old_contents: #!/usr/bin/env python2.7
  # -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
  import argparse
  from time import sleep
  import pyttsx
  
  parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description='Presentation timer with spoken warnings.')
  parser.add_argument('minutes', type=int, nargs=1, help='Length of talk in minutes')
  args = parser.parse_args()
  
  minutes = args.minutes[0]
  
  print "Timing a {0}-minute talk.".format(minutes)
  
  # Sleep for X-minute talk duration
  sleep(minutes * 60)
  
  # Text to speech
  engine = pyttsx.init()
  engine.say("Time is up")
  engine.runAndWait()
  
  print("Time is up")
  
new_contents: #!/usr/bin/env python2.7
  # -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
  import argparse
  from time import sleep
  import pyttsx
  
  parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description='Presentation timer with spoken warnings.')
  parser.add_argument('minutes', type=int, help='Length of talk in minutes')
  args = parser.parse_args()
  
  print "Timing a {0}-minute talk.".format(args.minutes)
  
  # Sleep for X-minute talk duration
  sleep(args.minutes * 60)
  
  # Text to speech
  engine = pyttsx.init()
  engine.say("Time is up")
  engine.runAndWait()
  
  print("Time is up")
  
subject: Remove nargs param so that minutes is an int, not list.