Monty Python turns 50

[Chessrook44]

50 years ago today, Monty Python's Flying Circus aired its first episode, making it officially over the hill now! I think that's how the term works, right?

Thus we've got fifty years of dead parrots, crunchy frogs, arguments, fresh fruit, and.... well more! Got any favorite sketches?

 

[Chimpzy_v1legacy]

Well, there's the obvious classic, Biggus Dickus [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kx_G2a2hL6U].

Never fails to get a laugh out of me.

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJBZ1_NcrDc

 

[09philj]

Britain's produced better sketch shows (The Fast Show, The League of Gentlemen, A Bit of Fry and Laurie, Jam, and Spitting Image, to name a few), but it did set the tone for all the better ones to follow, that being really really weird.

 

[CrazyGirl17]

Wow, 50 years... amazing innit?

I think this calls for a classic: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=P8ghXxXyAuw

(Will somebody PLEASE fix the encoding already?!)

 

[ObsidianJones_v1legacy]

And then, there was much rejoicing... [https://youtu.be/yciX2meIkXI]

 

[Agema]

Britain's produced better sketch shows (The Fast Show, The League of Gentlemen, A Bit of Fry and Laurie, Jam, and Spitting Image, to name a few), but it did set the tone for all the better ones to follow, that being really really weird.

Not unreasonable: I think to look back, they have some truly great sketches, but the original series (especially the third) were distinctly hit and miss: there's a fair bit of crap in there. As you say, I wonder how much great comedy would never have been produced without the inspiration of Monty Python.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Spoiler

Putting something Monty Python related would be too obvious, and go against the absurdism and weirdness of their comedy.

 

[Palindromemordnilap_v1legacy]

I think my favourite is the Secret Service Dentists but I can't find a full version of that. So the runner up is Deja Vu, which starts at about 23:09 here [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R39V-G9Ys78]

 

[davidmc1158_v1legacy]

I've always loved the educational aspects of Monty Python.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGv8oAHxekU

I owe this government film a great deal. If it were not for them, I would have been shot by now.

 

[ObsidianJones_v1legacy]

Britain's produced better sketch shows (The Fast Show, The League of Gentlemen, A Bit of Fry and Laurie, Jam, and Spitting Image, to name a few), but it did set the tone for all the better ones to follow, that being really really weird.

Britain has produced different sketch shows.

Or, "Better for you" sketch shows.

They are people who legitimately consider the "Fast and the Furious" movies better cinematic accomplishments than "The Shawshank Redemption" or "Schindler's List". Monty Python hits certain people's level of humor better. To quantify Monty Python is to say their humor is moot while yours is the gold standard.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

What a nice and woody type of thing.

 

[Grouchy Imp_v1legacy]

Wonderful news! I shall celebrate tonight with a nice glass of sherry, and maybe some salmon mousse...

 

[Batou667]

Personally, I still can't get over quite how SHIT The Meaning of Life was. The way a team of the best comedic minds of their day could, having had so many prior successes, cobble together something so substantially less than the sum of its parts, AND see fit to sign it off for release... that's almost worthy of scholarly study.

I suppose Monty Python's main "meta" legacy is the early development of the forced meme? So much of their humour revolved around repetition, running gags, and the gradual subversion of expectation having conditioned the viewer. I must go back and watch some of the better episodes!