Monty Python

Monty Python, or The Pythons, were the creators and stars of Monty Python's Flying Circus, a British television comedy series which first aired on October 5, 1969 with the first episode Whither Canada?. As a television series it consisted of 45 episodes over 4 seasons. However, the Python phenomenon was much greater, spawning stage tours, four films, numerous audio recordings, several computer games and books, as well as launching the members to individual stardom.

Life after Python

Python (Monty) Pictures

The five surviving members of the main Monty Python team are directors of Python (Monty) Pictures Limited 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 2002), the company's turnover was £3.3M (source: Bureau van Dijk's FAME).

Related Topics:
Incorporated - 1973 - Cinematographic - Financial year - 2002

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When Monty Python's Flying Circus was shown in the USA by ABC in their 'Wide World of Entertainment' slot in 1975 the episodes were re-edited thus losing the continuity and flow intended in the originals. When ABC refused to stop treating the series in this way the members of Monty Python took them to court. Initially the court ruled that their artistic rights had indeed been violated, but on appeal they gained control over all subsequent US broadcasts of their programmes. The case also led to them gaining the rights to the programmes from the BBC once their original contracts ended at the end of 1980... an unique arrangement at the time. 5

Related Topics:
ABC - 1975 - BBC - 5

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A driving force behind Python in the late 1970s was the Beatles' George Harrison, who not only funded and appeared in Monty Python's Life of Brian as Mr. Papadopolous (though his voice is dubbed by Palin) but produced a number of their songs from that period, including the Lumberjack Song single. He also made a cameo appearance in Eric Idle's cult Beatles parody All You Need Is Cash (aka The Rutles), which incidentally united (for the most part) both Python and Saturday Night Live, and was co-produced by Broadway Video, SNL's production company. Harrison once said in an interview, "Monty Python helped me get over the trauma of the breakup of the Beatles." 1

Related Topics:
George Harrison - Monty Python's Life of Brian - Lumberjack Song - Single - Cameo appearance - Cult - Parody - All You Need Is Cash - Saturday Night Live - Broadway Video - 1

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Going solo

Each member pursued other film and television projects after the break-up of the group, but often continued to work with one another. Many of these were very successful, such as Fawlty Towers (written by, and starring John Cleese and Connie Booth), and A Fish Called Wanda (1988) (also written by John Cleese, and starring John Cleese and Michael Palin). Palin and Cleese also appeared in Time Bandits (1981), a movie written by Gilliam and Palin, and directed by Gilliam. Palin appeared in Brazil (1985), directed and co-written by Gilliam. Idle appeared in The Adventures of Baron Munchhausen (1988), which was also directed and co-written by Gilliam. Idle had success in Nuns on the Run (1990) with Robbie Coltrane. Idle, Harrison, and Lorne Michaels' production company (mostly in conjunction with Python and the SNL cast) made All You Need Is Cash (aka The Rutles).

Related Topics:
Fawlty Towers - A Fish Called Wanda - 1988 - Time Bandits - 1981 - Brazil - 1985 - The Adventures of Baron Munchhausen - Nuns on the Run - 1990 - Robbie Coltrane - Lorne Michaels - All You Need Is Cash

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John Cleese has had the most prolific solo career in terms of numbers of productions, having appeared in 59 theatrical movies, 22 TV shows or series, 23 direct-to-video productions, and 6 video games2.

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The end?

The Pythons are often the subject of reunion rumours. The death of Graham Chapman in 1989 (on the eve of their 20th anniversary) seemed to put an end to this speculation, but in 1998 the five remaining members, along with what was purported to be Chapman's ashes, were reunited on stage for the first time in eighteen years. The occasion was in the form of an interview (hosted by Robert Klein, with an appearance by Eddie Izzard) in which the team looked back at some of their work and performed a few new skits. At one point during the event, Terry Gilliam "accidentally" knocked Chapman's urn over with his foot, and the ashes were cleared away with a vacuum cleaner.

Related Topics:
Robert Klein - Eddie Izzard - Skit - Vacuum cleaner

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On 9 October 1999, to commemorate 30 years since the Flying Circus first TV appearance, BBC2 devoted an evening to Python programmes, including a documentary charting the history of the team, interspersing them with new sketches filmed especially for the event.

Related Topics:
9 October - 1999 - BBC2

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In an interview to publicise the DVD release of The Meaning of Life, Cleese said a further reunion was unlikely. "It is absolutely impossible to get even a majority of us together in a room, and I'm not joking," Cleese said. He said that the problem was one of busy-ness rather than one of bad feelings. Eric Idle has said that he expects to see a proper Python reunion, "just as soon as Graham Chapman comes back from the dead." (This echoed a comment George Harrison of The Beatles once made: "As far as I'm concerned, there won't be a Beatles reunion as long as John Lennon remains dead.")

Related Topics:
DVD - George Harrison - The Beatles

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The 2003 "autobiography" The Pythons, compiled from a series of interviews with the surviving Pythons, reveals that a series of disputes in 1990 over a Monty Python and the Holy Grail sequel conceived by Idle may have resulted in the group's permanent fission. Cleese's feeling was that Monty Python's Meaning of Life was both personally difficult and ultimately mediocre, and for other reasons, didn't wish to do the film. Apparently Idle was angry with Cleese for refusing to do the film, which most of the remaining Pythons thought reasonably promising. Idle then refused to do what he saw as the Cleese-dominated reunion show a few years later.

Related Topics:
2003 - The Pythons - 1990 - Monty Python and the Holy Grail - Monty Python's Meaning of Life

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March 2005 saw the full reunion of all cast members, minus the still very dead Graham Chapman, at the premiere of Eric Idle's musical Spamalot, based on the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. It opened in Chicago, Illinois and has since opened in New York on Broadway. In 2005, it was nominated for 13 Tony Awards and won three: Best Musical, Best Direction of a Musical for Mike Nichols and Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical for Sara Ramirez, who played the Lady of the Lake, a character specially added for the musical.

Related Topics:
2005 - Spamalot - Monty Python and the Holy Grail - Chicago, Illinois - New York - Broadway - Tony Awards - Mike Nichols - Sara Ramirez - Lady of the Lake

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Owing in part to the success of Spamalot, PBS announced on July 13, 2005, that the network would begin to re-air the entire run of Monty Python's Flying Circus, as well as new one-hour specials focusing on each member of the group. Each special is to be written and produced by the individual being honoured, with the five remaining Pythons collaborating on a special for Graham Chapman.

Related Topics:
PBS - July 13 - 2005

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