Monty Python's Flying Circus

Today's youth have been deprived of this.

• There have been many references to it lately... most notably in the form of the entire opening sequence of "Family Guy" a couple of weeks ago.

• Monty Python & the Holy Grail is popular with geeks and nerds.

• And this is a disadvantage in what way?? Is it sort of like being deprived of Timothy Leary?

  anonymous

• And what will you do, R3, when you want to buy a license for your pet fish named Eric?

• Eric gets fried in a nice butter sauce.....taste?

  ee cummings

• "The Larch."

  http://static6.depositphotos.com/1004099/598/i/950/depositphotos_5986453-European-larch-tree-isolated-on-white-background.jpg

  %22The%20Larch.%22

• Montys comedy has been sliced and diced into so much of the comedy today, people still see it without being aware of its source.

• Nobody has the balls today to do something in the scope of "The Life of Brian".

• If not the balls, would some othe body part do?

  puddintayme

• Still classic, after all these years.

• Life of Brian, The Meaning of Life, Holy Grail. All brilliant movies. And just clips - Every Sperm is Sacred, the Universe Song, those kind of stick in your head.

  LuciferTheLightBringer

• Stoned or sober, the best skit ever in the world today:

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3D_OXfAPPckQU

• LOVED Python. Great memories in the mid-70's of watching (Sunday nights) a half hour of Python, followed by the Dave Allen show, then Dr. Who (Tom Baker). Thanks, PBS

  Mia

• I think Dave Allen was on either WPIX or WOR. We had tons of British tv series in the NY area on independent stations PIX and WOR as wellas PBS in the 1970s. After shows ran on PBS, many were repeated (Upstairs Downstairs, notably) in indie stations. Some other shows: The Two Ronnies Open All Hours Kelly Monteith Two's Company (starring DL fave Elaine Stritch) Butterflies The Good Neighbors (called the Good Life in the UK) Solo (with Felicity Kendal from the Good Life as a woman who is 30 years old and -- gasp -- still single!) All Creatures Great and Small Fawlty Towers Ripping Yarns A Family at War The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin Doctor in the House Dr Who Flambards Man About the House The New Avengers Return of the Saint To the Manor Born That doesn't include the shows that were broadcast under the Masterpiece Theater Umbrella.

• 70s Masterpiece Theater Forsyte Saga Poldark Dutchess of Duke Street Upstairs Downstairs Danger UXB Dickens of London Edward and Mrs Simpson The Glittering Prizes Hard Times I, Claudius The Pallisers Anna Karenina Rumpole of the Bailey

• Run away! Run away!

• The Upper Class Twit of the Year

  http://youtu.be/TSqkdcT25ss

• And now, for something completely different...

  A man with two noses

• He's not dead, he's pining for the fjords.

• Shut your gob, you tit!

• Meh. I liked Kids in the Hall better.

• You toffee-nosed, malodorous pervert!

• Clever? Yes. Funny? No. Tried to watch "Meaning of Life" with the boyfriend last weekend. We'd had enough about half way in. You can see where it influenced things like "Family Guy", but I've never found it funny.

• Face the Press

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DsXQqI9xGzvc

• R23, that movie is pretty funny. You might want to check your sense of humor to see if it's functioning. But really, you need to start with the hilarious and amazing "Holy Grail" movie. And follow up with the insightfully hilarious "Life of Brian" movie.

• Say no more! Nudge Nudge! (my favorite...say no more!)

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jT3_UCm1A5I

• Never Be Rude To An Arab

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DF67JhKT5bxU

  Anonymous

• Meaning of Life was a disappointment. There best was their original series. Ministry of Silly Walks, Dead Parrot, Argument Bureau, Twits..

• Lupins

  http://www.onlyfoods.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Lupins-2.jpg

• Ni!

• It was rare that any of them would react to one of the other ones when doing a bit. John Cleese has a hard time keeping it together in this skit One of favorites.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3D1k1ccguXiws

• Didn't know who Monty Python was or what The Holy Grail was about, was told it was the funniest movie someone's brother had ever seen. Decided to see it in the world's smallest shoebox multiplex 70's theater. No idea what to expect. I was rolling in the theater aisle before the opening credits had ended. Never laughed so hard in my life.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DSII-jhEd-a0

• Can you guys believe that Daniel Tosh said Monty Python was never funny recently? Tosh said that sketch comedy is never funny, Saturday Night Live was never funny and neither was Ellen Degeneres. I've really come to hate that little reptile. How can someone as funny as Tosh still be completely unlikeable? I've decided that he isn't a truth-teller, he's just a hater.

  http://tosh.comedycentral.com/segments/web-redemption/8uqrel

• The Pythons have recently reunited for two movies that every fan should see: NOT THE MESSIAH: HE'S A VERY NAUGHTY BOY and A LIAR'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY: THE UNTRUE STORY OF MONTY PYTHON'S GRAHAM CHAPMAN Chapman was gay and LIAR'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY is very gay, so Dataloungers will appreciate.

• Anyone who doesn't laugh at Monty Python's "The Quest for the Holy Grail" is obviously dead. Like the parrot.

  It's not dead... it's resting.

• I remember them appearing on the Tonight Show years ago, before their show aired on PBS in the US. I remember them dressed as old women. One says to the other, " I had to bury the cat yesterday." Really?" asked the other. "Yes," said the first. "it put up a terrible fight." Crickets. The audience did not get them at all.

• Dayum, I'm laughing out loud here in my cubicle at all the memories this thread has brought up (and now everyone's looking suspiciously in my direction). I love, love, LOVE Monty Python. I recently showed my kids their "How Not To Be Seen" segment, and they loved it too. The kids have a bit of a problem with some of the more extreme British accents the troupe adopts, so not all the skits work for them yet -- no Spanish Inquisition, either, until they know a little history. But I do agree that The Meaning of Life is the weakest, most bloated thing they ever did. Seven minutes of laughter in a two-hour movie...too bad they didn't go out on a higher note. As an aside, do any of the fans here have inside info on why Eric Idle appears to have been so unpopular with the other Pythons?

• He was always the odd man out. Palin and Jones wrote together, Chapman and Cleese wrote together, and Idle wrote on his own and wrote most if not all the songs on the show and in the movies. (Speaking of Oscar snubs in 1979, "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" should have been nominated.) Idle also seems to be the one who wants to milk every bit of cash out of the Python works. And he has the nicest hair.

• I don't find it funny. I don't like British comedy. Never have.

• R38, Eric wrote the musical based on the Holy Grail, didn't he? And then, R34, he refused to appear in a Liar's Autobiography - because he wanted a producer credit.

  that%27s%20what%20i%20read

• We're sorry for you, dear r39. But don't despair; QVC provides a lot of humor too, in its own fashion.

• In other good news for R39, "How I Met Your Mother," "Three and a Half Men" and "2 Broke Girls" have been renewed for another season!

• Look, it's people like you what cause unrest!

• Idle's very Hollywood. He was always totally into money, though. He hung out with rock stars in the 60s, 70s and 80s and wanted some mega cash like they had. He was friends with Bonzo Dog Band, George Harrison, Keith Moon, the Stones, Bowie. Of course he wanted big bucks. Now he lives in LA and needs to pay the mansion bills. John Cleese squandered his money on younger wives. Having learned nothing, he now dates a woman 30 years younger than he is. Terry Jones left his family for an undergrad. Michael Palin is basically a satisfied man who doesn't fit the usual stereotype of comic actors.

• And Terry Gilliam R44?

• The Ministry of Funny Walks was the ONLY funny thing they ever did. They were awful-- it was frat boy humor that ended in explosions or beatings but we were supposed to think highly of it because they were British. The reality is that they were as stupid and low brow as many American comics. And no one like sot admit that their films are boring as hell. I guess that's another taboo. Monty Python is similar to the Godfather films in that no one likes to publicly admit to how overrated and lousy they are. Well, boys, the Emperer has no clothes.

  chicken lady

• R46 is just totally wrong about everything.

• "Meaning of Life" was uneven, but for the most part it was hilarious. And yes, R46 is a total fucking idiot.

• My neeples explode with delight.

• There were so many little skits which were just so bizarre that they were funny, as in WTF? Does anyone remember the Fish Slapping Dance?

• I love the fish slapping dance, R50! My favourite character is Raymond Luxury-Yacht.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DtyQvjKqXA0Y

• Did Monty Python segments show up on the Midnight Special? I can remember seeing some of the animated stuff before I ever saw the sketch comedy, but it was so long ago, I'm not certain which show it was on.

• It's SPELLED "Luxury Yacht", but it's PRONOUNCED "Throat-Warbler Mangrove"!

• More Raymond Luxury Yacht, with a romantic ending!

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DehKGlT2EW1Q%26list%3DRD02tyQvjKqXA0Y

• "Buying a mattress" isn't one of their more famous bits, but so damn funny.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DrGEeLtqtNvU

• Damn it, R55!

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DbggV_Dbj87w

• Lovely version, R56. Bag's off my head now!

• In his autobiography Graham Chapman asserted that the group only came together because Cleese had a mad man crush on Palin. The Pythons constantly fall out then back in with each other. The only one they all always like is Michael.

• As I recall Idle devised the Holy Grail musical 'Spamalot!', to which Mike Nichols added his midas touch. The resulting riches thus went mainly to Idle rather than his fellow Python originators, which doubtless caused further tensions.

• It was bizarre - but in a good way - to see Eric Idle performing "Bright Side of Life" at the closing ceremonies of the London Olympics. It's remarkable that the crowd knew it from the opening notes (well, what would Idle be singing anyway?) as well as all of the lyrics.

• I like the movies but I've never understood what's supposed to be side-splittingly funny about the TV show. And I went to Cambridge and am British.

• I'd like to answer this question, if I may, in two ways. Firstly in my normal voice and then in a kind of silly high-pitched whine ...

• I remember Graham Chapman doing that bit on The Today Show sometime in the 70s. I think Jane Pauley was interviewing him.

• Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3Dv3DqNKUDV4I

• don't ask don't tell, ala Monty Python. with the exception of Idle, they all looked sexy back in the day

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3Dol5Dfs7jqFI%26NR%3D1%26feature%3Dendscreen

• and of course, The Mouse Problem

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DuK92NYwBMts

• Grew up on Python and loved it. Light years ahead of everything else on the box, most of which they took the piss out of. Another huge plus. (My dad didn't get it.) Hilarious exciting and innovative, they ruled playground chat after every show. Loved the books and records too. The books were edgy and brilliantly produced. One record had a third side, dependant on which groove the stylus hit (hiss). Good times.

• I had all those records too, R67... and I loved the 'third side' one. Was that the "Monty Python's Instant Record Collection", with the jacket that folded out into a cube to look like a HUGE stack of records? (I spent hours reading the spines of all the records in the stack... they were hilarious too)

• To go with R65, Cleese & Palin in the "Missing Wallet."

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DhL6QNLBRXCA

• Farming Club presents The Life of Tchaikovsky (Michael Palin speaks in Polari at about 2:00 and then again at 3:25).

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DRhjNgXyXEo4

  It%20is%20now%204%20minutes%20past%20the%20big%20green%20thing.

• I don't like the sound of these here "boncentration bamps."

• Well, speaking as the conservative candidate, I just drone on and on and on, never letting anyone else get a word in edgewise until I start foaming at the mouth and fall over backwards.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DOKgHUrKZiXA%26feature%3Dyoutube_gdata_player

• I object to all this sex on the television. I mean, I keep falling off!

  Mrs%20Petunia%20Sudsy%20of%20Bolton

• r69 thank you! I'd never seen that! sexy lads, I hope they 'researched' for the roles

• HA!

• Mrs Scum, you have won your prize, do you still want the blow on the head?

• ... What's that penguin doing on the television set?

• No one expects the Spanish Inquisition!

• Michael Palin always did the best pooves:

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DnVt1EY896cY

• ^ 'Bent as a safety pin' LOL!

• Not liking Monty Pything is an unforgivable offense, and an absolute deal-breaker when it comes to dating & relationships, imho.