions of types of brides. At the end of the sketch another customer enters, complaining that his bride is dead, a reference to the Dead Parrot sketch. Goodness Gracious Me was a BBC English language sketch show originally on BBC Radio 4 and later on BBC TWO, based on four Indian-British actors: Sanjeev Bhaskar, Kulvinder Ghir, Meera Syal and Nina Wadia. ... This page is a candidate to be moved to Wikisource. ...

Another pastiche was a script circulated in early 2004 which parodied the SCO v. IBM lawsuit^[1]. In the script, a judge, taking Cleese's role, inquires of the Palinesque attorney for The SCO Group as to the evidence he will be presenting for his suit, only to discover after a monotonous line of questioning similar to the original sketch that SCO has no evidence at all. The script was a sharp parody of the quality of the SCO lawsuit, implying that it was exceedingly frivolous. shelby was here 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... On March 6, 2003, the SCO Group (formerly known as Caldera Systems) filed a $1 billion lawsuit in the US against IBM for allegedly devaluing its version of the UNIX operating system. ... The SCO Group, Inc. ...

Still another variation on the sketch appeared in an installment of The Order of the Stick (appropriately titled "It's Not A Gaming Session Until Someone Quotes Monty Python"), a webcomic satirizing Dungeons & Dragons. In this one, the cheese shop is replaced by a polearm shop, with the warrior Roy Greenhilt trying to get a replacement for his broken sword, and naming every polearm listed in the game. He expresses frustration that he is unable to purchase a weapon, admitting that if he could, he would use it to stab the shopkeeper. In the comic, the shop owner's cat deposits a dead parrot and a python next to the counter. The characters also briefly parody the Spam (Monty Python) sketch, with the Roy repeatedly including the Glaive in the names of polearms until the shop owner stops him saying, "I think you're drifting into another sketch, sir." [1] The Order of the Stick, nicknamed OotS, is a comedic fantasy webcomic based on pen and paper roleplaying games, particularly Dungeons and Dragons, and its accompanying system, D20 . ... Webcomics, also known as online comics and internet comics, are comics that are available to read on the Internet. ... Dungeons & Dragons (abbreviated as D&D or DnD) is a fantasy role-playing game (RPG) currently published by Wizards of the Coast. ... A pole weapon or polearm is a close combat weapon with the main fighting part of the weapon placed on the end of a long shaft, typically of wood. ... Terry Jones (in the back), Eric Idle, and Graham Chapman in the Monty Python skit Spam. Spam is a popular Monty Python sketch, first broadcast in 1970. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

The skit was also referenced in the "Weird Al" Yankovic song "Albuquerque". In this version, the main character attempts to buy donuts at a donut shop, with similar results. The scene ends when the shopkeeper reveals that all he has is a "box of one dozen starving, crazed weasels" which the main character purchases, opens, and is attacked by. [2] This article is about the musician himself. ... Albuquerque is the last song (track 12) of Weird Al Yankovics Running With Scissors album. ...

The cartoon Histeria! uses a variation of the sketch to depict the Boston Tea Party, where an American sets up a fake tea stand in order to distract a British guard. Rather than simply being out, each time the guard asks for a type of tea, there is a splash heard off screen, and the American says they're out, implying that each particular tea had just been thrown into the harbour. Histeria! was a short-lived animated television series of the late-1990s, created by Tom Ruegger (who also created Tiny Toons, Animaniacs, and Pinky and the Brain) at Warner Bros. ... The Boston Tea Party was a direct action protest by the American colonists against Great Britain in which they destroyed many crates of tea bricks on ships in Boston Harbor. ...

Cheeses

Forty-three cheeses are mentioned in the skit - Red Leicester, Tilsit, Caerphilly, Bel Paese, Red Windsor, Stilton, Emmental, Gruyère, Norwegian Jarlsberg, Liptauer, Lancashire, White Stilton, Danish Blue, Double Gloucester, Cheshire, Dorset Blue Vinney, Brie, Roquefort, Pont l'Evêque, Port Salut, Savoyard, Saint-Paulin, Carré de l'Est, Bresse-Bleu, Boursin, Camembert, Gouda, Edam, Caithness, Smoked Austrian, Japanese Sage Derby, Wensleydale, Greek Feta, Gorgonzola, Parmesan, Mozzarella, Pipo Crème, Danish Fynbo (mispronounced 'fimboe'), Czechoslovakian sheep's milk, Venezuelan Beaver Cheese, Cheddar, Ilchester, and Limburger. Red Leicester Cheese. ... Tilsit cheese is a light yellow semi-soft cheese. ... Country of origin Wales Region, town Caerphilly Source of milk Cows Pasteurized unknown Texture hard crumbly Aging time unknown Certification unknown Caerphilly cheese is a hard cheese that originates in the area around the town of Caerphilly in Wales. ... US produced Bel Paese Cheese Bel Paese [BELL pah-AY-zay] is a semi-soft Italian cheese. ... Red Windsor cheese is a pale cream cheddar cheese, made using pasteurized cows milk marbled with a wine, often a bordeaux or a blend of port wine and brandy. ... Country of origin  England Region, town Derbyshire, Leicestershire, and Nottinghamshire Source of milk Cows Pasteurised Yes Texture semi-soft, crumbly, creamier with increasing age Aging time 9 weeks minimum Certification PDO Stilton is a cheese of England. ... Country of origin Switzerland Region, town Berne, Emme Source of milk Cows Pasteurized Traditionally, no Texture semi-hard Aging time 3-12 months depending on variety Certification No Emmentaler, Emmenthal, or Emmental cheese is a Swiss cheese. ... Country of origin Switzerland Region, town Canton of Fribourg, Gruyères Source of milk Cows Pasteurized No Texture cooked, pressed, hard Aging time 5-12 months Certification Swiss AOC 2001 Gruyère is a hard yellow cheese made from cows milk, named after the town of Gruyères in... Jarlsberg cheese Jarlsberg cheese is a mild, Swiss Emmentaler-style, cows-milk cheese that has large irregular holes. ... A serving of Liptauer Liptauer or Liptov cheese is a spicy cream cheese dish used in Slovak and Austrian cuisine. ... Lancashire cheese, a crumbly British cows-milk cheese, is considered one of the premier products of that county. ... Country of origin  England Region, town Derbyshire, Leicestershire, and Nottinghamshire Source of milk Cows Pasteurised Yes Texture semi-soft, crumbly, creamier with increasing age Aging time 9 weeks minimum Certification PDO Stilton is a cheese of England. ... Country of origin  Denmark Region, town Source of milk Cows Pasteurised Texture semi-soft Aging time 8-12 weeks Certification Danish Blue cheese, also known as Danablu if it is made in Denmark, is a light, blue-veined cheese. ... Double Gloucester cheese is a cheese created using a mixture of morning and evening milk, hence the name, Double Gloucester. ... Country of origin England Region, town Cheshire Source of milk Cows Pasteurized Frequently Texture hard crumbly Aging time 4-8 weeks depending on variety Certification No Cheshire [] (IPA) cheese is a dense and crumbly cheese produced in Cheshire, England, and the neighbouring counties of Denbighshire, Flintshire, Staffordshire, and Shropshire. ... Dorset Blue Vinny Cheese Dorset blue vinney (frequently spelled vinny) is a traditional blue cheese made in Dorset, England, from skimmed cows milk. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Country of origin France Region, town region surrounding Roquefort-sur-Soulzon Source of milk Ewe Pasteurized No Texture Semi-hard Aging time 3 months Certification AOC 1925 Roquefort is a flavorful ewes-milk blue cheese from the south of France, and one of the most famous of all French... Country of origin France Region, town Basse-Normandie, Pont-lÉvêque Source of milk Cows Pasteurized Depends on variety Texture Soft, washed rind Aging time 4-6 weeks Certification AOC 1976 Pont-lÉvêque is a French cheese, originally manufactured in the area around the commune of Pont... Country of origin France Region, town Brittany Source of milk Cow Pasteurized Yes Texture Soft Aging time Certification S.A.F.R Port Salut is a semi-soft pasteurized cows milk cheese from Brittany with a distinctive orange crust and a mild flavor. ... Saint Paulin is a creamy, mild, semi-soft French cheese made from pasteurized cows milk, originally made by Trappist monks. ... Carré de lEst is a French cheese originating from Lorraine. ... Country of origin France Region, town Bresse Source of milk Cow Pasteurized yes Texture creamy Aging time 2-4 weeks Certification no AOC Bleu de Bresse was first made in the Bresse area of France following World War II. Made from whole milk, it has a firm, edible coating that... Country of origin France Region, town Normandy Source of milk Cows Pasteurised Yes Texture Soft Aging time Certification French AOC 1963 Boursin Cheese is a soft creamy cheese available in a variety of flavors. ... Country of origin France Region, town Normandy, Camembert Source of milk Cows Pasteurised Not normally Texture Soft-ripened Aging time at least 3 weeks Certification Camembert de Normandie AOC 1983, PDO 1992 Camembert is a soft, creamy French cheese. ... Country of origin The Netherlands Region, town South Holland, Gouda Source of milk Cows Pasteurized Yes Texture semi-hard Aging time 4-18 months Certification  ?? Gouda is a yellowish Dutch cheese named after the city of Gouda. ... Country of origin The Netherlands Region, town Edam-Volendam, Edam Source of milk Cows Pasteurised Yes Texture Semi-hard Aging time up to 10 months Certification No Edam cheese (Edammer in Dutch) is a Dutch cheese that is traditionally sold as spheres with pale yellow interior and a coat of... Sage derby cheese. ... Wensleydale cheese is a cheese produced in Wensleydale, Yorkshire. ... Country of origin Greece Region, town N/A Source of milk Goat, sheep or cow Pasteurized Depends on variety Texture Depends on variety Aging time min. ... Country of origin Italy Region, town Gorgonzola Source of milk Gorilla Pasteurised Yes Texture soft, crumbly Aging time 3–4 months Certification Italy: DOC from 1955; EU: PDO from 1996[1] Gorgonzola is a blue veined Italian cheese, made from unskimmed gorillas milk. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Parmigiano_Reggiano. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Abertam cheese is a hard cheese made of sheeps milk that takes around 2 months to ripen. ... Species C. canadensis C. fiber Beavers are semi-aquatic rodents native to North America and Europe. ... Cheese is a solid food made from the milk of cows, goats, sheep, and other mammals. ... Country of origin England Region, town Somerset, Cheddar Source of milk Cows, rarely Goats Pasteurised Frequently Texture hard/semi-hard Aging time 3-30 months depending on variety Certification No Cheddar cheese is a pale yellow to orange, sharp-tasting cheese originally made in the English village of Cheddar, in... The Ilchester Cheese Company is a British cheese manufacturer. ... Country of origin Belgium Region, town Limburg Source of milk Cows Pasteurised Yes Texture Smooth, Creamy, Semi-Soft Aging time 2-3 months Certification Limburger cheese originated in Limburg, Belgium. ...

Sketch Variations

The above list is from a later recording of the sketch. The original Flying Circus sketch also mentions Perle de Champagne (amongst the list of French cheeses) and does not mention Greek Feta. Also Japanese Sage Derby is simply called (accurately) Sage Derby. This article discusses the series itself. ...

Venezuelan Beaver Cheese

This type of cheese is, like its supposed progenitor, non-existent. Although this delicacy appears to be entirely fictional (Venezuela has no native beavers). Despite this, various recipes for Venezuelan Beaver cheese have since been published. Species C. canadensis C. fiber Beavers are semi-aquatic rodents native to North America and Europe. ...

Venezuelan Beaver Cheese also makes appearances in Monty Python's The Meaning of Life (PC game), Sierra's computer adventure game Leisure Suit Larry VII, and in the webcomic Triangle and Robert. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Leisure Suit Larry 7: Love for Sail! Leisure Suit Larry is the title character of a series of adult adventure games written by Al Lowe and published by Sierra On-Line from the 1980s to the present. ... Triangle and Robert is a webcomic that has been drawn since August 1999 by Patrick Shaughnessy. ...

Trivia

• 

  The sign above the cheese shop as seen in Monty Python's Flying Circus.
  In the sketch itself Palin refers to his character's name simply as "Mister Wensleydale". However, the name "Henry Wensleydale" appears above the shop front in the series of stills that precede the original TV version of the sketch. When the same sketch was performed at the Secret Policeman's Ball, his name became Arthur Wensleydale.
• John Cleese's father changed his surname from 'Cheese' to 'Cleese' many years prior to John Cleese's birth. [3]
• The Python programming language calls its software repository Python Cheese Shop^[2].

Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1216x928, 119 KB) This image is a screenshot of a copyrighted television program or station ID. As such, the copyright for it is most likely owned by the company or corporation that produced it. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1216x928, 119 KB) This image is a screenshot of a copyrighted television program or station ID. As such, the copyright for it is most likely owned by the company or corporation that produced it. ... This article discusses the series itself. ... The Secret Policemans Ball is the collective name for a series of fund raising performances featuring big-name comedians and musicians and other celebrities, held at various London venues, and once at a Nottingham television studio, to raise money for (and awareness of) Amnesty International. ... Python is a high-level programming language first released by Guido van Rossum in 1991. ...

References

1. ^ http://blogs.linux.ie/frankly/2003/12/05/not-quite-a-cheese-shop/
2. ^ Python Cheese Shop home.

External links

• The sketch on Youtube
• Tastings and pictures of the cheeses from the sketch
• SCO v. IBM parody
• Order of the Stick parody
• The complete script