Monty Python's Flying Circus: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 09:19, 12 January 2025

Revision as of 18:52, 19 January 2025

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== Reception ==

=== Initial reviews ===

After the broadcast of the first episode, British newspapers printed brief reviews of the new programprogramme. Reviewers had mixed opinions. One wrote that the show was "absurd and frivolous", and that it did not "offer anything very new or exciting".<ref name="CovEvTel06101969KAB">{{Cite news |last=K.A.B. |date=1969-10-06 |title=Who do they think can watch? |pages=3 |work=Coventry Evening Telegraph |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/112937414/who-do-they-think-can-watch/ |access-date=2022-11-12 |archive-date=12 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221112142134/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/112937414/who-do-they-think-can-watch/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Another described the show as "enjoyably Goonish", saying that not all of the material was "scintillating" but that "there was enough packed into the 30 minutes to raise a few laughs."<ref name="LeicMerc06101969TJD">{{Cite news |last=T.J.D. |date=1969-10-06 |title=Play that needed a touch of Hitchcock |pages=8 |work=Leicester Mercury |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/112937585/play-that-needed-a-touch-of-hitchcock/ |access-date=12 November 2022 |archive-date=12 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221112142133/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/112937585/play-that-needed-a-touch-of-hitchcock/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The Reading Evening Post's columnist was more enthusiastic, calling the show "much-needed comedy" and noting that "The real laughs, for me, came from the crazy cartoon and photo-montage work".<ref name="ReadEvPost06101969Slater">{{Cite news |last=Slater |first=Ralph |date=1969-10-06 |title=At last! A few laughs |pages=2 |work=Evening Post |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/112937736/at-last-a-few-laughs/ |access-date=12 November 2022 |archive-date=12 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221112142139/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/112937736/at-last-a-few-laughs/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

As the series continued, reviews became more positive. After the third episode, the Guardian's television columnist described the show as "undoubtedly the high spot of a lot of viewers' weekend", saying the humour was "whacky rather than satiric."<ref name="Guardian20101969Reynolds">{{Cite news |last=Reynolds |first=Stanley |date=1969-10-20 |title=Comedy and not so funny |pages=6 |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/112937919/comedy-and-not-so-funny/ |access-date=12 November 2022 |archive-date=12 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221112143910/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/112937919/comedy-and-not-so-funny/ |url-status=live }}</ref> A week later, the Observer's reviewer gave the series a "strong recommendation", saying "The material, despite a tendency to prolong a good idea beyond its natural length, is of a high standard, but what lifts the show out of an honourable rut is its extraordinary use of animated cartoons."<ref name="Observer26Oct1969Melly">{{Cite news |last=Melly |first=George |date=1969-10-26 |title=Watching the bits and pieces |pages=33 |work=The Observer |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/112938068/watching-the-bits-and-pieces/ |access-date=12 November 2022 |archive-date=12 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221112143908/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/112938068/watching-the-bits-and-pieces/ |url-status=live }}</ref> However this positive view was by no means unanimous. An Evening Standard reviewer complained that "last week it almost crushed my enthusiasm and loyalty forever by transmitting a number of dismal skits that were little more than broad, obvious slapstick."<ref name="EvStand19691105Shulman">{{Cite news |last=Shulman |first=Milton |date=1969-11-05 |title=Whatever happened to Monty Python? Well, I'm glad you asked that question... |pages=21 |work=Evening Standard |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/112938360/whatever-happened-to-monty-python-well/ |access-date=12 November 2022 |archive-date=4 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240504070043/https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-standard-whatever-happened-to-mo/112938360/ |url-status=live }}</ref>