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Ripping Yarns

TV·1976–1979·2 seasons, 9 episodes·BBC One·Comedy·45m·Created by Michael Palin, Terry Jones

Streaming on (US) Britbox Apple TV Channel See all

A British television comedy series, written by Michael Palin and Terry Jones of Monty Python fame. Following an initial pilot episode in January 1976, it ran for two subsequent series of five and three episodes in October 1977 and October 1979 respectively. Each episode had a different setting and characters, looking at a different aspect of British culture and parodying pre-World War II literature aimed at schoolboys.

Highest-rated episodes all ranked

  1. 01Ripping Yarns S01E01Tomkinson's SchooldaysS01E01 · 8.8Set in the frontier days of British education, when upper lips were stiff with cold and corporal punishment was an A-level. A savage, searing indictment of something or other.

Cast

Episodes by season

Season016Episodes1976–77Aired 8.8Season avg
  1. S01E01Ripping Yarns S01E01Tomkinson's SchooldaysJanuary 7, 1976 8.8Set in the frontier days of British education, when upper lips were stiff with cold and corporal punishment was an A-level. A savage, searin
  2. S01E02Ripping Yarns S01E02The Testing of Eric OlthwaiteSeptember 27, 1977A boy becomes a man in the harsh world of the Depression. The rough, tough story of folk who couldn't afford to go on the Jarrow March.
  3. S01E03Ripping Yarns S01E03Escape From Stalag Luft 112BOctober 4, 1977A tale of courage and valour behind the lines in the Kaiser's Germany. An inspiring story of camp life and a British officer who wouldn't li
  4. S01E04Ripping Yarns S01E04Murder at Moorstones ManorOctober 11, 1977Hugo and Dora drive down to see Mumsie and Dadsie-pie for a long weekend in the country. But their tophole weekend turns out to be longer th
  5. S01E05Ripping Yarns S01E05Across the Andes by FrogOctober 18, 1977The epic story of one man and six frogs who tried to defy the world in the greatest gamble of all.
  6. S01E06Ripping Yarns S01E06The Curse of the ClawOctober 25, 1977The terrifying story of a man who dabbled in the dark mysteries of the Orient, and lived to tell the tale. Or did he?

Season 1 ranked & reviewed

Season023Episodes1979AiredSeason avg
  1. S02E01Ripping Yarns S02E01Whinfrey's Last CaseOctober 10, 1979Dashing, debonair Gerald Whinfrey saves his country twice a week. But in 1913 a German plot - to start the First World War without telling a
  2. S02E02Ripping Yarns S02E02Golden GordonOctober 17, 1979A rare look at football fanaticism in the 1930s. Superfan Gordon Ottershaw supports a team which has not won a match for six years. But wors
  3. S02E03Ripping Yarns S02E03Roger of the RajOctober 24, 1979Pubescent Roger Bartlesham comes of age in the turbulent India of 60 years ago, when circumstances beyond his control drive him towards the

Season 2 ranked & reviewed

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