Monty Python's Flying Circus

Approval Rate: 86%

86%Approval ratio

Reviews 45

Sort by:
  • by

    buckeyecharly

    Sat Dec 19 2009

    Probably the best writing team in the history of world television. Assinine?...to be sure. Clever?...absolutely. Bawdy?...of course.

  • by

    jimbro

    Tue Nov 25 2008

    I can still recite skits done 40 years ago.

  • by

    pirate4eva

    Tue Sep 30 2008

    My dad and I regularly watch the entire collection =)

  • by

    ajwaec34

    Mon Sep 08 2008

    Classic humour

  • by

    ejdiii

    Thu Apr 24 2008

    this was started in 1969 in Britian, neve came tothe Us until 1974 on pbs of all channels. can't really rate it as a 60 show now can I. I was weaned as a teen on this great comedy from over the waves.

  • by

    pipes493

    Wed Mar 12 2008

    I first started watching them in the late 60's, and have every record, audio cassette, VHS video and now DVD of everything they have made, including episodes of the MPFC, all recordings, all movies, and their bigraphical book The Life of Python. Before I shuffle off this mortal coil, my one dream is to meet and have a beer with all the crew together, particulary John Cleese. Regards, Kevin, Sydney OZ.

  • by

    spike65

    Wed Aug 22 2007

    The best were the first few seasons. The remainder looked like the boys were fulfilling a contract. M.P. were brilliant in the movies though.

  • by

    ahmad12

    Tue Aug 21 2007

    even at its worst, simply the best. the animations brilliant. absurdities of human nature. the exaggerations of the human drama magnified. ah life!

  • by

    taline0f

    Sun Jul 30 2006

    This is one of those shows you either loved or hated. British comedy in general is dry, but somehow these guys still made it worth watching even to us americans. How many people still quote them at Renfests, LARPS, Roleplaying conventions, etc? These shows are classic and timely all at the same time.

  • by

    ungodlyugly

    Sat Jun 03 2006

    LMAO funny!!! :D

  • by

    robbo59

    Sun Jan 08 2006

    These guys were like the Beatles of comedy! Each one brought something of his own to the effort and all were made stronger by their association with the group as a whole. Coming to us from two of the top institutions of higher learning in the world (Oxford and Cambridge) the Pythons were like nothing ever witnessed on American shores and have continued (like the Beatles) to be rediscovered and grow in popularity with each new generation that they are passed down to. Maybe an acquired taste for some, but these are generally the ones who leave alot to be acquired. The Pythons were iconoclastic in their approach and as with others who follow a similar tact, are bound to ruffle a few feathers and step on more than a few toes. That's quite alright by me. Most institutions and people are in need of a good toe-stepping.

  • by

    siamtor

    Fri Oct 28 2005

    6 Stars actually. The best comedy of the last 40 years bar none. Brilliant, silly, fearless ... they are idols of Steve Martin, Mike Myers, the South Park guys and countless other comedians. Their worst skits were still 10 times the quality of what passes for most comedy today and at their best ... just hilarious. The Cheese Shop, The Lumberjack Song, Dead Parrot, Silly Walks, Twit of the Year ... I could go on for hours but that would be so "desperately dull" you'd want to "slap me with a fish". And let me see, John Cleese went on to do Fawlty Towers (the best show in the history of TV according to a BBC poll) Terry Gilliam did a few creative movies I'd say Eric Idle is still spamming his way to the top in New York Michael Palin has done some of the best travel shows ever with his usual class and wit ... but don't just take my word for it. Get the series done in the late '60s and early '70s and then move on to the "Holy Grail" and "Life of Brian" movies. If there's a Comedy Hall of ... Read more

  • by

    grvideos

    Sat Oct 15 2005

    funny,sick,outrageous comedy

  • by

    johnsteed

    Sat Aug 27 2005

    i keep watching-it is different than anything else that is on, but i'm a lumberjack and i'm ok. let's vote for the minster of silly walks. i love spam!

  • by

    canadasucks

    Sun May 29 2005

    The skits are hit or miss. . .the 'dead parrot' one was pretty damn funny.

  • by

    sfalconer

    Sun May 29 2005

    One of the funniest shows of all time. Who else could perform live and have the audience do the lines at the same time. Away a head of its time it went places no one had dared to go. The cast and the writing was brilliant and it still holds up today. In conlusion very funny, dead parrot, St Loony's up the creek Bun and Jam for ever.

  • by

    hopper

    Sat May 28 2005

    When I was a kid, I thought it was very funny. That's because I was ignorant. Now that I am middle-aged and a little bit more informed, MP's antics are just ANNOYING. I love British comedy, but MP is just too irreverent and sacrilegious when they do not need to be. Those horrible Holy Grail and Life of Brian films just made me lose all interest in their work; I can't even enjoy John Cleese's comedy anymore. I love humor & can take a joke as well as the next one, but at heart my faith matters a lot to me, and the mess they made in Grail and Brian...well, it was like seeing someone in your own family get insulted.

  • by

    declinedcard

    Fri Mar 18 2005

    hmmmm....

  • by

    tsczuba

    Tue Feb 22 2005

    Many laughs throughout the years.

  • by

    darko_devotchk_a

    Fri Jul 30 2004

    Awesome...I love the Dirty Fork and Self-Defense against Fresh Fruit sketches, along with 'Nudge, Nudge, Cheese Shop, and of course Dead Parrot. The best sketch comedy show ever.

  • by

    krankor

    Sat Mar 20 2004

    One of the funniest shows ever aired, and totally unique.

  • by

    ajgdc9d2

    Fri Mar 19 2004

    I find you either love Python or hate it. I love it yet my wife simply hates it

  • by

    enkidu

    Tue Feb 10 2004

    Genius. O almighty God of Manic Insanity, please give us some more people as good as this again, please...

  • by

    tvtator

    Sat Jan 31 2004

    Hilarious, absurd, at times nonsense and brilliant. Still as funny today as it was back then. If you don't get it then you never will.

  • by

    classictvfan50_7

    Fri Jan 23 2004

    I find this show to be extremely creepy.

  • by

    moosekarloff

    Mon Dec 22 2003

    Very inventive, creative and influential comedy series back when there was real humor being produced far superior to the retarded, stupid, vulgar and cheap crap they churn out these days. The Monty's were probably top dog during the period when National Lampoon had a nationally-traveling revue and a syndicated radio show, The Firesign Theatre was doing the college circuit and turning out their comedy LPs, Second City TV was coming into its own and even low-brow comics Cheech and Chong were goofing with the stoner set. All of this was far more accomplished and funny than the tripe that mongoloid Adam Sandler, twerp Jim Carey and clod Mike Myers get paid millions of $$$ to barf out at present. MPFC was the most verbally facile, and possibly the most subversive comedy outfit of its era, and the TV show was both well before its time and the most advanced comedy on the air during that period. Great bits like The Ministry of Silly Walks, The Pirhana Brothers, I'm a Lumberjack and I'm O.K... Read more

  • by

    mllelarisa

    Sun Nov 02 2003

    Pretty damned funny. Some is too silly and wacky, but overall it's worthy of many chuckles when I watch it.

  • by

    getback

    Thu May 22 2003

    A show that is still wonderful today,a true must see program.smart ,silly ,funny,insane this show has it all.A true classic.

  • by

    smgellarfan200_3

    Tue Apr 08 2003

    " MONTY PYTHONS FLYING CIRCUS " is without question the ultimate comedy series. The fact that the series is still as adored and beloved today is down to the fact that the programme remained stark ravingly funny throughout. The best python sketch ever?- the " dead parrot " sketch of course! " THIS IS AN EX PARROT !!!! "

  • by

    angusmacpherso_n

    Thu Mar 13 2003

    Funny, funny show. Rest in peace, Graham Chapman... you were brilliant in a performance you clearly enjoyed.

  • by

    ikere637

    Sun Mar 02 2003

    I loved The Holy Grail, but I bought the shows on DVD, and just can't get into them. At least for me, it seems I have to watch 3 horrid sketches to get a good one. I watched the DVDs once, and I just can't get myself to ever play them again. I'm not sure, but I just think I don't click with their humor (or is that humour..lol).

  • by

    kikid680

    Tue Jan 28 2003

    even though its actually a 70s show.

  • by

    wilshakes1

    Wed Jan 15 2003

    The granddaddy of sketch comedy shows, and still the best. Not even Second City, or SNL in its early heyday, could surpass it, though this may be due in large part to our American infatuation with improvision. We tend to see improv as the highest comic art form -- trouble is, there are only a handful of performers (Robin Williams chief among them) who excel at it. So we tend to structure our sketch comedy loosely, which leads to those SNL sketches that ramble on pointlessly and laughlessly, never going anywhere. The British tend to be less egotistical in this area, and like their comedy thorougly scripted -- which MONTY PYTHON was. Nothing was left to chance, and thanks to the cockeyed absurdist brilliance of the writing, the result has stood the test of time.

  • by

    m4674ace

    Wed Mar 06 2002

    THIS IS THE BEST EVA!!!!!

  • by

    cqpenguin

    Wed Mar 06 2002

    Monty Python was very irreverent and funny. The one downfall of this group was that they tended to be hit or miss, but when they did hit, they were hilarious! I think "the Life Of Brian" and "The Search For The Holy Grail" are the best of their movies.

  • by

    classictvfan47

    Sat Dec 29 2001

    Easily one of the most hilarious variety shows of all time, Monty Python's Flying Circus had tons of running gags, slapstick and other totally unrealistic goofiness that was part of its charm! Although sometimes stepping into objectionable content, most of the time, it didn't and was just delightfully funny!

  • by

    medgarevers

    Fri Sep 28 2001

    It's funny to see how some people's reviews are just quotes from the show. Monty Python has had an amazing following of fans. And they do deserve it. They have been creative and clever, but I don't feel bad subtracting a star because of some of the British humor and silly skits that I'm not amused by. My favorite sketches: Cheese Shop, Four Yorkshiremen, The Death of Mary Queen of Scots, and of course classics like Upperclass Twit of the Year, Ministry of silly walks, and the Dead Parrot. Most of the "Meaning of Life" is great, too. My favorite "python" is Michael Palin. John Cleese is the common favorite, and a lot of people then say that John is overappreciated and Eric Idle is underappreciated. So we just have a lot of fans for those too, it seems. Michael Palin has a monkey-ish bubbly kind of charming humor that I love.

  • by

    glorybox3

    Sun Aug 12 2001

    I've become so addicted to this show of late. I watch it everyday on the BBC and just laugh non-stop at the antics of these crazy British guys. My favorite has to be the Spanish Inquisition, though, made moderately famous by the smart Sliding Doors...NOBODY EXPECTS THE SPANISH INQUISITION! Oh wow, I smile just thinking about it. I loved it when they did Wuthering Hights with flags..that was an absolute classic. And when they had that guy fighting a giant electrical penquin on the beach..I thought I would die. Monty Python was so ahead of their time as beautifully shown in this show and all of their movies. The whole straight man-crazy man was really used to perfection in this series, as well as beautiful satire and just pure unadulterated craziness. This is definently one of the smartest and funniest shows ever to come around anywhere. It's probably one of my favorite shows of all time. Now for something completely different...

  • by

    hola_de_chile

    Sun Apr 15 2001

    No one expects the Spanish Inquisition... our two strenghts are....our three strengths are.....

  • by

    callmetootie

    Thu Apr 05 2001

    I hate the Monty Python movies, so I know I'am going to hate this show. His humor is just so stupid and unfunny, that if the british pooped out gold, I wouldn't care.

  • by

    nantucket_boat

    Fri Mar 16 2001

    I would like to see.....

  • by

    qvot42d6

    Mon Mar 05 2001

    Come on people! Monty Python's flying circus is the greatest tv-show ever! You know, what you gotta do.

  • by

    albatross

    Sat Mar 03 2001

    Albatross....get it on a stick!

  • by

    breakthru

    Wed Feb 28 2001

    An all-time favourite! An utterly smashing show, which nobody can deny if they understand anything at all in life! And I'll say that again and again!

  • by

    ruby9916

    Tue Feb 27 2001

    This would be five stars if we were talking about pure innovative genius, as the Python clan brought dada-style lunacy to the world of comedy in a revolutionary way. The Ministry of Silly Walks and other classic sketches were just mind-bogglingly absurd. But if we're talking about whether I'd want to watch these shows today, I think that I'd have to only give a three-star rating. They were sooo influential that some of their shenanigans now seem pretty tired. So I guess four-stars seems about right. By far the best sketch-comedy series until Kids in the Hall eclipsed them in the early '90s.