The Secret Policeman's Balls
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The Secret Policeman’s Balls is the collective name for a legendary series of hilarious, irreverent and groundbreaking benefit shows staged to raise funds for Amnesty International. Beginning in 1976, the Balls featured the cream of Britain’s comedians and an astounding line-up of international musical talent. The shows have been credited by numerous people as being the inspiration for many of the high-profile charity events of the last 30 years, including Live Aid.
The Secret Policeman's Balls Comes to DVD!
Available for the first time in North America on January 27, 2009, The Secret Policeman's Balls 3-DVD box set, presented by Shout! Factory in association with Amnesty International, celebrates over 30 years of comedic excellence. Featuring five of the most popular shows from the first wave of The Secret Policeman's Ball from 1976-1989 and bountiful rare footage, these groundbreaking galas include members of Monty Python (John Cleese, Graham Chapman, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, Michael Palin) and Beyond the Fringe (Peter Cook, Dudley Moore, Alan Bennett, Jonathan Miller), as well as individual comedic talents such as Rowan Atkinson (Mr. Bean), Hugh Laurie (House, M.D.) and Jennifer Saunders (Absolutely Fabulous). In addition to the laughmakers, the shows feature acoustic musical performances that prefigured the "unplugged" phenomenon by Pete Townshend, Sting, Phil Collins, Bob Geldof, Peter Gabriel, Donovan, Jackson Browne, Lou Reed, Kate Bush and Joan Armatrading. Also featured are rare duets from guitar legends Eric Clapton & Jeff Beck and Mark Knopfler & Chet Atkins.
Contains five classic Secret Policeman's Ball shows:
Pleasure At Her Majesty's (1976)
The Secret Policeman's Ball (1979)
The Secret Policeman's Other Ball (1981)
The Secret Policeman's Third Ball (1987)
The Secret Policeman's Biggest Ball (1989)
and a wealth of rare DVD bonus content, including the full-length BBC documentary Remember the Secret Policeman's Ball?, never before seen in America.
