Monty Python
| Monty Python | |
|---|---|
 The Python team Back row: Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam. Front row: Terry Jones, John Cleese, Michael Palin | |
| Medium | Television, Film, Theatre, Audio Recordings, Books |
| Nationality | British (5 members) British, formerly American (1 member) |
| Years active | 1969–1983 |
| Genres | Sketch comedy, satire |
| Influences | The Goons, Spike Milligan |
| Influenced | Douglas Adams and Eddie Izzard |
| Notable works and roles | Monty Python's Flying Circus (1969–1974) And Now for Something Completely Different (1971) Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979) Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl (1982) Monty Python's The Meaning of Life (1983) |
| Members | Graham Chapman John Cleese Terry Gilliam Eric Idle Terry Jones Michael Palin |
| Website | PythOnline |
Monty Python, or The Pythons, is the collective name of the six creators of Monty Python's Flying Circus, a British television comedy sketch show that first aired on the BBC on 5 October 1969. A total of 45 episodes were made over four series (seasons). The Python phenomenon developed from the original television series into something much larger in scope and impact, spawning touring stage shows, five theatrically-released films, numerous albums, several books and a spin-off stage musical, and launching the members on to individual stardom.
The television series, broadcast by the BBC from 1969 to 1974, was conceived, written and performed by Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin. Loosely structured as a sketch show but with an innovative stream-of-consciousness approach (aided by Terry Gilliam's animations), it pushed the boundaries of what was then considered acceptable, both in terms of style and content.
The group's influence on comedy has often been compared to The Beatles' influence on music (The Beatles also happened to be fans of the troupe, and George Harrison went on to produce one of their films). A self-contained comedy team responsible for both writing and performing their work, they changed the way performers entertained audiences. The Pythons' creative control allowed them to experiment with form and content, discarding the established rules of television comedy. Their influence on British comedy of all kinds has been apparent for many years, while in America it has coloured the work of many cult performers from the early editions of Saturday Night Live through to more recent absurdist trends in television comedy. "Pythonesque" has entered the English lexicon as a result.
There are differing accounts of the origins of the Python name although the members agree that its only "significance" was that they thought it sounded funny. In the 1998 documentary Live At Aspen the group implied that "Monty" was selected as a gently-mocking tribute to Field Marshal Lord Montgomery, a legendary British general of World War II; requiring a "slippery-sounding" surname, they settled on "Python". On other occasions Idle has claimed that the name "Monty" was that of a popular and rotund fellow who drank in his local pub; people would often walk in and ask the barman, "Has Monty been in yet?", forcing the name to become stuck in his mind.
In a 2005 poll to find The Comedian's Comedian, three of the six members were voted among the top 50 greatest comedians ever, by fellow comedians and comedy insiders. Palin was at number 30, Idle was voted 21st and Cleese was at two, just beaten to the top by Peter Cook.
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Monty Python, or The Pythons, is the collective name of the creators of Monty Python's Flying Circus, a British television comedy sketch show that first aired on the BBC on 5 ...
Monty Python - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Daily Python | Monty Python - Pythonline.com
This site contains scripts, pictures, sounds, video clips, and more information about Monty Python than anyone could ever use! How can something so useless be so much fun?
Monty Python's Completely Useless Web Site
Plot: King Arthur and his knights embark on a low-budget search for the Grail, encountering many very silly obstacles. full summary | full synopsis (warning! may contain spoilers)
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
Created by Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam. With Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, Terry Jones. The original surreal sketch comedy showcase for the Monty Python troupe.