"screening of the tenth and final show. The channel aired the documentary on 13 November 2014. Monty Python: The Meaning of Live Monty Python: The Meaning of Live is a 2014 British documentary telefilm, directed by Roger Graef and James Rogan, about a 10-day series of live performances at London's O stadium. The film features interviews with John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin as they perform on stage together for the first time in 34 years. Also appearing are Carol Cleveland, Prof. Brian Cox, Stephen Hawking and Mike Myers. The documentary is dedicated to Graham"
"Monty Python Monty Python (also collectively known as the Pythons) were the British surreal comedy group responsible for the sketch comedy show ""Monty Python's Flying Circus"", which first aired on the BBC in 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over four series. The Python phenomenon developed from the television series into something larger in scope and impact, including touring stage shows, films, numerous albums, several books, and musicals. The Pythons' influence on comedy has been compared to the Beatles' influence on music. Their sketch show has been referred to as ""not only one of the more enduring icons of 1970s British"
"from Victorian illustrations and engravings. The giant foot which crushes the show's title at the end of the opening credits is in fact the foot of Cupid, cut from a reproduction of the Renaissance masterpiece ""Venus, Cupid, Folly and Time"" by Bronzino. This foot, and Gilliam's style in general, are visual trademarks of the programme. The Pythons used the British tradition of cross-dressing comedy by donning frocks and makeup and playing female roles themselves while speaking in falsetto. Jones specialised in playing the working-class housewife, with Palin and Idle in being generally more posh. The other members played female roles"
"Albatross (Monty Python sketch) ""Albatross"" is a sketch from ""Monty Python's Flying Circus"". It is particularly known for its opening lines: ""Albatross! Albatross! Albatross!"" The sketch first appeared on British television on 11 January 1970 in episode 13 of the first series, ""."" It features John Cleese and Terry Jones. Despite its short running time (40 seconds) it has proven to be quite memorable for Python fans and was frequently performed during the team's live shows. A man, played by John Cleese, is dressed as an ice-cream girl in a film theater, although instead of the regular movie snacks she"
"work. The famous BBC TV comedy series Monty Python's Flying Circus broadcast a sketch called ""Intermission"" in Episode 13 of series 1 on 11 January 1970. Although only 40 seconds long this sketch is amongst one of the most memorable and remembered. In it a man, played by John Cleese, is dressed as an ice-cream girl in a film theatre, although instead of the regular movie snacks she is selling a dead albatross. A man (Terry Jones) approaches her and asks for two choc ices. The girl aggressively makes clear she only sells an albatross and continues shouting to draw"
"Terry Jones Terence Graham Parry Jones (born 1 February 1942) is a Welsh actor, writer, comedian, screenwriter, film director and historian, best known as a member of the Monty Python comedy troupe. After graduating from Oxford University with a degree in history, Jones and writing partner Michael Palin (whom he met at Oxford) wrote and performed for several high-profile British comedy programmes, including ""Do Not Adjust Your Set"" and ""The Frost Report"", before creating ""Monty Python's Flying Circus"" with Cambridge graduates Eric Idle, John Cleese, and Graham Chapman, and American animator/filmmaker Terry Gilliam. Jones was largely responsible for the programme's"
"Ian MacNaughton Edward Ian Macnaughton (30 December 1925 – 10 December 2002) was a Scottish actor-turned-television producer and director, best known for his work with the ""Monty Python"" team. MacNaughton was director and producer for all but four of the forty five episodes of ""Monty Python's Flying Circus"" from 1969 to 1974, director of the group's first feature film ""And Now for Something Completely Different"" in 1971 and director of their two German episodes, ""Monty Python's Fliegender Zirkus"" in 1971 and 1972. In 1973 the production team shared the BAFTA Award for Best Light Entertainment Programme for ""Monty Python's Flying"
"Monty Python's Fliegender Zirkus Monty Python's Fliegender Zirkus (""Monty Python's Flying Circus"") consisted of two 45-minute Monty Python German television comedy specials produced by WDR for West German television. The two episodes were first broadcast in January and December 1972 and were shot entirely on film and mostly on location in Bavaria, with the first episode recorded in German and the second recorded in English and then dubbed into German. While visiting the UK in the early 1970s, German entertainer and TV producer Alfred Biolek became aware of the Pythons and, excited by their innovative and absurd sketches, invited them"
"Parrot Sketch Not Included – 20 Years of Monty Python Parrot Sketch Not Included was a tribute special to the Monty Python comedy group, put together to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the debut of the group's television series, ""Monty Python's Flying Circus"". Produced by Tiger Television for the BBC, it was compiled by noted British comedy producer John Lloyd and broadcast on BBC 1 on 18 November 1989. Introduced by actor and Monty Python fan Steve Martin, the special features several sketches from ""Monty Python's Flying Circus"", as well as some sketches from the two German specials ""Monty Python's"
"on the soundtrack album for ""Monty Python and the Holy Grail"". Other than Carol Cleveland, the only other non-Python to make a significant number of appearances in the ""Flying Circus"" was Ian Davidson. He appeared in the first two series of the show, and played over 10 roles. While Davidson is primarily known as a scriptwriter, it is not known if he had any contribution toward the writing of the sketches, as he is only credited as a performer. In total, Davidson is credited as appearing in eight episodes of the show, which is more than any other male actor"
"the world's largest coconut orchestra. They led 5,567 people ""clip-clopping"" in time to the Python classic, ""Always Look on the Bright Side of Life"", for the ""Guinness World Records"" attempt. Five Monty Python productions were released as theatrical films: Monty Python Monty Python (also collectively known as the Pythons) were the British surreal comedy group responsible for the sketch comedy show ""Monty Python's Flying Circus"", which first aired on the BBC in 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over four series. The Python phenomenon developed from the television series into something larger in scope and impact, including touring stage shows, films,"
"Not Adjust Your Set"", which also featured Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin. Gilliam was a part of ""Monty Python's Flying Circus"" from its outset, credited at first as an animator (his name was listed separately after the other five in the closing credits) and later as a full member. His cartoons linked the show's sketches together and defined the group's visual language in other media, such as LP and book covers and the title sequences of their films. His animations mix his own art, characterised by soft gradients and odd, bulbous shapes, with backgrounds and moving cutouts from"
"The Fish-Slapping Dance The Fish-Slapping Dance is a comedy sketch written and performed by the ""Monty Python"" team. The sketch was originally recorded in 1971 for a pan-European May Day special titled ""Euroshow 71"". In 1972 it was broadcast as part of episode two of series three of ""Monty Python's Flying Circus"", which was titled ""Mr & Mrs Brian Norris' Ford Popular"". The sketch stars John Cleese and Michael Palin in safari outfits and pith helmets at the side of a lock (Teddington Lock in west London). Both are facing each other and light orchestral music plays while Palin dances"
"to Germany in 1971 to write a special German episode of their ""Flying Circus"" show and to act in them. Despite mixed audience reception, a second episode was produced in 1972. According to producer Alfred Biolek, the Pythons were initially somewhat reluctant to the idea of going to Germany to produce comedy for a German audience. Biolek had only seen a few shows, but he was impressed with the concept of the Flying Circus. Specifically, it stood out to him that they were both good comedians and good actors—a combination that Biolek rarely saw in the German comedy scene at"
"Fliegender Zirkus"", the literal German translation of the English title. While visiting the UK in the early 1970s, German entertainer and TV producer Alfred Biolek caught notice of the Pythons. Excited by their innovative, absurd sketches, he invited them to Germany in 1971 and 1972 to write and act in two special German episodes. The first episode, advertised as ""Monty Python’s Fliegender Zirkus: Blödeln für Deutschland"" (""Monty Python's Flying Circus: Clowning around for Germany""), was produced in 1971 and performed in German. The second episode, advertised as ""Monty Python’s Fliegender Zirkus: Blödeln auf die feine englische Art"" (""Monty Python's Flying"
"Python (Monty) Pictures Python (Monty) Pictures Limited is composed of the five surviving members of the main Monty Python team, who now serve as the directors. Python (Monty) Pictures which was incorporated in 1973 and now manages ongoing activities resulting from their previous work together. In the accounts return, the company describes its activities as the 'exploitation of television and cinematographic productions'. In the last financial year for which accounts are available (to March 2004), the company's turnover was £4.9M (source: Creditsafeuk.com). When ""Flying Circus"" was shown in the U.S. by ABC in their ""Wide World of Entertainment"" slot in"
"end of the first series he had become one of the team and his contribution was significant. In 1970 the team filmed the second series of ""Monty Python's Flying Circus."" In 1971 MacNaughton directed the team's first film, ""And Now For Something Completely Different"", which was a remake of the most popular sketches from the show's first two series. In the same year, MacNaughton directed the group in the first of two German specials filmed in Bavaria called, ""Monty Python's Fliegender Zirkus."" The following year he directed the second episode of the Python's German specials, another comedy sketch show starring"
"onstage for the next skit, then admonishes Cleese with ""And you get off! You aren't even a proper woman!"", to which Cleese replies, ""Don't you oppress me, mate!"" Albatross (Monty Python sketch) ""Albatross"" is a sketch from ""Monty Python's Flying Circus"". It is particularly known for its opening lines: ""Albatross! Albatross! Albatross!"" The sketch first appeared on British television on 11 January 1970 in episode 13 of the first series, ""."" It features John Cleese and Terry Jones. Despite its short running time (40 seconds) it has proven to be quite memorable for Python fans and was frequently performed during"
"recording, and two-and-a-half months of post-production were needed to complete six episodes. Chatman has noted several inspirations for his work on the show, including Terry Gilliam's work on ""Monty Python's Flying Circus"", stating that ""I saw it when I was very young, so it scared me. I didn't know when the animation was beginning or ending."" He also explained that ""A lot of my influences are non-animated, primarily in short films, novels, even radio shows. A recent one is David Eagleman's books on the brain. He's a neuroscientist and he gives you 40 different versions of the afterlife, and none"
"directed by Ian MacNaughton, reprising his role from the television series. It consisted of sketches from the first two seasons of the ""Flying Circus"", reshot on a low budget (and often slightly edited) for cinema release. Material selected for the film includes: ""Dead Parrot"", ""The Lumberjack Song"", ""Upper Class Twit of the Year"", ""Hell's Grannies"", ""Self-Defence Class"", ""How Not to Be Seen"", and ""Nudge Nudge"". Financed by ""Playboy""s UK executive Victor Lownes, it was intended as a way of breaking Monty Python into America, and although it was ultimately unsuccessful in this, the film did good business in the UK,"
"the man with a dead Norwegian Blue parrot and a menagerie of other animals all named ""Eric"". He was also known for his working class ""Sergeant Major"" character, who worked as a Police Sergeant, Roman Centurion, etc. He is also seen as the opening announcer with the now famous line ""And now for something completely different"", although in its premiere in the sketch ""Man with Three Buttocks"", the phrase was spoken by Eric Idle. Along with Gilliam's animations, Cleese's work with Graham Chapman provided Python with its darkest and angriest moments, and many of his characters display the seething suppressed"
"here, by using the strong language: ""Oh, shit!"" Idle also pushes him away with the aggressive order: ""Get out of here!"", then says: ""Well, no one leaves this show empty-handed, so we're gonna cut off his hands."" The original TV sketch was added to the compilation video ""Parrot Sketch Not Included - 20 Years of Monty Python"" (1989) and ""Monty Python's Flying Circus: Michael Palin's Personal Best"". World Forum/Communist Quiz ""World Forum/Communist Quiz"" is a Monty Python sketch, which first aired in the 12th episode of the second season of ""Monty Python's Flying Circus"" on 15 December 1970. It featured"
"a children's programme, it quickly acquired a following amongst many adults, including future Pythons John Cleese and Graham Chapman (as mentioned by Cleese himself in the ""Paying my ex-wife"" stage performance tour, October 2010). Satirical comedy/art/pop group The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band also performed a song or two in each programme and frequently appeared as extras in sketches. The programme itself comprised a series of frequently satirical sketches, often presented in a bizarre, surreal and disjointed style which anticipates ""Monty Python's Flying Circus"", which followed five months after the last episode of ""DNAYS"". Strange animations between sketches were crafted for"
"filming took place, it was lowered and he had to dive a frightening height on his jump. In the 1972 Python episode the scene then changes to a Terry Gilliam animation in which a cartoon-version of Palin's character sinks into the river until eaten by a giant fish with a swastika on its body, then that fish is eaten by a bigger one with a Royal Air Force Roundel, and then that fish is eaten by an even bigger Chinese fish with a red star on its head. The music is ""Merrymakers Dance"" from ""Nell Gwyn suite"" by British composer"
"Gumbys Gumbys are recurring characters in ""Monty Python's Flying Circus"", characterised by a very distinctive appearance. Gumbys are portrayed with toothbrush moustaches, wear handkerchiefs, knotted at each corner, on their heads, wire-rimmed spectacles, braces, Fair Isle knitted tank tops, 1950s shirts rolled up to the elbows (without the detachable collar), trousers rolled up above their knees, and gumboots. The characters usually hold their arms in an ape-like position, speak slowly and forcefully, and pronounce words syllable by syllable. Though created by John Cleese, the Gumbys were most often played by Michael Palin, although Graham Chapman, Terry Jones and Cleese also"
"Gumbys Gumbys are recurring characters in ""Monty Python's Flying Circus"", characterised by a very distinctive appearance. Gumbys are portrayed with toothbrush moustaches, wear handkerchiefs, knotted at each corner, on their heads, wire-rimmed spectacles, braces, Fair Isle knitted tank tops, 1950s shirts rolled up to the elbows (without the detachable collar), trousers rolled up above their knees, and gumboots. The characters usually hold their arms in an ape-like position, speak slowly and forcefully, and pronounce words syllable by syllable. Though created by John Cleese, the Gumbys were most often played by Michael Palin, although Graham Chapman, Terry Jones and Cleese also"
"Art Clokey Arthur ""Art"" Clokey (born Arthur Charles Farrington; October 12, 1921 – January 8, 2010) was an American pioneer in the popularization of stop motion clay animation, best known as the creator of the character Gumby and the original voice of Gumby's sidekick, Pokey. Clokey's career began in 1955 with a film experiment called ""Gumbasia"", which was influenced by his professor, Slavko Vorkapich, at the University of Southern California. Clokey and his wife Ruth subsequently came up with the clay character Gumby and his horse Pokey, who first appeared in the ""Howdy Doody Show"", and later got their own"
"were present and presented as Associate Pythons at the official Monty Python 25th-anniversary celebrations held in Los Angeles in July 1994. Neil Innes is the only non-Python besides Douglas Adams to be credited with writing material for ""Flying Circus"". He appeared in sketches and the Python films, as well as performing some of his songs in ""Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl"". He was also a regular stand-in for absent team members on the rare occasions when they recreated sketches. For example, he took the place of Cleese at the Concert for George. Gilliam once noted that if anyone"
"Their consolation stunt was dictated to them by a character called ""Mr. Mischief"", a wall-puppet that was operated and voiced by Pardo. The time limit for the stunt was a whistle which could go off at anytime. This was later changed to a balloon in Mr. Mischief's mouth which would inflate until it burst. When it was time for the losing team's child to go meet Mr. Mischief, Gene accompanied the child while doing a ""silly walk"" - perhaps a precursor to the Monty Python Silly Walk episode. At some point in the show was a contest called the Super"
"Kurtzman's ""Help!"" magazine, one issue of which featured Cleese. Moving from the US to England, he animated features for ""Do Not Adjust Your Set"" and was then asked by its makers to join them on their next project: ""Monty Python's Flying Circus"". He co-directed ""Monty Python and the Holy Grail"" and directed short segments of other Python films (for instance ""The Crimson Permanent Assurance"", the short film that appears before ""The Meaning of Life""). When Monty Python was first formed, two writing partnerships were already in place: Cleese and Chapman, Jones and Palin. That left two in their own corners:"
"of the first broadcast of ""Flying Circus"", and Jones called it ""the worst case of party-pooping in all history"". The five surviving Python members had decided to stay away from Chapman's private funeral to prevent it from becoming a media circus and to give his family some privacy. They sent a wreath in the shape of the Python foot with the message: ""To Graham from the other Pythons with all our love. PS: Stop us if we're getting too silly"". The Rolling Stones also sent a floral arrangement, saying ""Thanks for all the laughs"". A private memorial service for Chapman"
"some of their work and performed a few new sketches. On 9 October 1999, to commemorate 30 years since the first ""Flying Circus"" television broadcast, BBC2 devoted an evening to Python programmes, including a documentary charting the history of the team, interspersed with new sketches by the Monty Python team filmed especially for the event. The program appears, with a few omissions, on the DVD ""The Life of Python"". Idle's involvement in the special is limited, yet the final sketch marks the only time since 1989 that all surviving members of the troupe appear in one sketch, albeit not in"
"that ""most of the sketches with heavy abuse were Graham's and mine, anything that started with a slow pan across countryside and impressive music was Mike and Terry's, and anything that got utterly involved with words and disappeared up any personal orifice was Eric's"". Gilliam's animations, meanwhile, ranged from the whimsical to the savage (the cartoon format allowing him to create some astonishingly violent scenes without fear of censorship). Several names for the show were considered before ""Monty Python's Flying Circus"" was settled upon. Some were ""Owl Stretching Time"", ""The Toad Elevating Moment"", ""A Horse, a Spoon and a Bucket"","