It seems as though we stand in the midst of an epidemic of comebacks. It isn't always obvious though to know when they are well judged by the person or group involved.
The latest comeback to appear in our news is that of the surviving Monty Python team. As soon as the word surviving is used, the age of the act becomes self evident. Let nobody doubt the place of the Pythons in the history of British comedy. From their early roots as members of "That was the week that was" hosted by the late David Frost and produced by the late Ned Sherrin, the Pythons redefined British comedy. In many ways, they were the comedy equivalent of the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band. Both refused to take themselves too seriously and revelled in poking fun at the establishment. Then, as now, the establishment has always taken itself too seriously.
Before they branched out in to films, the original sketches of the Pythons were wonderfully original and, during my school days, it became de rigeur to quote the dialogue verbatim. Quite why we did this is now unclear but it seemed very funny at the time. That is the point though. It was funny at the time but we have now become older while the Python humour remains locked in a 1970s timewarp. There are only so many ways in which we can allude to a dead parrot before the joke becomes, well, dead. In addition, the prospect of a transvestite lumberjack in the early 1970s was comic genius but now nobody would bat an eyelid. Even the superlative one-up-manship of the four Yorkshiremen would now seema little tired. To his credit, Terry Jones was rather more candid about the proposed reunion when he quipped, "I hope it makes us a lot of money".
The only comeback which would fill me with greater dread than this would be if John Cleese and Connie Booth decided to write another episode or two of Fawlty Towers. The latter was the comedy sitcom by which all others are ultimately judged. To take it in to 2013 though would be a huge mistake. As brilliant as it was, Fawlty Towers belongs in the 1970s and would frankly look absurd anywhere else. There is one episode in particular which would not be aired on British Television now anyway as it would cause a furore. That said, it was very funny and universally acceptable in 1975. Time moves on.
From that same era comes news of the comeback of one Ernst Stavro Blofeld. The Bond villain extraordinaire has seemingly been at the centre of a legal dispute. Now resolved, the owners of the franchise are now at liberty to re-introduce him. Be prepared to see Blofeld in the next installment of the much milked spy saga. The Fleming novels were and remain great spy books. The early films were a big deal for the audiences of the 1960s. What has followed has become a parody of the parody of itself. If Blofeld is to return, they might as well make him a transvestite and go the whole hog.
With the exception of one series in 1996, Doctor Who ended in 1989 before being dragged out kicking and screaming for a new audience in 2005. The media world is now awash with retrospectives of 50 years of Doctor Who despite him being off our screens for 16 years. If that isn't milking, I don't know what is. Even the sets on Doctor Who are rubbish now. In my youth, even children could tell how bad they were and this paradoxically added to the appeal. Gone now are the cardboard walls and pathetic background actors to be replaced by a professional franchise.
As with Doctor Who, the Rolling Stones have milked their half century to death this year despite being dormant for much of that time. It would be more apt to celebrate 50 years of being tenuously connected with the music industry rather than the version which the marketing men have been trotting out.
But the comeback to end all comebacks could happen next year if the Scots regain their independence for the first time since 1707. Now that really would be a comeback. Indeed, their proposal to cut Corporation Tax in the event of such an outcome promises a jobs boom. Given how few jobs there are currently, that shouldn't be too difficult.
One my all time musical heroes has just announced his third studio album in 42 years. David Crosby is his own man though and is motivated by his music rather than dollars as evidenced by this sedentary output. Having been twice inducted in to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, he hardly needs the recognition. His comeback after drug and alcohol addiction has been truly remarkable. While George Best spurned his liver transplant, Crosby has put his demons behind him and seized the opportunity. As the recipient of a transplant myself, I savour every day because I remember only too well the effects of a life on kidney dialysis both on myself and my family. While Crosby and I have benefited from organ transplants, a new form transplant came to my attention this morning.
A scheme has started whereby pacemakers are removed after people have died in this country (with consent from the next of kin naturally). The device is then sterilised provided it has at least 70% of it's battery life left and exported to India where lives are being saved and transformed. Predictably, the EU won't sanction their re-use in Europe. Europe's loss is India's gain though and this is a great example of what happens when we seek to get the most out of our existing resources. The cost of a new pacemaker is around £2,500 which is far beyond the means of the masses in India. This scheme breaks down the barriers of cost and restores life at very little cost. Now that's what I call a comeback.
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