Monty Python's Flying Circus
The BBC sketch series that made the Pythons famous.
Monty Python's Flying Circus is a British surreal sketch comedy series created by and starring Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin, who became known as Monty Python. The first episode was recorded on 7 September 1969 and premiered on BBC1 on 5 October; 45 episodes aired over four series to 1974, plus two episodes made for German television.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Sketch comedy
- Surreal humour
- Satire
- Black comedy
- Animator
- Terry Gilliam
- Runtime
- approx. 26–32 minutes
- Company
- BBC
- Creator
- Graham Chapman
- John Cleese
- Eric Idle
- Terry Jones
- Michael Palin
- Terry Gilliam
- Writer
- Monty Python
- Neil Innes
- Douglas Adams
- Director
- Ian MacNaughton; John Howard Davies
- Starring
- Graham Chapman
- John Cleese (series 1–3)
- Eric Idle
- Terry Jones
- Michael Palin
- Terry Gilliam
- Carol Cleveland
Facts from the source article.
Background
The show mixed absurd situations, risque humour, sight gags and observational sketches that often had no punchline, with Gilliam's animations linking the live-action pieces. Its format built on Spike Milligan's series Q... rather than the traditional sketch show. A film of re-made sketches, And Now for Something Completely Different, followed in 1971.
More in History & Behind the Scenes
Elsewhere in Monty Python
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