The Money Programme sketch
From Monty Python's Flying Circus
(begins with pictures of money, bank vaults, gold, etc. overwritten by THE MONEY
PROGRAMME) Eric Idle sits at a desk between Michael Palin and John Cleese. He begins
quietly but becomes increasingly agitated as he speaks.
Idle: Good evening, and welcome to The Money Programme. Tonight on The Money Programme,
we're going to look at money. Lots of it. On film, and in the studio. Some of it in nice
piles, others in lovely clanky bits of loose change. Some of it neatly counted into fat
little hundreds, delicate fivers stuffed into bulging wallets, nice crisp clean checks,
pert pieces of copper coinage thrust deep into trouser pockets, romantic foreign money
rolling against the thigh with rough familiarity, beautiful wayward curlicued banknotes,
filigreed copper plating cheek by jowl with tumbly ( ? ) rubbing gently against the terse
leather of beautifully balanced bank books!! (He looks around in surprised realization
that he's panting and screaming)
Idle: I'm sorry. (adjusts tie, darts eyes around room)
Idle: But I love money. All money. (growing excited again) I've always wanted money. To
handle! To touch! The smell of the rain-washed florin! The lure of the lira! The glitter
and the glory of the guinea! (stands up ) The romance of the ruble! (stands on chair) The
feel of the franc! (stands on desk) The heel of the deutschmark! (stomps foot) The cold
antiseptic sting of the Swiss franc! And the sunburnt splendor of the Australian dollar!
(slaps knee) (sings the rest while dancing across desk; Michael and John just look at him
blandly.) I've got ninety thousand pounds in my bank account. I've got forty thousand
French francs in my fridge. I've got lots and lots of lira, Now the deutschmark's getting
dearer, And my dollar bill could buy the Brooklyn Bridge. There is... (enter a chorus of 5
men in women's pilgrim costumes) ...nothing quite as wonderful as money! There is nothing
quite as beautiful as cash! Some people say it's folly, but I'd rather have the lolly (?),
With money you can make a splash! (chorus kneels ans sings "money, money, money"
through Idle's solos ) There is nothing quite as wonderful as money! There is nothing
quite as beautiful as cash! Everyone must hanker for the butchness of a banker (all give
Italian Salute) It's the currency that makes the world go round! (a harp is wheeled across
the stage but not played) You can keep your Marxist ways, for it's only just a phase...
Money, money, money makes the world go round! (play money falls from above as chorus
reaches a glorious crescendo) Money! Money! Money! Money! Money! Money! Money! Money!
Money!
