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'''''Monty Python's Flying Circus''''' (also known as simply '''''Monty Python''''') is a British [[surreal humour|surreal]] [[sketch comedy]] series created by and starring [[Graham Chapman]], [[John Cleese]], [[Eric Idle]], [[Terry Jones]], [[Michael Palin]], and [[Terry Gilliam]], who became known collectively as "[[Monty Python]]
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>
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== Premise ==
''Monty Python's Flying Circus'' is a sketch comedy show, though it does not adhere to any regular format. The sketches include live-action skits performed by [[Graham Chapman]], [[John Cleese]], [[Eric Idle]], [[Terry Jones]], [[Michael Palin]], and [[Terry Gilliam]], along with animations created by Gilliam, frequently used as linking devices or interstitial between skits. During the first three series, Cleese would be dressed in a tuxedo and introduce the show with the phrase "And Now for Something Completely Different
===Title===
The title ''Monty Python's Flying Circus'' was partly the result of the group's reputation at the BBC. [[Michael Mills (British producer)|Michael Mills]], the BBC's Head of Comedy, wanted their name to include the word "circus" because the BBC referred to the six members wandering around the building as a circus, in particular, "Baron Von Took's Circus
The words "Monty Python" were added because they claimed it sounded like a really bad theatrical agent, the sort of person who would have brought them together, with [[John Cleese]] suggesting "[[Pythonidae|Python]]" as something slimy and slithery, and [[Eric Idle]] suggesting "Monty
=== Recurring characters ===
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The most frequently returning characters on the show include:
* '''The "It's" Man''' (Palin), a [[Robinson Crusoe]]-type castaway with torn clothes and a long, unkempt beard who would appear at the beginning of the programme. Often he is seen performing a long or dangerous task, such as falling off a tall, jagged cliff or running through a mine field a long distance towards the camera before introducing the show by just saying, "It's..." before being abruptly cut off by the opening titles and Terry Gilliam's animation sprouting the words 'Monty Python's Flying Circus'. ''It's'' was an early candidate for the title of the series.
* '''A BBC [[continuity announcer]] in a [[dinner jacket]]''' (Cleese), seated at a desk, often in highly incongruous locations, such as a forest or a beach. His line, "[[And Now for Something Completely Different|And now for something completely different]]
* '''The [[Gumbys]]''', a dim-witted group of identically attired people all wearing [[gumboot]]s (from which they take their name), high-water trousers, [[Braces (clothing)|braces]], [[Fair Isle (technique)|Fair Isle]] [[Sweater vest|tank top]]s, white shirts with rolled up sleeves, round wire-rimmed glasses, [[toothbrush mustache|toothbrush moustache]]s and knotted handkerchiefs worn on their heads (a stereotype of the English [[working class culture|working-class]] holidaymaker). Gumbys always stand in a hunched, square posture, holding their arms stiffly at their sides with their balled hands curled inwards. They speak slowly in loud, throaty voices punctuated by frequent grunts and groans, display a poor understanding of everything they encounter, and have a fondness for pointless violence. All of them are surnamed Gumby: D.P. Gumby, R.S. Gumby, etc. Even though all Pythons played Gumbys in the show's run, the character is most closely associated with Michael Palin.
* [[File:Gumbys-present-architects-sketch.jpg|thumb|Gumbys on parade]]'''The Knight with a Raw Chicken''' (Gilliam), who would hit characters over the head with the chicken when they said something particularly silly. The knight was a regular during the first series and made another appearance in the third.
* '''A nude [[organist]]''' (played in his first two appearances by Gilliam, later by Jones) who provided a brief fanfare to punctuate certain sketches, most notably on a sketch poking fun at ''[[Sale of the Century (UK game show)|Sale of the Century]]'' or as yet another way to introduce the opening titles. This character was addressed as "[[Onan]]" by Palin's host character in the ersatz game show sketch "Blackmail
* '''The "Pepper Pots"''' are screeching middle-aged, [[lower-middle class]] housewives, played by the Pythons in frocks and frumpy hats, and engage in surreal and inconsequential conversation. "The Pepper Pots" was the in-house name that the Pythons used to identify these characters, who were never identified as such on-screen. On the rare occasion these women were named, it was often for comic effect, featuring such names as Mrs. Scum, Mrs. Non-Gorilla, Mrs. Thing, Mrs. Entity, or the duo Mrs. Premise and Mrs. Conclusion. "Pepper pot" refers to what the Pythons believed was the typical body shape of middle-class, British housewives, as explained by John Cleese in ''[[How to Irritate People]]''.{{sfn|Larsen|2008|p=13}} [[Terry Jones]] is perhaps most closely associated with the Pepper Pots, but all the Pythons were frequent in performing the drag characters.
* Brief black-and-white [[stock footage]], lasting only two or three seconds, of '''middle-aged women sitting in an audience and applauding'''. The film was taken from a [[Women's Institutes (British)|Women's Institute]] meeting and was sometimes presented with a colour tint.{{sfn|Larsen|2008|p=292}}
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Other recurring characters include:
* "[[The Colonel (Monty Python)|The Colonel]]" (Chapman), a British Army officer who interrupts sketches that are "too silly" or that contain material he finds offensive. The Colonel also appears when non-BBC broadcast repeats need to be cut off for time constraints in [[broadcast syndication|syndication]].
* Arthur Pewtey (Palin), a socially inept, extremely dull man who appears most notably in the "[[Marriage Guidance Counsellor]]" and "[[Ministry of Silly Walks]]" sketches. His sketches all take the form of an office appointment with an authority figure (usually played by Cleese), which are used to parody the officious side of the British establishment by having the professional employed in the most bizarre field of expertise. The spelling of Pewtey's surname is changed, sometimes being spelled "Putey
* The Reverend Arthur Belling is the [[vicar]] of St Loony-Up-The-Cream-Bun-and-Jam, known for his deranged behaviour. In one sketch (within Series 2, played by Chapman), he makes an appeal to the insane people of the world to drive sane people insane. In another sketch (within Series 3, played by Palin), which is among the pantheon of fan favourites{{citation needed|date=January 2019}}, the vicar politely joins a honeymooning couple at an outdoor café, repeatedly insisting he does not wish to disturb them; he then sits down, opens a suitcase full of props, and calmly proceeds to smash plates on the table, shake a baby doll in their faces, bounce a rubber crab from a ping-pong paddle, and spray shaving cream all over his face, all whilst loudly chanting nonsense syllables. Rev. Belling's odd version of 'not being disturbing' serves to convert the couple to his bizarre sect of Christianity.
* A somewhat disreputable shopkeeper, played by Palin, is a staple of many a two-person sketch (notably "Dead Parrot Sketch" and "Cheese Shop"). He often speaks with a strong Cockney accent, and has no consistent name.
* Mr. Badger (Idle), a Scotsman whose specialty was interrupting sketches ('I won't ruin your sketch, for a pound'). He was once interviewed, in a sketch opposite Cleese, regarding his interpretation of [[Magna Carta]], which Badger believes was actually a piece of chewing gum on a bedspread in [[Dorset]]. He has also been seen as an [[Aircraft hijacking|aeroplane hijacker]] whose demands grow increasingly strange.
* [[Mr. Praline|Mr. Eric Praline]], a disgruntled man, played by Cleese and who often wears a [[Cagoule (raincoat)#The roll-up-able cagoule|Pac-a-Mac]]. His most famous appearance is in the "[[Dead Parrot sketch]]
* Arthur Nudge, a well-dressed mustachioed man, referred to in the published scripts as "Mr. Nudge" (Idle), who pointedly annoys uptight characters (usually Jones). He is characterised by his constant nudging gestures and cheeky innuendo. His most famous appearance is in his initial sketch, "[[Nudge Nudge]]
* [[Biggles]] (Chapman, and [[The Spanish Inquisition (Monty Python)|in one instance]] Jones), a World War I pilot. Derived from the famous series of fiction stories by [[W. E. Johns]].
* <span id="Luigi_Vercotti">Luigi Vercotti</span> (Palin), a [[Mafioso (criminal)|mafioso entrepreneur]] and [[pimp]] featured during the first series, accompanied in his first appearance by his brother Dino (Jones). He appears as the manager for [[Ron Obvious (Monty Python)|Ron Obvious]], as the owner of La Gondola restaurant and as a victim of the [[Piranha Brothers]]. With his brother, he attempts to talk the Colonel into paying for [[Pizzo (extortion)|protection of his Army base]].
* [[The Spanish Inquisition (Monty Python)|The Spanish Inquisition]] would burst into a previously unrelated sketch whenever their name was mentioned. Their catchphrase was 'Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!' They consist of Cardinal Ximinez (Palin), Cardinal Fang (Gilliam), and Cardinal Biggles (Jones). They premiered in series two and Ximinez had a cameo in "The Buzz Aldrin Show
* Frenchmen: Cleese and Palin would sometimes dress in stereotypical French garb, e.g. striped shirt, tight pants, [[beret]], and speak in garbled French, with incomprehensible accents. They had one fake moustache between them, and each would stick it onto the other's lip when it was his turn to speak. They appear giving a demonstration of the technical aspects of the flying sheep in episode 2 ("Sex and Violence"), and appear in the [[Ministry of Silly Walks]] sketch as the developers of "La Marche Futile
* The Compère (Palin), a sleazy nightclub emcee in a red jacket. He linked sketches by introducing them as nightclub acts, and was occasionally seen after the sketch, passing comment on it. In one link, he was the victim of the Knight with a Raw Chicken.
* [[Piranha Brothers|Spiny Norman]], a Gilliam animation of a giant hedgehog. He is introduced in Episode 1 of Series 2 in "Piranha Brothers" as an hallucination experienced by Dinsdale Piranha when he is depressed. Later, Spiny Norman appears randomly in the background of animated cityscapes, shouting 'Dinsdale!'
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* Ken Shabby (Palin), an unkempt, disgusting man who cleaned public lavatories, appeared in his own sketch in the first series, attempting to get approval from another man (Chapman) to marry his daughter (Booth). In the second series, he appeared in several ''[[vox populi]]'' segments. He later founded his own religion (as part of the "Crackpot Religions" sketch) and called himself Archbishop Shabby.
* Raymond Luxury-Yacht (Chapman) is described as one of Britain's leading skin specialists. He wears an enormous fake nose made of [[polystyrene]]. He proudly proclaims that his name "is spelled 'Raymond Luxury-Yach-t', but it is pronounced 'Throat-Wobbler Mangrove{{'"}}.
* A Madman (Chapman) Often appears in vox pops segments. He wears a [[bowler hat]] and has a bushy [[moustache]]. He will always rant and ramble about his life whenever he appears and will occasionally foam at the mouth and fall over backwards. He appears in "The Naked Ant
Other returning characters include a married couple, often mentioned but never seen, [[Ann Haydon-Jones]] and her husband Pip. In "[[Election Night Special]]
Some of the Pythons' real-life targets recurred more frequently than others. [[Reginald Maudling]], a contemporary [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] politician, was singled out for perhaps the most consistent ridicule.{{sfn|Larsen|2008|p=288}} Then-[[Secretary of State for Education and Science]], and (well after the programme had ended) Prime Minister [[Margaret Thatcher]], was occasionally mentioned, in particular referring to Thatcher's brain as being in her shin received a hearty laugh from the studio audience{{citation needed|date=January 2019}}. Then-US President [[Richard Nixon]] was also frequently mocked, as was Conservative party leader [[Edward Heath]], prime minister for much of the series' run. The [[Law enforcement in the United Kingdom|British police]] were also a favourite target, often acting bizarrely, stupidly, or abusing their authority, frequently in drag.
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=== Chapman ===
[[Graham Chapman]] often portrayed straight-laced men, of any age or class, frequently authority figures such as military officers, policemen or doctors. His characters could, at any moment, engage in "Pythonesque" [[mania]]cal behaviour and then return to their former sobriety.<ref>Sketches "An Appeal from the Vicar of St. Loony-up-the-Cream-Bun-and-Jam
=== Cleese ===
[[John Cleese]] played ridiculous authority figures. Gilliam claims that Cleese is the funniest of the Pythons in drag, as he barely needs to be dressed up to look hilarious, with his square chin and 6' 5" (196 cm) frame (see the "Mr. and Mrs. Git" sketch).{{citation needed|date=March 2012}} Cleese also played intimidating maniacs, such as an instructor in the "Self-Defence Against Fresh Fruit" sketch. His character [[Mr. Praline]], the put-upon consumer, featured in some of the most popular sketches, most famously in "[[Dead Parrot]]
Cleese often played foreigners with ridiculous accents, especially Frenchmen, most of the time with Palin. Sometimes this extended to the use of actual French or German (such as "The Funniest Joke in the World
=== Gilliam ===
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Many Python sketches were linked together by the [[Cutout animation|cut-out animations]] of [[Terry Gilliam]], including the opening titles featuring the iconic giant foot that became a symbol of all that was 'Pythonesque'.<ref>{{cite book |title= The Designer's Dictionary of Color |author= Sean Adams |publisher= Abrams |year= 2017 |isbn= 9781683350026 |page= 104}}</ref> Gilliam's unique visual style was characterised by sudden, dramatic movements and deliberate mismatches of scale, set in [[surrealism|surrealist]] landscapes populated by [[engraving]]s of large buildings with elaborate architecture, grotesque [[Victorian era#Technology and engineering|Victorian]] gadgets, machinery, and people cut from old [[Sears Roebuck]] catalogues. Gilliam added [[airbrush]] illustrations and many familiar pieces of art. All of these elements were combined in incongruous ways to obtain new and humorous meanings.
The surreal nature of the series allowed Gilliam's animation to go off on bizarre, imaginative tangents, features that were impossible to produce live-action at the time. Some running gags derived from these animations were a giant [[hedgehog]] named Spiny Norman who appeared over the tops of buildings shouting, "Dinsdale!
Notable Gilliam sequences for the show include Conrad Poohs and his Dancing Teeth, the rampage of the cancerous black spot, The Killer Cars and a giant cat that stomps its way through London, destroying everything in its path.
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===Idle===
[[Eric Idle]] is known for his roles as a cheeky, suggestive playboy ("[[Nudge Nudge]]"), a variety of pretentious television presenters (such as his over-the-top portrayal of [[Philip Jenkinson]] in the segments connecting the "[[Cheese Shop sketch|Cheese Shop]]" and "[[Sam Peckinpah's "Salad Days"|Salad Days]]" sketches), a crafty, slick salesman ("Door-to-Door Joke Salesman
Because he was not from an already-established writing partnership prior to Python, Idle wrote his sketches alone.<ref>{{cite book |title= Dictionary of Atheism, Skepticism, and Humanism |first= Bill|last=Cooke |publisher=[[Prometheus Books]]|___location=Amherst, New York|year= 2006 |isbn= 9781615923656 |page= 349}}</ref>
=== Jones ===
Although all of the Pythons played women, [[Terry Jones]] is renowned by the rest to be 'the best Rat-Bag woman in the business'.{{citation needed|date=March 2012}} His portrayal of a middle-aged housewife was louder, shriller, and more dishevelled than that of any of the other Pythons. Examples of this are the "[[Dead Bishop]]" sketch, his role as Brian's mother Mandy in ''[[Life of Brian]]'', Mrs Linda S-C-U-M in "Mr Neutron" and the café proprietor in "[[Spam (Monty Python)|Spam]]
=== Palin ===
[[Michael Palin]] was regarded by the other members of the troupe as the one with the widest range, equally adept as a [[wikt:Straight man|straight man]] or wildly over the top character.{{citation needed|date=March 2012}} He portrayed many working-class northerners, often portrayed in a disgusting light: "[[The Funniest Joke in the World]]" sketch and the "[[Every Sperm Is Sacred]]" segment of ''[[Monty Python's The Meaning of Life]]''. In contrast, Palin also played weak-willed, put-upon men such as the husband in the "[[Marriage Guidance Counsellor]]" sketch, the boring accountant in the "[[Vocational Guidance Counsellor]]" sketch, and the hapless client in the "[[Argument Clinic]]
Palin also often plays heavy-accented foreigners, mostly French ("La marche futile") or German ("Hitler in Minehead"), usually alongside Cleese. In one of the last episodes, he delivers a full speech, first in English, then in French, then in heavily accented German.
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==Broadcast==
=== Original broadcast ===
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]]
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 Be Watching" in which the troupe mocks [[God Save the Queen|the UK national anthem]], and the "[[Undertakers sketch]]" which took a comedic turn on how to dispose of the body of a loved one.<ref name="independent BBC"/><ref name="telegraph bbc">{{cite web | url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1536448/What-the-BBC-really-thought-of-Monty-Python.html | title = What the BBC really thought of Monty Python | first = Chris | last = Hastings | date = 10 December 2006 | access-date = 7 October 2019 | work = [[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]] | archive-date = 7 October 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191007145052/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1536448/What-the-BBC-really-thought-of-Monty-Python.html | url-status = live }}</ref> The BBC executives criticised producer MacNaughton for not alerting them to the content prior to airing.<ref name="telegraph bbc"/> According to Palin, via his published diary, the BBC started to censor the programme within the third series following this.<ref name="telegraph bbc"/>
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=== Lost sketches ===
The first cut that the BBC forced on the show was the removal of David Frost's phone number from re-airings of the second episode of the first season, "Sex and Violence
Some material originally recorded went missing later, such as the use of the word "masturbating" in the "Summarize Proust" sketch (which was muted during the first airing, and later cut out entirely) or "What a silly bunt" in the Travel Agent sketch (which featured a character [Idle] who has a speech impediment that makes him pronounce "C"s as "B"s),<ref>
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</ref> which was cut before the sketch ever went to air. However, when this sketch was included in the album ''[[Monty Python's Previous Record]]'' and the ''[[Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl|Live at the Hollywood Bowl]]'' film, the line remained intact. Both sketches were included in the Danish [[DR K]] re-airing of all episodes ("Episode 31
Some sketches were deleted in their entirety and later recovered. One such sketch is the "Party Political Broadcast (Choreographed)
Another lost sketch is the "Satan" animation following the "Crackpot Religion" piece and the "Cartoon Religion Ltd" animation, and preceding the "[[How Not To Be Seen]]" sketch: this had been edited out of the official tape. Six frames of the animation can be seen at the end of the episode, wherein that particular episode is repeated in fast-forward. A black and white 16 mm film print has since turned up (found by a private film collector in the US) showing the animation in its entirety.
At least two references to cancer were censored, both during the second series. In the sixth episode ("It's A Living" or "School Prizes"), [[Carol Cleveland]]'s narration of a Gilliam cartoon suddenly has a male voice dub '[[gangrene]]' over the word cancer (although this word was used unedited when the animation appeared in the movie ''[[And Now for Something Completely Different]]''; the 2006 special ''[[Monty Python's Personal Best|Terry Gilliam's Personal Best]]'' uses this audio to restore the censored line). Another reference was removed from the sketch "Conquistador Coffee Campaign
A sketch from Episode 7 of Series 2 (subtitled 'The Attila the Hun Show') featured a parody of [[Michael Miles]], the 1960s TV [[game show]] host (played by Cleese), and was introduced as 'Spot The Braincell'. This sketch was deleted shortly afterwards from a repeat broadcast as a mark of respect following Miles' death in February 1971. Also, the controversial "Undertaker" sketch from Episode 13 of the same series was removed by the BBC after negative reviewer response. Both of these sketches have been restored to the official tapes, although the only source for the Undertaker sketch was an NTSC copy of the episode, duplicated before the cut had been made.
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Animation in episode 9 of series 3 was cut out following the initial broadcast. The animation was a parody of a German commercial, and the original owners complained about the music use, so the BBC simply removed part of the animation, and replaced the music with a song from a Python album. Terry Gilliam later complained about the cut, thinking it was because producer Ian McNaughton "just didn't get what it was and he cut it. That was a big mistake."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sotcaa.org/history/ukonline/python_frame.html?/history/ukonline/python/python_tv_03.html|title=Edit News: Monty Python's Flying Circus|website=Some Of The Corpses Are Amusing|access-date=1 May 2019|archive-date=2 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190702003938/http://sotcaa.org/history/ukonline/python_frame.html?/history/ukonline/python/python_tv_03.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
Music copyright issues have resulted in at least two cuts. In episode 209, Graham Chapman as a Pepperpot sings "[[The Girl from Ipanema]]
A Region 2 DVD release of Series 1–4 was released by [[Sony Pictures Home Entertainment]] in 2007. This included certain things which had been cut from the US A&E releases, including the "masturbation" line, but failed to reinstate most of the long-lost sketches and edits. A Blu-ray release of the series featuring every episode restored to its original uncut broadcast length was released by Network for the show's 50th anniversary in 2019.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://montypython.networkonair.com/flyingcircushd | title=Monty Python's Flying Circus | access-date=23 July 2019 | archive-date=23 July 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190723131156/https://montypython.networkonair.com/flyingcircushd | url-status=live }}</ref>
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Language differences also occur in the lyrics of several songs. For example, "[[Sit on My Face]]" (which translated into French would be "Asseyez-vous sur mon visage") becomes "cum in my mouth
== Reception ==
=== Initial reviews ===
After the broadcast of the first episode, British newspapers printed brief reviews of the new program. Reviewers had mixed opinions. One wrote that the show was "absurd and frivolous
<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
=== Awards and honours ===
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In 2004<ref>{{cite news |title=25 Top Cult Shows Ever!|date=30 May 2004 |agency=TV Guide Magazine Group }}</ref> and 2007, ''Monty Python's Flying Circus'' was ranked #5 and #6 on TV Guide's Top Cult Shows Ever.<ref>[http://www.tvguide.com/news/top-cult-shows-40239.aspx TV Guide Names the Top Cult Shows Ever – Today's News: Our Take] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120812080754/http://www.tvguide.com/news/top-cult-shows-40239.aspx |date=12 August 2012 }} [[TV Guide]]: 29 June 2007</ref>
''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine included the show on its 2007 list of the "100 Best TV Shows of All Time
In 2013, the programme was ranked #58 on TV Guide's list of the 60 Best Series of All Time,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvguide.com/news/tv-guide-magazine-60-best-series-1074962/|title=TV Guide Magazine's 60 Best Series of All Time|work=TV Guide|date=23 December 2013|access-date=22 October 2015|archive-date=13 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150113171839/http://www.tvguide.com/news/tv-guide-magazine-60-best-series-1074962/|url-status=live}}</ref> while the [[Writers Guild of America]] ranked it #79 – along with ''[[Upstairs, Downstairs (1971 TV series)|Upstairs, Downstairs]]'', ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'' and ''[[Alfred Hitchcock Presents]]'' – on their list of the 101 Best Written TV Series.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wga.org/writers-room/101-best-lists/101-best-written-tv-series/list|title=101 Best Written TV Series|website=Writers Guild of America West|date=June 2, 2013|access-date=13 June 2023|archive-date=29 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200429170702/https://www.wga.org/writers-room/101-best-lists/101-best-written-tv-series/list|url-status=live}}</ref>
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[[Lorne Michaels]] counts the show as a major influence on his ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' sketches.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0584427/bio?ref_=nm_ql_1| title = Lorne Michaels – Biography – IMDb| website = [[IMDb]]| access-date = 30 June 2018| archive-date = 28 January 2016| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160128112302/https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0584427/bio?ref_=nm_ql_1| url-status = live}}</ref> Cleese and Palin re-enacted the [[Dead Parrot sketch]] on ''SNL'' in 1997.
The show was a major influence on the Danish [[cult following|cult]] sketch show ''[[Casper & Mandrilaftalen]]'' (1999)<ref>{{cite news |last=Hansen |first=Helle Kastholm |url=http://ekstrabladet.dk/ekstra/ekstra-kendte/lars-hjortshoej-mine-boern-saetter-mig-paa-plads/6593764 |title=LARS HJORTSHØJ: Mine børn sætter mig på plads |language=da |work=[[Ekstra Bladet]] |publisher=[[JP/Politikens Hus]] |date=April 2, 2017 |page=16 (4th section) |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170501050649/http://ekstrabladet.dk/ekstra/ekstra-kendte/lars-hjortshoej-mine-boern-saetter-mig-paa-plads/6593764 |archive-date=May 1, 2017}}</ref> and Cleese starred in its 50th episode.<ref name="dfi-mandrillen">"[http://www.dfi.dk/faktaomfilm/film/da/77461.aspx?id=77461 Casper & mandrilaftalen]
In computing, the term [[Spam (electronic)|spam]] and the name of the [[Python (programming language)|Python programming language]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.python.org/doc/faq/general/|title=General Python FAQ — Python 2.7.10 documentation|work=python.org|access-date=15 August 2014|archive-date=18 May 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060518171158/https://www.python.org/doc/faq/general/|url-status=live}}</ref> are both derived from the series.
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