Monty Python

Monty Python is the name given to the ingenious English comedy group that originally consisted of John Cleese, Eric Idle, Michael Palin, Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam and the late Graham Chapman. The Flying Circus was the first series to be aired on BBC on October 5th, 1969. It was broadcasted from 1969 to 1974. This group entertained the viewers with their distinct style of surreal sketch comedy and satire. It mocked leading intellectual and cultural figures, parodied European history and pomposity with lot of men running around in dresses. The name Monty was a tribute to the World War II British general Lord Montgomery and Python being the slippery sounding word as per the wishes of the group members. The series were conceived, written and performed by the group members themselves. The show aired a total of 45 episodes spanning across four series. The hit series spawned stage performances, a musical skit, movies and several other books and albums. This escalated all the members to international acclaim. Terry Gilliam's animations brought a lot of liveliness to the show. The show has influenced a majority of the sarcastic in-your-face comedy TV shows such as South Park and The Simpsons. The series also lead to production of movies like Monty Python's The Meaning of Life (1983), Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979), Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1974). The members founded their own production company in 1973 called Python (Monty) Pictures. In 2005, three out of the six members were ranked among the top 50 greatest comedy acts ever by The Comedian's Comedian.