Monty Python's Flying Circus 

The original surreal sketch comedy showcase for the Monty Python troupe.

Creators:

Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, Terry Jones

Stars:

Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam

Top Rated TV #35 | 4 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Graham Chapman	...	Various / ... 46 episodes, 1969-1974
Eric Idle	...	Various / ... 46 episodes, 1969-1974
Terry Jones	...	Various / ... 46 episodes, 1969-1974
Michael Palin	...	It's Man / ... 46 episodes, 1969-1974
Terry Gilliam	...	Various / ... 46 episodes, 1969-1974
John Cleese	...	Announcer / ... 40 episodes, 1969-1973
Carol Cleveland	...	Various / ... 34 episodes, 1969-1974

Storyline

The irreverent Monty Python comedy troupe present a series of skits which are often surreal, bawdy, uncompromising and/or tasteless, but nearly always hilarious.

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Plot Keywords:

class system | monty python | comedy troupe | sketch comedy | black comedy | 

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Taglines:

And now for something completely digital...

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

TV-14

Details

Official Sites:

PythOnline.com

Country:

UK

Language:

English Arabic French German Italian Mandarin Spanish

Release Date:

5 October 1969 (UK)

Also Known As:

England, wie es sinnt und lacht

Filming Locations:

BBC Television Centre, Wood Lane, Shepherd's Bush, London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC),Python (Monty) Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min 30 min (45 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

John Cleese was Rowan Atkinson's idol growing and inspired him to be a comedian. Rowan Atkinson performed with the Monty Python cast in the Secret Policeman's Ball and John Cleese made a cameo in one show of Not The 9 O'clock Show (1979) (TV Show) which Rowan Atkinson was a regular performer.

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Goofs

The Air Tube that operates Mr Tree's mouth can be seen in the profile shot, when light starts glinting off it.

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Quotes

Announcer: Well, be that as it may...

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Crazy Credits

One episode omits the entire opening sequence of "Monty Python's Flying Circus" in favour of a simple title caption - "The Cycling Tour".

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Alternate Versions

The A&E home video VHS & DVD versions, while restoring some footage, have eliminated some as well, including:

• The word "masturbation" in the "All-England Summarize Proust Competition" sketch.
• Graham Chapman's abbreviated rendition of "Tonight Tonight" from "West Side Story" in the "Funny Bus Conductor" sketch.
• The ending "Dad's Pooves" film from episode 38.
• Dialogue from "Biggles Dictates A Letter" sketch.
• A&E explains that: "All of the Monty Python[videos] available at the A&E online store were produced directly from masters that we received." And that some "rights issues" were involved in some of the cuts.

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Connections

Spoofed in Weird Science: Chett-A-Nator (1996)

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Soundtracks

The Liberty Bell
(1893) (uncredited)
Music by John Philip Sousa
Performed by The Band of the Grenadier Guards
(opening theme music)

User Reviews

even when you think you know all of what the show is about, a surprise comes round the bend

I still need to see more of Monty Python's Flying Circus to make my un-official official declamatory mandated professional amateurish stated opinion on this, but this is quite the nifty little show they put on back in merry old England. A lame joke I tried for at Python humor, but really, once you see the show, and see at least a few episodes, you'll know whether it's the right kind of intelligently un-hinged absurdity for you. I didn't warm up to it at first, I thought it was maybe too smart, in a way, through its silliness to be taken much seriously, as the jokes are not of the common kind. But after getting in through the films, and seeing many a varied skit with the guys, I'm looking forward to seeing (and being able to quote to other people) the best they got.

It's partly a stream-of-consciousness style show thanks to Terry Gilliam's spectacularly crude animations (through cut-outs mostly, and spoofing either classical paintings, architecture, movies, and of course dancing teeth), part social satire through various skits of people going into shops (Parrot), jobs, arguments (want to argue about an argument), the police, criminals, movies, sports, old ladies, politics, and other sorts of good diddies on all things in life. There's also the most random bits of comedy ever to come out of the 20th century, and I can only think of the basic things that might have you wanting to check it out. I love short skits, like the classic fish-slapping bit (there comes the BIG fish, heh), and over-the-top voices (Michael Palin, I think, does some of the best ones, like an introduction he does to a skit that reminded me of one of the voices in the Holy Grail trailer), and deranged costumes, and the richness of the silly dialog. Sure a skit might not hit the mark, but then I could them come back to it days later and be laughing about things not laughed at the first time around.

There aren't too many, if much at all, conventional punchlines- the brilliant stuff comes in the random barbs that shoot up in the lines and the deliver, in a look that Cleese or Chapman might give at one point or another, or the lack of something that ends up coming around later in the bit, or maybe not. There's absolutely no shame in how tasteless some of this can get, be it with topical issues or just the little things everyday we tend to take for granted, but a tasteless sensibility without any net to fall on that's appealing. And, of course, the Lumberjack song and ministry of silly walks and . Bottom line, if there could ever be one with Flying Circus, if you think it's just stupid little goofy gags and skits going on, watch out for how rich the words fly out (err, in Circus-like fashion) the mouths of the Pythons. It's the mightiest heap of the inspiration-turned-ludicrous comedy to be found on any TV show. Other favorite skits: 'Most Awful Family in Britain', 'Self-Defence Class', 'Word Problem', and 'Kilimanjaro Expedition' among others.