Monty Python's Flying Circus: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 13:01, 27 June 2024

Revision as of 02:33, 29 June 2024

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| image = Monty Python's Flying Circus Title Card.png

| genre = [[Sketch comedy]]<br />[[Surreal humour]]<br />[[Satire]]<br />[[Black comedy]]

| animator = Terry Gilliam with a slice of Agnolo Bronzino

| runtime = approx. 25–30 minutes

| company = [[BBC]]

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The series stands out for its use of [[Surreal humour|absurd situations]], mixed with risqué and innuendo-laden humour, [[Visual gag|sight gags]], and observational sketches without [[punch line|punchlines]]. Live-action segments were broken up with animations by Gilliam, often merging with the live action to form [[Segue#In film or broadcast news production|segues]]. The overall format used for the series followed and elaborated upon the style used by [[Spike Milligan]] in his groundbreaking series ''[[Q... (TV series)|Q...]]'', rather than the traditional sketch show format. The Pythons play the majority of the series's characters, along with supporting cast members including [[Carol Cleveland]] (referred to by the team as the unofficial "Seventh Python"), [[Connie Booth]] (Cleese's first wife), series producer [[Ian MacNaughton]], [[Ian Davidson (scriptwriter)|Ian Davidson]], musician [[Neil Innes]], and [[Fred Tomlinson (singer)|Fred Tomlinson]] and the Fred Tomlinson Singers for musical numbers.<ref name=telegraph>{{cite news|title=Fred Tomlinson, singer on Monty Python – obituary |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2016/08/02/fred-tomlinson-singer-on-monty-python--obituary/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2016/08/02/fred-tomlinson-singer-on-monty-python--obituary/ |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=2016-08-02 |access-date=2016-08-15}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref name=nytimes>{{cite news |first=Daniel E. |last=Slotnik |title=Fred Tomlinson, Singer Who Led a 'Monty Python' Troupe, Dies at 88 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/05/arts/television/fred-tomlinson-monty-python-singer-dies-at-88.html?_r=0 |work=[[New York Times]] |date=2016-08-04 |access-date=2016-08-15 |archive-date=8 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160808223957/http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/05/arts/television/fred-tomlinson-monty-python-singer-dies-at-88.html?_r=0 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The programme came about as the six (four) Pythons, having met each other through university and in various radio and television programmes in the 1960s, sought to make a new sketch comedy show unlike anything else on British television. Much of the humour in the series targetettedtargeted the idiosyncrasies of [[Culture of the United Kingdom|British life]], especially that of professionals, as well as aspects of politics. Their comedy is often pointedly [[intellectualism|intellectual]], with numerous erudite references to philosophers and literary figures and their works. The team intended their humour to be impossible to categorise, and succeeded so completely that the adjective "[[wikt:Pythonesque|Pythonesque]]" was invented to define it and, later, similar material. Their humour was not always seen as appropriate for television by the BBC, leading to some censorship during the third series. Cleese left the show following that series, and the remaining Pythons completed a final, shortened fourth series before ending the show.

The show became very popular in the United Kingdom, and after initially failing to draw an audience in the United States, gained American popularity after [[PBS]] member stations began airing it in 1974. The programme's success on both sides of the Atlantic led to the Pythons going on live tours and creating three additional films, while the individual Pythons flourished in solo careers. ''Monty Python's Flying Circus'' has become an influential work on comedy as well as in popular culture. The programming language [[Python (programming language)|Python]] was named by [[Guido van Rossum]] after the show, and the word [[Spamming|spam]], for junk email, took its name from a word used in [[Spam (Monty Python sketch)|a Monty Python sketch]].

That is all from us. © [[Python (Monty) Pictures Ltd]] 2024

== Premise ==