Agatha Christie Sketch [Railway Timetables]
(Cut to an upper-class drawing room. An elderly man lies dead on the floor. Enter Jasmina and John.)
Jasmina: Anyway, John, you can catch the 11.30 from Hornchurch and be in Basingstoke by one o'clock, oh, and there's a buffet car and... (sees corpse) Oh! Daddy!
John (Eric Idle): My hat! Sir Horace!
Jasmina: (not daring to look) Has he been...
John: Yes - after breakfast. But that doesn't matter now, he's dead.
Jasmina: Oh! Poor daddy!
John: Looks like I shan't be catching the 11:30 now.
Jasmina: Oh no, John, you mustn't miss your train.
John: How could I think of catching a train when I should be here helping you?
Jasmina: Oh, John, thank you. Anyway you could always catch the 9:30 tomorrow - it goes via Caterham and Chipstead.
John: Or the 9:45's even better.
Jasmina: Oh, but you'd have to change at Lambs Green.
John: Yes, but there's only a seven-minute wait now.
Jasmina: Oh, yes, of course, I'd forgotten it was Friday. Oh, who could have done this?
(Enter Lady Partridge.)
Lady Partridge (Graham Chapman): Oh, do hurry Sir Horace, your train leaves in twenty-eight minutes, and if you don't catch the 10:15 you won't catch the 3:45 which means... oh!
John: I'm afraid Sir Horace won't be catching the 10:15, Lady Partridge.
Lady Partridge: Has he been... ?
Jasmina: Yes - after breakfast.
John: Lady Partridge, I'm afraid you can cancel his seat reservation.
Lady Partridge: Oh, and it was back to the engine - fourth coach along so that he could see the gradient signs outside Swanborough.
John: Not any more Lady Partridge, the line's been closed.
Lady Partridge: Closed! Not Swanborough!
John: I'm afraid so.
(Enter Inspector Davis.)
Inspector (Terry Jones: All right, nobody move. I'm Inspector Davis of Scotland Yard.
John: My word, you were here quickly, inspector.
Inspector: Yeah, I got the 8:55 Pullman Express from King's Cross and missed that bit around Hornchurch.
Lady Partridge: It's a very good train.
All: Excellent, very good, delightful.
(Tony runs in through the french windows. He wears white flannels and boater and is jolly upper-class.)
Tony (Michael Palin0: Hello everyone.
All: Tony!
Tony: Where's daddy? (seeing him) Oh golly! Has he been... ?
John and Jasmina: Yes, after breakfast.
Tony: Then he... won't be needing his reservation on the 10:15.
John: Exactly.
Tony: And I suppose as his eldest son it must go to me.
Inspector: Just a minute, Tony. There's a small matter of... murder.
Tony: Oh, but surely he simply shot himself and then hid the gun.
Lady Partridge: How could anyone shoot himself and then hide the gun without first cancelling his reservation.
Tony: Ha, ha! Well, I must dash or I'll be late for the 10:15.
Inspector: I suggest you murdered your father for his seat reservation.
Tony: I may have had the motive, inspector, but I could not have done it, for I have only just arrived from Gillingham on the 8:13 and here's my restaurant car ticket to prove it.
Jasmina: The 8:13 from Gillingham doesn't have a restaurant car.
John: It's a standing buffet only.
Tony: Oh, er... did I say the 8:13, I meant the 7:58 stopping train.
Lady Partridge: But the 7:58 stopping train arrived at Swindon at 8:19 owing to annual point maintenance at Wisborough Junction.
John: So how did you make the connection with the 8:13 which left six minutes earlier?
Tony: Oh, er, simple! I caught the 7:16 Football Special arriving at Swindon at 8:09.
Jasmina: But the 7:16 Football Special only stops at Swindon on alternate Saturdays.
Lady Partridge: Yes, surely you mean the Holidaymaker Special.
Tony: Oh, yes! How daft of me. Of course, I came on the Holidaymaker Special calling at Bedford, Colmworth, Fen Dinon, Sutton, Wallington and Gillingham.
Inspector: That's Sundays only!
Tony: Damn. All right, I confess I did it. I killed him for his reservation, but you won't take me alive! I'm going to throw myself under the 10:12 from Reading.
John: Don't be a fool, Tony, don't do it, the 10:12 has the new narrow traction bogies, you wouldn't stand a chance.
Tony: Exactly.
(Tableau. Loud chord and slow curtain.)
Continue to the next sketch... Mr. Neville Shunt