Monty Python
Monty Python is a British comedy group that emerged from the elite university environments of Oxford and Cambridge, where its members were involved in theatrical revues. The core members—Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin—created the iconic television series *Monty Python's Flying Circus*, which aired on the BBC from 1969 to 1974. Terry Gilliam, the group's only American-born member, contributed distinctive animations to the show. The series is known for its unconventional structure, featuring a series of humorous sketches with minimal transitions, often utilizing absurdist humor that lampoons social norms, the British class system, and religious pretensions.
Monty Python's influence extends beyond their television series, as they also produced several notable films, including *Monty Python and the Holy Grail* and *Life of Brian*. Their work has left a lasting impact on comedy, inspiring subsequent shows such as *Saturday Night Live*, and influencing comedians like Robin Williams and Steve Martin. After Graham Chapman's death in 1989, the remaining members continued their careers in various comedy projects, with notable events such as the Broadway musical *Spamalot* and anniversary screenings celebrating their legacy. Monty Python remains a beloved cultural phenomenon, celebrated for its innovative and irreverent approach to comedy.
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Subject Terms
Monty Python
Identification British troupe of sketch comedians
Date Formed in 1969
During the 1970s, Monty Python introduced a new brand of absurdist humor to Americans, which occasionally pushed the boundaries of what was considered acceptable.
Key Figures
Graham Chapman (1941–89), comedianJohn Cleese (1939– ), comedianEric Idle (1943– ), comedianTerry Jones (1942–2020), comedianMichael Palin (1943– ), comedianTerry Gilliam (1940– ), animator
Monty Python’s roots sprang from Great Britain’s elite universities at Oxford and Cambridge, where generations of undergraduates performed humorous sketches in revues. Monty Python members Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin were part of these revue troupes at Oxford or Cambridge. Terry Gilliam, the only American-born member, provided animations for their signature comedy show, Monty Python’s Flying Circus.
The structure of Monty Python’s Flying Circus was taken directly from the university revues: one humorous sketch following another with little or no connecting material. The sketches were typically satirical but not political in any narrow, partisan sense. They were also highly innovative for the time, with the humor following more from outrageous characters in outlandish situations rather than the traditional set up-punchline format of traditional comedy.
The group combined an absurdist quality with sometimes daring subject matter, which included poking fun at self-important pretensions, the British class system, and even religion. Even the structure of the show broke the rules, often running the closing credits halfway through the show or playing the opening theme music at the show’s conclusion.
Monty Python’s Flying Circus originally aired on the BBC from 1969 to 1974, and it was later picked up by a number of Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) affiliates in the United States beginning in 1974. The group also produced a number of films, including a compilation of sketches from the television show titled And Now for Something Completely Different (1971), as well as Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) and Life of Brian (1979).
Impact
Monty Python’s Flying Circus earned a cult following in Britain and perhaps especially in the United States. Such American and Canadian shows as Saturday Night Live and SCTV owed a debt to the anarchic, intellectual-yet-silly sketch comedy pioneered by Monty Python. Comedians of a later generation, including Robin Williams and Steve Martin, often cited Monty Python as an influence on their writing and performance.
Subsequent Events
For the most part, the group did not perform together following Chapman’s death in 1989, although they appeared at a number of comedy festivals. The surviving members of the troupe remained active, producing, writing, directing, and appearing in films and situation comedies in both Britain and the United States. Spamalot, a Broadway musical show based on Monty Python and the Holy Grail and written by Idle, appeared in 2005. To commemorate the troupe's fortieth anniversary, its surviving members came together for a screening of the documentary Monty Python: Almost the Truth (The Lawyer’s Cut) in 2009. The staying power of the group was further proved in 2014, when fans quickly purchased all of the tickets and filled the seats for ten performances of Monty Python Live (Mostly) in London. Fans mourned another loss of a member of the troupe following Jones's death in 2020.
Bibliography
Genzlinger, Neil. "Terry Jones, Monty Python Founder and Scholar, Is Dead at 77." The New York Times, 22 Jan. 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/01/22/arts/television/terry-jones-dead.html. Accessed 5 Feb. 2020.
Morgan, David. Monty Python Speaks. San Francisco: Perennial Currents, 1999.
Ross, Robert. The Monty Python Encyclopedia. New York: TV Books, 1999.