Exclusive reports suggest that John Cleese’s anticipated Channel 4 show about ‘cancel culture’ may not see the light of day.
Production
Announced by the Monty Python legend in 2021, “John Cleese: Cancel Me” aimed to explore the complexities of current societal norms, particularly the evolution of kindness into what Cleese described as “some cases ad absurdum.
Expected to be produced by Expectation, the same company behind Clarkson’s Farm, the project has encountered significant delays. Despite nearly three years passing since its announcement, filming has yet to even start.
Chief Content Officer Ian Katz initially praised the show’s premise, saying that Cleese might be the only one to pull it off. Cleese himself was known to be very excited about the coming project,
The argument over what it’s OK to say and what isn’t is one of the thorniest issues of our age and there are few people better equipped to stride into it than John, a comic legend who combines genuine curiosity with a healthy disregard for what anyone thinks of him.
Challenges in Negotiation
Cleese’s willingness to engage with societal issues is evident in his previous work. Last year, he hosted “The Dinosaur Hour” on GB News, where he discussed topics such as cancel culture and “being woke”.
I’m delighted to have a chance to find out, on camera, about all the aspects of so-called political correctness… There’s so much I really don’t understand, like: how the impeccable idea of ‘Let’s all be kind to people’ has been developed in some cases ad absurdum.
Sources close to the production revealed that Channel 4 faced challenges in finalising a deal with Cleese. Additionally, logistical issues regarding Cleese’s availability were cited as hindrances to production.
Channel 4 sources expressed a desire to revive the project, although it remains uncertain if Cleese shares the same enthusiasm. Efforts to obtain comment from Cleese’s representatives are ongoing.
Cancel Me
It seems all the sources are pointing towards the same thing that the project titled as ‘John Cleese: Cancel Me’ might never see the light of day.
But his stance on ‘cancel culture’ is pretty much apparent from his previous statements and works. Last year he suggested that Monty Python could technically be called as a victim of cancel culture because the Christian community absolutely hated “Life of Brian”.
In another interview he also said that ‘cancel culture’ or the ‘woke generation’ started with good intentions but eventually evolved into something else.
One of the problems we have is we have the woke generation… started out with a good idea, which is ‘Let’s not be mean to people.’ Then they take it rather the wrong way by assuming people are rather more sensitive than I think they are.
In 2021 he also withdrew from a speaking engagement in Cambridge Union because they have banned a different speaker from doing a Hitler impression.
With all the transphobia controversy surrounding J.K Rowling he signed a letter to support the writer and when asked by other X/Twitter users about his stance on the issue he made a series of tweets that quickly garnered backlash. One of which was,
I’m afraid I’m not that interested in trans folks
I just hope they’re happy and that people treat them kindly
Right now I’m more focussed on threats to democracy in America, the rampant corruption in the UK, the appalling British Press, the revelations about police brutality… https://t.co/y6l33FBQNL
— John Cleese (@JohnCleese) November 22, 2020
It seems we might not yet to see more of John Cleese and his work for a while. For more comedy bits, check out our website, and if you’re looking to laugh out loud in person, then Big Belly Comedy Club has a ton of comedy shows playing 7 nights a week so join in on the fun!
