Monty Python's Flying Circus

Monty Python's Flying Circus (aka Flying Circus or MPFC, known during the fourth season as Monty Python) was the popular BBC sketch comedy show from Monty Python.

Popular character traits

Although there were few recurring characters, and the six cast members played many diverse roles, each one had a couple of roles that they had perfected.

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Chapman

Graham Chapman was well known for his roles as straight faced men, of any age or class (frequently an authority figure such as a military officer, policeman or doctor) who could, at any moment, revert to raving maniacs, and then back again (see sketches such as "An appeal from the Vicar of St. Loony-up-the-Cream-Bun-and-Jam," the argument sketch, the one man wrestling match).

Related Topics:
Graham Chapman - Maniac - The argument sketch

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Cleese

Terry Gilliam claims that John Cleese is the funniest of the Pythons in drag, as he barely needs to be dressed up to look hilarious (see the "Mr. and Mrs. Git" sketch). Cleese is also well known for playing very intimidating manics (see the Self Defence Class sketch). Cleese's character of "Eric Praline," the put-upon consumer, features in some of the most popular sketches, such as the "Dead Parrot" sketch and the "Fish License" sketch. He is perhaps most famous for the "Ministry of Silly Walks" sketch, where he goose stepped around while pretending to be a member of the British Ministry for Silly Walks.

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Gilliam

Many of the sketches were linked together by bizarre, grotesque and often hilarious animations drawn by Terry Gilliam. These also composed the opening sequence.

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The nature of the series and of the style of animation allowed Gilliam to go off on bizarre, imaginative tangents. Some running gags derived from these animations were a giant hedgehog named Spiny Norman who would appear over the tops of the buildings shouting "Dinsdale!" in an attempt to further petrify the paranoid Dinsdale Piranha, and a giant foot that would squash things.

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The giant foot became a symbol of all that was "Pythonesque."

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Other memorable animated segments include the carnivorous houses, the old woman who can't catch the bus, and the story of the black cancerous spot.

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The animation consisted of shot-by shot frames made up of cardboard cut-outs of either Gilliam's cartoons or famous pieces of art (the giant foot is that of Cupid in Agnolo Bronzino's "An Allegory of Venus and Cupid")

Related Topics:
Agnolo Bronzino - An Allegory of Venus and Cupid

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Although he was primarily involved as an animator, Gilliam also occasionally appeared before the camera, usually playing more grotesque characters and parts that no-one else wanted to play (generally because they required a lot of make-up or involved uncomfortable costumes). The most recurrent of these was a knight in armour who would end sketches by walking on and hitting one of the other characters over the head with a plucked chicken.

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Idle

Eric Idle is perhaps best remembered for his roles as a cheeky, suggestive, slightly perverted, upper middle class "playboy" (see sketches such as "nudge-nudge, wink-wink"), his role as crafty, slick salesmen (see the Door-to-Door Joke Salesman or his role as the shop keeper who loves to haggle in The Life of Brian). He is also acknowledged as "the master of the one-liner" by the other Pythons. He is also considered the best singer in the group.

Related Topics:
Eric Idle - Pervert - The Life of Brian

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Jones

Although all of the Pythons played women, Terry Jones is renowned by the rest to be "the best Rat-Bag woman in the business". His portrayal of a middle aged housewife was louder, shriller and more dishevelled that any of the other Pythons' (see "Dead Bishop" sketch or his role as Mandy in The Life of Brian, or Mrs. Linda S-C-U-M in "Mr. Neutron").

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Palin

Michael Palin's most common characters were working class northerners, often portrayed in a disgusting light (see The Funniest Joke in the World sketch, the "Every Sperm is Sacred" segment of The Meaning of Life). He also played weak willed, put-upon men such as the husband in the marriage counsellor sketch, or the boring accountant in the Lion Tamer sketch. One of his most famous creations was the shopkeeper who attempts to sell useless goods by very weak attempts at being sly and crafty, which are invariably spotted by the customer (often played by Cleese) because the defects in the products are inherently obvious (see the Dead Parrot sketch, the Cheese Shop sketch); his spivvy club owner "Luigi Vercotti" in the Piranha Brothers sketch is another classic variant on this type. Palin also portrayed slick TV show hosts, constantly smacking his lips together and generally being over-enthusiastic (see the Blackmail sketch).

Related Topics:
Michael Palin - The Funniest Joke in the World - The Meaning of Life - Dead Parrot - Cheese Shop - Spiv - Piranha Brothers - Blackmail sketch

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