And Now for Something Completely Digital: The Complete Illustrated Guide to Monty Python CDs and DVDs

Collectively authored by Alan Parker and Mick O'Shea, And Now For Something Completely Digital: The Complete Illustrated Guide To Monty Python CDs And DVDs is a trivia worthy collection of intriguing facts, background information and entertaining insights into the timeless and enduringly popular television, movie, book, and album series by the British comedy troupe known world wide as Monty Python. Deftly compiling a wealth of fun and useless information from the diverse Monty Python productions, And Now For Something Completely Digital immediately captivates readers total attention through the zany wit and improbable wisdom of Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Michael Palin, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones. And Now For Something Completely Digital is a "must" for the legions of Monty Python fans and will serve as an excellent guide to collecting all of the Monty Python television and movie comedy routines and performances (including the Flying Circus and chart singles) now available on CD and DVD.

It's sobering to think that an entire generation has grown up viewing Monty Python from -- let's say -- a cultural/historical perspective; at the time they were still performing together, they were regarded as ""omedy rock stars." That pop-culture fact is pointed out in a delightful new book about the Python troupe. A man named Alan Parker (who has come into contact with the remaining members of the group by way of updating their record albums to the CD format), with his partner Mick O'Shea, has written "And Now for Something Completely Digital: The Complete Illustrated Guide to Monty Python CDs and DVDs" (The Disinformation Co. Ltd., $17.95). That unwieldly title notwithstanding, the book is a very enjoyable history of the Pythons, from their origins with varied British comedy groups and TV shows right up to the present day, covering Eric Idle's Tony-winning Broadway show "Monty Python's Spamalot" and the aforementioned CDs that are to be issued with bonus Python material this year. Parker is very much the starry-eyed fan -- he confesses to having a wealth of Python dolls and other memorabilia -- and that perspective serves him perfectly well here. He reverently but breezily covers every aspect of the Pythons' careers and provides what could almost be considered the final word on the availability of their audio and video works. (One startling fact is that their legendary TV series is available in its entirety on DVD -- but only in America. Thus far, Britons have had to make do with a "Best of..." compilation DVD. No doubt the team appreciates the Pythonesque nature of that irony.) I have but two (admittedly subjective) quibbles with the book. Parker goes into great detail about the Python TV shows and movies but gives very short shrift to their record albums, which in their own way were as groundbreaking as their other work. And when describing the plotlines of Python movies, Parker falls into that terrible trap that entraps far too many Python fans: he does elaborately cutesy Pythonesque non-sequitors in the belief that some of the group's wit will rub off on his work. This is doubly disheartening because the rest of Parker's writing, when he's not trying to come off as "the seventh Python," is nicely done. But that's hardly enough to discourage any Python buff or newcomer-fan from reading "And Now for Something Completely Digital," a nicely comprehensive round-up of the vast Monty Python canon that's also just plain fun to read.