John Cleese

One of our professors described a lecture as 'a mystical process by which the notes on the pad of the lecturer pass on to the pad of the student, without passing through the mind of either'.

He who laughs most, learns best

This is the extraordinary thing about creativity: If just you keep your mind resting against the subject in a friendly but persistent way, sooner or later you will get a reward from your unconscious.

Because, as we all know, it__ easier to do trivial things that are urgent than it is to do important things that are not urgent, like thinking. And it__ also easier to do little things we know we can do than to start on big things that we__e not so sure about.

The idea that you have to be protected from any kind of uncomfortable emotion is what I absolutely do not subscribe to.

If you want creative workers, give them enough time to play

You do realize as you grow older that almost nobody knows what they are talking about.

You don't have to be the Dalai Lama to tell people that life's about change.

I was very sad to hear of the death of Ronnie Barker, who was such a warm, friendly and encouraging presence to have when I started in television. He was also a great comic actor to learn from.

Michael Palin decided to give up on his considerable comedy talents to make those dreadfully tedious travel shows. Have you ever tried to watch one?

If I can get you to laugh with me, you like me better, which makes you more open to my ideas. And if I can persuade you to laugh at the particular point I make, by laughing at it you acknowledge its truth.

He who laughs most, learns best.

If God did not intend for us to eat animals, then why did he make them out of meat?

I can't tell you how scary it can be walking onto a movie and suddenly joining this family, it's like going to somebody else's Christmas dinner, everyone knows everyone, and you're there and you're not quite sure what you're supposed to be doing.

I was always a sports nut but I've lost interest now in whether one bunch of mercenaries in north London is going to beat another bunch of mercenaries from west London.

Now most people do not want an ordinary life in which they do a job well, earn the respect of their collaborators and competitors, bring up a family and have friends. That's not enough any more, and I think that is absolutely tragic - and I'm not exaggerating - that people feel like a decent, ordinary, fun life is no longer enough.

I find it rather easy to portray a businessman. Being bland, rather cruel and incompetent comes naturally to me.

It's not the despair, Laura. I can take the despair. It's the hope I can't stand. ~ Brian Stimpson, Clockwise