John Cleese waiting to begin when Cleese's offer arrived. Palin agreed to work with Cleese and Chapman in the meantime, bringing with him Gilliam, Jones, and Idle. "Monty Python's Flying Circus" ran for four seasons from October 1969 to December 1974 on BBC Television, though Cleese quit the show after the third. Cleese's two primary characterisations were as a sophisticated and a stressed-out loony. He portrayed the former as a series of announcers, TV show hosts, and government officials (for example, "The Ministry of Silly Walks"). The latter is perhaps best represented in the "Cheese Shop" and by Cleese's Mr Praline character,
EastEnders theme tune shows since, such as in a "Friends" spoof that featured on "SMTV Live". The drum fill was written and played by Graham Broad. The theme has become widely recognised. A 2008 poll by PRS for Music cited it as the most recognisable piece of music in the UK, beating the national anthem "God Save the Queen". The theme tune was nominated for an Ivor Novello Award in 1985 for Best TV Theme and in 1987 it won the Television and Radio Industries Club Award for Best TV Theme Music. The co-creator of "EastEnders", Tony Holland, was impressed with composer Simon