N. F. Simpson which no episodes survive. His final series for television was the unsuccessful "Charley’s Grants" (1970), co-written with John Fortune and John Wells, starring Hattie Jacques, and produced by Ian MacNaughton (who produced "Monty Python’s Flying Circus"), which is also entirely lost. Plays followed, including a satire on advertising, "Thank You Very Much" (1971), and an effective three-hander for ITV, "Silver Wedding" (1974), directed by Mike Newell. Simpson’s highest-profile production for television was "Elementary, My Dear Watson" (1973), a Sherlock Holmes parody for BBC One’s "Comedy Playhouse" starring John Cleese and Willie Rushton. It has been screened several times at the
John Cleese film, though he did work with Peter Cook in his one-off TV special "Peter Cook and Co." in 1980. In the same year, Cleese played Petruchio, in Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew" in the BBC Television Shakespeare series. In 1981 he starred with Sean Connery and Michael Palin in the Terry Gilliam-directed "Time Bandits" as Robin Hood. He also participated in "Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl" (1982) and starred in "The Secret Policeman's Ball" for Amnesty International. In 1985, Cleese had a small dramatic role as a sheriff in "Silverado", which had an all-star cast that included