Veteran funnyman JOHN CLEESE turned down a $300,000 (£200,000) offer to appear on a British reality show - because he didn't want to be involved in such "bad" TV.

The Monty Python star hints he was approached to appear on jungle survival series I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!, but snubbed the invitation despite the hefty pay cheque.

He tells the Sunday Mercury, "I was asked to do a reality show a few months ago. I forget which, it might have been the jungle one or perhaps Celebrity Root Canal!

"I just laughed, then asked how much they were offering out of curiosity. It was £200,000 but I would never agree to one of those shows. That would mean the collapse of western civilisation."

And Cleese is not a fan of any modern shows, insisting he'd rather read a book than watch TV.

He adds, "When I was growing up, we had the best television in the world. Now it's as bad as it is everywhere else, and I don't particularly want to participate in that. I don't really watch TV these days, except live sport. There's nothing much that appeals to me. I would rather read a book."

http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/story/cleese-turned-down-300000-for-reality-show_1195537

http://www.itf.ca/images/john_cleese.jpg

I commend John Cleese for recognizing what trash reality television is and refusing to participate in it. Once again Mr. Cleese has proved what a class act he is.

I commend John Cleese for recognizing what trash reality television is and refusing to participate in it. Once again Mr. Cleese has proved what a class act he is.

My sentiments, exactly!

...as far back as the late '70s. Case in point: Edward J. Montagne {best known as executive producer of "McHALE'S NAVY"} and Universal Television wanted to sell ABC a sitcom for the fall of '79 about a bumbling British detective on loan to the San Francisco Police Department. Cleese was originally offered the role of "Inspector Roger Hart". He turned down the offer because he didn't want to appear in a mediocre American sitcom. So, Ron Moody got the part, and "HART IN SAN FRANCISCO" was pencilled in for ABC's fall schedule. However, the network pulled it at virtually the last minute; perhaps they knew they had a "lemon" on their hands. Thirteen episodes were produced, though, and ABC burned them off in the summer of 1980, right after "BARNEY MILLER" on Thursday nights, as "NOBODY'S PERFECT". I'm one of the few people who remembers it...and John Cleese was absolutely correct in passing the series up.

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