Timmy Williams Interview


[Animation sketch leading to a booth in a quite expensive looking coffee shop, Italian style. Nigel is sitting there. Timmy William comes in. He has just the faintest passing resemblance to David Frost.]

Timmy (Eric Idle): Nigel! Wonderful to see you, super, super, super. Am I a teeny bit late?

Nigel (Terry Jones): A bit, an hour.

Timmy: Oh, super! Only Snowdon's been re-touching my profile and we can't upset the lovely Snowdon, can we?

Nigel: Gosh, no.

[A man passes.]

Timmy: [gets up and clasps his hands] David Bloggs, the one and only. Super to see you. Who are you working for? Come and work for me, I'll call you tomorrow. [sits down] It's really lovely to have this little chat with you.

Nigel: Well, I...

Timmy: It is so nice to be able to have this little talk about things. I heard a teeny rumourlette that you were married.

Nigel: Well, not quite, no. My wife's just died, actually.

Timmy: Oh dear. [sees another man passing] Brian! [extends his arm] We must get together again soon. See you. Bye. [to Nigel] Well, perhaps we could do a tribute to her on the show.

Nigel: Well, no. I...

Timmy: I'll get Peter, William, Arthur, Alex, Joan, Ted, Scott, Will, John and Ray to fix it up. It is so nice having this little chat.

Nigel: Well, actually Timmy, I'm glad to get you on your own...

[A reporter comes up to the table.]

Timmy: You don't mind if Peter just sits in, do you?

Nigel: Well, actually...

Timmy: Only he's doing an article on me for the 'Mail'. He's such a lovely person.

Reporter (Graham Chapman): Hello.

Timmy: Peter, this is one of the nicest people in the world, Nigel Watt. [Peter scribbles it down] W-A-double T. That's right, yes.

Nigel: Well, actually, Timmy, the thing is, it's a bit private.

[A writer comes to the table.]

Timmy: Oh, you don't mind if Peter just sits in, do you? Only Peter's writing a book on me. Peter, you know Tony from the 'Mail', don't you?

Peter (John Cleese): Yes, we met in the Turkish bath yesterday.

Timmy: Super, super. Did it come up well in the writing yesterday?

Peter: Great, great, great.

Timmy: You took out the tummy references? [makes fatness signs]

Peter: Yes, I did.

Timmy: Super, super, super. Just to fill you in, this is Nigel Watt and we are having a little heart-to-heart. H-E-A-R-T. Smashing. Do go on, Nigel.

[They both start writing.]

Nigel: Well, well, the thing is, Timmy, um er...

[Timmy is smiling and posing. Nigel stops and looks. There is a photographer, hovering.]

Timmy: Do carry on, it's the 'TV Times', only they syndicate these photographs to America. Would you mind if we just er... [grabs him by the hand and poses hearty friendship photo] Super, super. One over here, I think, Bob. A little smile, please, smashing, smashing. Feel free, Bob, to circulate, won't you. Do go on, this is most interesting.

Nigel: Well please Timmy, I'm a bit embarrassed.

Waiter (Michael Palin): [coming to table] Oh, Mr Williams, it's so nice to see you. Will you sign this for my little daughter, please?

Timmy: Hello, Mario. Super, wonderful. [signs] Just two lovely coffees, please. [Director comes in.]

Director: Sorry, sorry, Timmy. Can we just go from where Mario comes in, we're getting bad sound, OK?

Timmy: It's German television. Isn't it exciting, Nigel? They're doing a prize-winning documentary on me.

[We see a film camera and the whole crew gathered round.]

Clapper Boy: 'The Wonderful Mr Williams', scene 239, take 2.

Director: Action!

Timmy: [taking the cue, switches] Mario, how super to see you. How are the lovely family? Please give your little daughter this. [hands him a five pound note] Thank you. And just two lovely coffees, please.

Mario: Yes, sir.

Timmy: [to Nigel] Such a lovely waiter. Now, go on please, this is most interesting.

Nigel: Well... er... as I was saying, Timmy, my wife's gone... gone. [close-up on him] I've got three children and I'm at my wits end. No job, no insurance, no money at all. I'm absolutely flat broke, I just don't know where to turn. I, I'm absolutely at the end of my tether. You're my only chance. Can you help me, please, Timmy?

[He looks up, Timmy isn't there. Timmy comes bounding back.]

Timmy: Sorry, I was on the phone to America. It's been super having this lovely little chat. We must do this again more often. Er, will you get the coffees? I'm afraid I must dash, I'm an hour late for the Israeli Embassy. [there is a shot; Nigel slumps over the table, gun in his hand] Er... did you get that shot all right, sound?

Sound Man: [off screen] Yes, fine.

Timmy: It, it wasn't a bit too wicked, was it? I mean, it wasn't too cruel?

Tony and Peter: No, no, no. It was great.

Timmy: No, super... well, er... I think it shows I'm human, don't you?

Tony and Peter: Yes, great.

Timmy: Super, super. Well, the charabanc's here. Come on, everybody. Bye. [he waves]

[They all troop off after him. Theme music starts to come up, we pull back and see the camera set-up. Credits start to roll:]

Voice Over: Timmy Williams' 'Coffee Time' was brought to you live from Woppi's in Holborn.

[Credits continue to roll:]

     THEME SCRIPT BY [enormous letters] TIMMY WILLIAMS
     ENTIRELY WRITTEN BY [enormous letters] TIMMY WILLIAMS
     ADDITIONAL MATERIAL BY: [these go straight through very fast]
     PETER WRAY
     LEN ASHLEY
     GEOFFREY INGERSOLL
     GEORGE HERBERT
     HARRY LOWALL
     RALPH EMERSON
     HATTY STARR
     FRANK PICKSLEY
     JOHN STAMFORD
     SHELLEY BUNHEUR
     MALCOLM KERR
     JAMES BEACH
     ALAN BAILEY
     BRIAN FELDMAN
     STIRLING HARTLEY
     ADRIAN BEAMISH
     GUY WARING
     MARK TOMKINS
     SIDNEY SMITH
     RICHARD HOVEY
     EDMUND GOSSE
     JONATHAN ASHMORE
     BILL WRIGHT
     ARTHUR FULLER
     RICHARD SAVAGE
     MICHAEL WHITEMORE
     BUDGE RYAN
     CEDRIC HAZLETT
     TERRY JONES
     MICHAEL PALIN
     JOHN GAYNOR
     GEORGE COLEMAN
     SAMUEL SPURGEON
     THOMAS MASSINGER
     STEPHEN DAVIS
     WALTER CHAPMAN
     REGINALD MARWOOD
     DAVID GOSCHEN
     PETER SCHULMAN
     DENNIS FRANKEL
     DAVID ROBINSON
     PAUL RAYMOND
     JOHN WILLDER
     JOHNNY LYNN
     JOE SHAW
     SIMON SMITH
     MONTY PYTHON
     MICHAEL LAPIN
     SYDNEY LOTTERBY
     IAN MATHERSON
     HUMPHREY BARCLAY
     BURT ANCASTER
     KIRK OUGLAS
     KEN SMITH
     GEOFFREY HUGHES
     BRIAN FITZJONES
     MICHAEL GOWERS
     JOHN PENNYCATE
     PETER BAKER
     NEIL SHAND

     [Fade out.]




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