"Monty Python's Flying Circus" (1969) TV series 1969-1974

User Rating:

9.4/10   

Creators:

Graham Chapman
John Cleese
Terry Gilliam

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | unknown

Release Date:

5 October 1969 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy | Music

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Monty Python | Sketch Comedy | Comedy Troupe | Cult Comedy | British Comedy

Awards:

3 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

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)

Also Known As:

Gwen Dibley's Flying Circus (UK) (working title)
Monty Python (UK) (new title)
Owl-Stretching Time (UK) (working title)

Runtime:

30 min (45 episodes)

Country:

UK

Language:

English | Arabic | French | German | Italian | Mandarin | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono | Stereo

Certification:

Australia:M (DVD rating) (disc 8) | Australia:PG | USA:TV-14 | Japan:R | Singapore:M18 (DVD rating) | Singapore:M18 | UK:12 (some epiosodes) | UK:15 (1985-1994) | UK:PG | Finland:K-18 (self applied) (DVD) (2007) | Brazil:14 | Argentina:13 | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Trivia:

After three seasons of 13 episodes each, John Cleese refused to return for a fourth because he believed the show was becoming repetitious and had run out of ideas. The rest of the cast only managed to produce a final fourth season of just six episodes without him. Despite this, Cleese had a writer's credit on most of the final six, because of sketches used that he had contributed to before leaving. He also had a cameo in one episode, and has continued to collaborate with the other Pythons in various combinations over the years.

Quotes:

Veronica Smalls: Hello, last week on "Party Hints" I showed you how to make a small plate of goulash go round 26 people, how to get the best out of your canapés, and how to unblock your loo. This week I'm going to tell you what to do if there is an armed communist uprising near your home when you're having a party...

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "Doctor Who: Fear Her (#2.11)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

The Liberty Bell

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.