The Art of Soccer with John Cleese

If you think spending a couple of hours with John Cleese sounds like fun…well, you're absolutely right. Subtitled “Delving into the A-Z's of Soccer —John Cleese Style,” The Art of Soccer with John Cleese delivers a smorgasbord of all things soccer (including the fact that it's called “football” everywhere on the globe except the U.S.). Each letter represents a particular aspect of the game: “B is for Ball,” for example, sounds straightforward enough, but Cleese enhances the narrative a bit with his description of the first ball as being the head of an opposing tribe member kicked around after a battle in Celtic times. On the more serious side of this look at some of the game's greatest highlights, the program features interview segments with international soccer legends old and new (including Pele, Mia Hamm, and Thierry Henry), as viewers learn quite a bit of history surrounding the sport, while also hearing thoughtful comments from interviewees including Henry Kissinger, Dennis Hopper, and Desmond Tutu (this may be the only program featuring these three figures talking about the same subject). And, yes, there are a few lighthearted jabs at the American game of football (for instance —American football is played like advertising jingles, while soccer is played like jazz). Highly recommended. Aud: P. (C. Block)