BBC Radio 4 - This Cultural Life - Michael Palin: Nine things we learned from his This Cultural Life interview

Michael Palin, who was born in 1943 in Sheffield, did not come from a family of performers. His father was an engineer while his mother was a housewife. Palin shared that his initial experience with performing was when he would recite lines from Shakespeare to his mother. He would take on all the different roles and act out the scenes, but his mother never interrupted him. He mentioned that it was a way for him to express himself at home, something his father may not have been too keen on.

The place where the comedic group, Monty Python, sharpened their skills was on a television program called The Frost Report during the 1960s. This show was hosted by David Frost and had a satirical tone to it.

. "Life-altering Cambridge Debut For Him."

Palin's journey to learning Python started when he met a classmate named Robert Hewison at Cambridge University. They found out they both enjoyed watching The Goon Show and Peter Sellers. One day, Hewison suggested they start a comedy act together. Palin was initially hesitant, but he eventually agreed since it could bring in £30 per night from performing at cabarets. This decision also took him away from his father's preferred career for him – becoming a doctor or a similar profession. Hewison introduced Palin to a new world filled with fellow actors and writers, including Terry Jones. Palin clicked with Jones right away, and they began collaborating on writing and performing projects.

The Pythons' Teamwork Wasn't Consistent

The Pythons first met while working on The Frost Report, a TV show known for its satire during the 1960s. After pursuing different projects, Cleese suggested in 1969 that they collaborate on a new project. According to Palin, their aim was to push the boundaries in television comedy. However, despite being a team, they rarely wrote together. Instead, they worked in separate groups. Palin teamed up with Terry, while Graham and John, and Eric and Terry Gilliam, worked as their own units. Although they attempted to write together, Palin found it difficult to work with John as he had a different approach to writing.