In 1975 the BBC commissioned a pilot from Michael Palin and Terry Jones and they came back with the first episode of what would become Ripping Yarns. An anthology series, somewhat similar to Six Dates With Barker where each episode was set in a different time period and place with Michael Palin playing a different lead each time; however with the difference being that this was a parody of classic boys adventure stories. It ran for two series, totalling nine episodes between 1977 and 1979.
Tomkinson's School Days
Tomkinson (Palin) is a new boy at Graybridge, a private boarding school, where he must deal with giving the headmaster regular beatings, fighting a grizzly bear, being nailed to the wall by second years and try to outrun the school leopard. After the school bully (the best school bully in England) gets Tomkinson in trouble he must endure the cross country hop. This is a brilliantly funny bit of TV with Michael Palin and Terry Jones both taking on roles and the whole thing being played out with a typically Pythonesque level of silliness that makes it a joy to watch.
The Testing of Eric Olthwaite
Eric Olthwaite (Palin) is incredibly boring, his main interests are precipitation levels, shovels and the blackness of his mum's black puddings; his own father pretends to be French to avoid speaking to him. One day his family runs away from home to get away from him, he tries to get a job at the bank but inadvertently ends up as a bank robber. Will this make him interesting at last? This episode is very good with Palin bringing a real charm to such a dull character, that makes for an enjoyable piece.
Escape from Stalag Luft 112 B
Major Erol Phipps (Palin) is a prisoner of war famed for his escape attempts, he has attempted escape over five hundred times, two hundred before he left England. For his efforts he is sent to the most secure POW camp in Germany: Stalag Luft 112B. Here he tries to escape, but the other officers seem to want none of it, as escape attempts have to go through committee. Then one day all the other prisoners escape without him. He is now the only prisoner left to try and escape. This is a fun parody of the typical kind of British soldiery that the Pythons love to make fun of, where all the soldiers call each other nicknames like Biffo and Ginger and is carried through by the extremes that Palin and Jones were willing to take it.
Murder at Moorestones Manor
Hugo and Charles Middlemass (both Palin) and their respective fiancées drive up to Moorestones Manor for their father's birthday. Over the course of their dinner the father is murdered and one of the fiancées dies from passing out into her cottage pie. The next day Hugo is also murdered and before long everyone is confessing to the murders, Charles, Hugo's fiancé, the butler and the doctor who comes to investigate. This isn't one of the better episodes, there's a lot of potential for comedy, but there's not enough time to let the jokes develop and it's a shame.
Across the Andes by Frog
Walter Snetterton (Palin) is an explorer who wants to go on a brave new expedition and prove his theory, that frogs can cross the Andes. He sets out on his mission and arrives in a small village near the mountains. However the villagers soon grow restless and seek to release the frogs and Snetterton may go too far to try and stop them. This episode is a fun little spoof of the typical kind of adventurer story you might have found in children's books when the writers were growing up.
The Curse of the Claw
Kevin Orr (Palin) is visited on a dark and stormy night by an expedition that's got lost made up largely of natives of the Naga Hills in Burma. Upon hearing when they are from Kevin Orr flies into a tale of his uncle Jack (Palin) and his cursed artifact from the Naga Hills and how he desperately tried to return it to its native land. This was a suitably strong episode to finish a series on with plenty of good jokes and a surprisingly kind of dark ending.
Whinfrey's Last Case
Gerald Whinfrey (Palin) is asked by the British Government to investigate rumours that the Germans are going to start World War 1 a year early but he refuses as he's going on a holiday as in the last four months he has already stopped the Balkan Wars, sold submarines to France, annexed two new colonies, and started an insurrection in Brazil. He arrives at smugglers cove cottage to discover far too many members of staff, all acting mysteriously, now he must escape, figure out what's going on and maybe save the British Empire along the way. There's some fun moments in this one that has a slight Agatha Christie feel to it.
Golden Gordon
Gordon Ottershaw (Palin) is a fan of Barnstoneworth United football club, a once successful, but now failing team. He is especially distraught to learn that their ground will be torn down for a scrap yard and after failing to convince the buyer to save the ground he reunites the old team to relive the former glory one last time. This is a very funny episode with a great performance by Palin and a walk on cameo for John Cleese.
Roger of the Raj
Roger Bartlesham (Palin) was raised in a wealthy family but his tutor filled his head with ideas of working class and socialism. After the war breaks out the move to India where Roger plans to run off with his girlfriend and start a chemist, but then inadvertently ends up as leader of the worker's revolution. This is a fun way to end the series, with a lot of good jokes and plenty of good performances including a small part for John Le Mesurier of Dad's Army fame.
Overall this is an entertaining little anthology series that is mainly held together by the strength of Michael Palin's performances. I would recommend it to fans of British comedy and definitely to Python fans to see some of the legacy.
Best episode: Golden Gordon
Worst Episode: Murder At Moorestones Manor
Best episode: Golden Gordon
Worst Episode: Murder At Moorestones Manor