Monty Python

Monty Python is a British comedy troupe. They created the sketch show "Monty Python's Flying Circus," a legendary British comedy series commissioned by the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation). It ran from October 5, 1969 to December 5, 1974 on BBC One, completing four seasons, with 45 episodes in total.

Humor

Despite the crude, random appearance, the humor of the show was quite sophisticated, poking fun at famous historical figures, literary beacons, and noted philosophers.

The writers and principal performers were
- John Cleese
- Eric Idle
- Michael Palin
- Terry Gilliam
- Terry Jones (deceased)
- Graham Chapman (deceased)

Although Gilliam's contributions were mainly the animations, often used to link sketches together, he does appear occasionally in person as a character. He was also the only American in the troupe.

Carol Cleveland often appeared when the script called for a buxom young female part.

Notable sketches

The Spanish Inquisition

This consisted of the recurring entrance of three characters dressed in ecclesiastical attire, in response to the denouement of previous sketches where one of the characters, becoming frustrated by repeated questioning, erupts: "I didn't expect a kind of Spanish Inquisition!"

At this point the ensemble of the Inquisition—consisting of Cardinals Ximinez (Michael Palin), Biggles (Terry Jones), and Fang (Terry Gilliam)—would burst into the room, with Ximinez declaring: "Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition! Our main weapon is surprise... and fear! Our two main weapons... etc." The only instrument of torture to have been deployed by Ximinez, Biggles and Fang was the 'comfy chair'.

This phrase has now passed down into common usage, so that when someone is being questioned, they might reply "I didn't expect the Spanish Inquisition".

The Parrot Shop Sketch

Sometimes known as the Dead Parrot Sketch, this is one of the most popular sketches and is arguably one of the most famous in the history of British television comedy [1].

In it a customer, played by Cleese, and a shopkeeper (Palin), are discussing the earthly status of a parrot sold previously in the shop. Pain is arguing that the parrot is alive, but merely "having a kip" (sleeping), or is "shagged out after a long squark". Cleese is not convinced and argues vociferously that the parrot, is, in fact, completely dead.

Soon after Palin claims that the parrot's lack of movement is due to the parrot "pining for the fjords", the sketch builds to a climax with a diatribe from Cleese who in the following excerpt, uses almost every available euphemism for death in the English language:

"It's not pinin', it's passed on! This parrot is no more! It has ceased to be! It's expired and gone to meet its maker! This is a late parrot. It's a stiff, bereft of life, it rests in peace, if you hadn't nailed it to the perch it would be pushing up the daisies! It has rung down the curtain and joined the choir invisible! This is an ex-parrot!"

The LumberJack Song

The sketch appears in various different forms, but each time, it starts with a man who expresses discontent with his current job. On some occasions this is the owner of the pet shop in The Parrot Shop Sketch, who starts by saying: "I didn't want to do this job. I wanted to be a lumberjack!"

He then proceeds to sing a song which glorifies the life of a lumberjack, and paints a picture of rugged masculinity: "Leaping from tree to tree", "With my best girl by my side". As the song continues, the lumberjack begins to reveal some less than rugged tendencies: "I cut down trees, I skip and jump, I like to press wild flowers, I put on women's clothing, and hang around in bars", which begins to distress the girl at his side. In the final verse, Palin confesses that he likes to "... wear high heels, suspenders and a bra", and wishes that he "...had been a girlie, just like my dear papa!"

The sketch ends with the girl exclaiming "..and I thought you were so rugged!"

Cheese Shop

This consists of a customer (Cleese) wishing to purchase "some cheesy comestibles" from the "stout yeoman" or cheese shop proprietor (Palin). The humour of the sketch rests upon the frustration that Cleese encounters as he asks Palin about the availablility of different kinds of cheeses. In every case, Palin comes up with excuses as to why that particular variety of chees is not in stock. Excuses range from: "The van only comes on a Thursday", "It's too runny" to "The cat's got it". Cleese tries every known type of cheese including Venezuelan beaver cheese, finally giving up and asking for Cheddar. Of course, Palin does not have this in stock, saying "There's no call for it".

The denouement of the sketch is that Cleese gets so frustrated that he shoots Palin, saying "What a futile waste of human life."

Films

The team produced three feature length cinema releases between 1975 and 1983. These were:

• Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975).
• The Life of Brian (or Monty Python's Life of Brian) (1979).
• The Meaning of Life (1983).

The Life of Brian caused much controversy, including allegations of blasphemy by Christians, when it was originally released as it depicts the life and subsequent cruxifiction of a young Judean called Brian of Nazareth, satirizing the life of Jesus.

External Links

The Official Website
An unofficial fansite