John Cleese Says Netflix Never Got Back To Him Or Returned His Calls After He Pitched Them A Special

By Corey Atad. 27 Mar 2019 8:25 AM

John Cleese has a bone to pick with Netflix.

The “Monty Python” alum tweeted Tuesday that late last year he met with Netflix to pitch them an idea for a special.

Netflix apparently decided not to go with his pitch, though Cleese wrote that he only knew that because the company never got back to him or returned his messages.

In December I visited Netflix to pitch the idea of a 'Special'

They must have hated the idea because they never got back to me, or returned any of my agent's phone calls or emails !

Recently someone showed me one of the 'Specials' they did commission.

It was very original…

— John Cleese (@JohnCleese) March 26, 2019

Cleese also took shots at another, unnamed special Netflix did end up producing.

A hgely likeable and jolly young woman did a highly original routine based on the fact that she was so 'fat' that she couldn't find her own 'pussy'

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My only disappointment was that when I approached Netflix in December
I had not known the sort of material they were looking for

— John Cleese (@JohnCleese) March 26, 2019

But, as Cleese revealed, it wasn’t just Netflix executives who are hard to please. He had also met with others to pitch ideas.

It wasn't the only pitch meeting I had. At another, the Head of Comedy behaved throughout like a teenage Mexican bandit on the run, throwing looks over his shoulder every few seconds, and wearing an expression of extreme terror throughout. Not an easy audience, I found

— John Cleese (@JohnCleese) March 26, 2019

I hear that he's been fired

Or arrested…

— John Cleese (@JohnCleese) March 26, 2019

Another idea was turned down by UK ITV as it wasn't 'tonally right'

Why didn't they just say it was too intelligent…

— John Cleese (@JohnCleese) March 26, 2019

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He also noted that throughout his career, some of his most beloved films and TV series were originally passed over by studios and networks.

Still, I take heart from the fact that every UK and US studio passed on 'Life of Brian', 10 out of 11 Hollywood studios turned down 'Fish called Wanda', and the man who commissioned 'Fawlty Towers' told me, after the first episode, that I had to 'get it out of the hotel more'

— John Cleese (@JohnCleese) March 26, 2019