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The first episode aired on the BBC on Sunday, 5 October 1969, at 10:55 p.m.<ref name="irish times 50th"/> The BBC had to reassure some of its workers (who were considering going on strike and who thought the show was replacing a late-night, religious/devotional programme) by asserting that it was using the alternative programming to give clergymen time off on their busiest day.<ref name="irish times 50th"/> The first episode did not fare well in terms of audience, capturing only about 3% of the total UK population, roughly 1.5 million, compared to ''[[Dad's Army]]'' that had 22% on the Thursday of that same week. In addition to the lowest audience figures for shows during that week, the first episode has had the lowest [[Appreciation Index]] for any of the BBC's light entertainment programmes.<ref name="independent BBC">{{cite web | url = https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/bbc-bosses-almost-lost-faith-in-disgusting-monty-python-1693829.html | title = BBC bosses almost lost faith in 'disgusting' Monty Python | first = Robert | last = Verkaik | date = 1 June 2009 | access-date = 7 October 2019 | work = [[The Independent]] | archive-date = 7 October 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191007145926/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/bbc-bosses-almost-lost-faith-in-disgusting-monty-python-1693829.html | url-status = live }}</ref><ref name="irish times 50th">{{cite news | url = https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/tv-radio-web/monty-python-bbc-archive-reveals-the-secrets-behind-the-sketches-1.4042455 | title = Monty Python: BBC archive reveals the secrets behind the sketches | first = Mark | last = Lawson | date = 7 October 2019 | access-date = 7 October 2019 | newspaper = [[The Irish Times]] | archive-date = 7 October 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191007122423/https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/tv-radio-web/monty-python-bbc-archive-reveals-the-secrets-behind-the-sketches-1.4042455 | url-status = live }}</ref> While public reception improved over the course of the first series, certain BBC executives had already conceived a dislike for the show, with some BBC documents describing the show as "disgusting and [[nihilism|nihilistic]]".<ref name="independent BBC"/> Some within the BBC had been more upbeat on how the first series had turned out and had congratulated the group accordingly, but a more general dislike for the show had already made an impact on the troupe, with Cleese announcing that he would be unlikely to continue to participate after the making of the second series.<ref name="independent BBC"/> Separately, the BBC had to re-edit several of the first series' episodes to remove the personal address and phone number for [[David Frost]] that the troupe had included in some sketches.<ref name="telegraph bbc"/>
The second series, while more popular than the first, further strained relations between the troupe and the BBC. Two of the sketches from the series finale "Royal Episode 13" were called out by BBC executives in a December 1970 meeting: "The Queen Will
Cleese remained for the third series but left afterwards. Cleese cited that he was no longer interested in the show, believing most of the material was rehashes of prior skits.<ref name="auto">{{cite book|title=[[The Pythons Autobiography by the Pythons]]|first1=Graham|last1=Chapman|authorlink1=Graham Chapman|first2=John|last2=Cleese|authorlink2=John Cleese|first3=Terry|last3=Gilliam|authorlink3=Terry Gilliam|first4=Eric|last4=Idle|authorlink4=Eric Idle|first5=Terry|last5=Jones|authorlink5=Terry Jones|first6=Michael|last6=Palin|authorlink6=Michael Palin|editor-first=Bob|editor-last=McCabe|publisher=[[Orion Publishing Group]]|date=2003|___location=London, England|isbn=0-75285-293-0|page=226}}</ref> He also found it more difficult to work with Chapman, who was struggling with [[alcoholism]].<ref>{{cite news |first=Richard |last=Ouzounian |authorlink=Richard Ouzounian |url=http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar%2FLayout%2FArticle_Type1&call_pageid=971358637177&c=Article&cid=1152963371205 |title=Python still has legs |newspaper=[[Toronto Star]] |date=16 July 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929171724/http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar%2FLayout%2FArticle_Type1&call_pageid=971358637177&c=Article&cid=1152963371205 |archive-date=29 September 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The remaining Pythons, however, went on to produce a shortened fourth series, of which only six episodes were made prior to their decision to end the show prematurely, the final episode being broadcast on 5 December 1974.
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