Where were you when you first heard the words eye eye, nudge nudge? Do you remember the first time you saw the brilliant (dead) Parrot Sketch? If you are like me, and countless thousands of others then you probably have fond memories of your first taste of Pythonmania. For many fans of British Comedy this is where it all started. Monty Python's Flying Circus redefined humour for the late 20th century with a combination of irreverent satire, razor sharp wit and a superbly enhanced sense of the absurd. From the Ministry of Silly Walks (which few can duplicate) to The Spanish Inquisition (which nobody ever expects) the Pythonesque has touched all our lives and continues to do so even today, despite the fact that the troupe haven't worked together since 1983's Meaning of Life (and will never again due to the untimely death, in 1989, of the wonderful Graham Chapman).
Conceived by producer Barry Took in 1969 , the Python's came from University backgrounds (Chapman studied medicine, Cleese law) and had all worked as writers on programs such as The Frost Report, Do Not Adjust Your Set and At Last The 1948 Show (with the exception of American Terry Gilliam who had been an animator)but none had ever had thier own series before. The result was inspired madness and the rest is history. After four seasons on the BBC (the final one without Cleese) the lads moved on to conquer the worlds of film (Monty Python and the Holy Grail and Monty Python's Life of Brian are both comedy classics ) publishing (I highly recommend Monty Python's Papperbok)and now even software (the terrific Complete Waste of Time and Holy Grail CD-Roms)
The Web is full of sites dedicated to Python, many of them top notch. The obvious starting point is the Python's own official site PythOnline which recently marked its first anniversary online. PythOnline features creative input from the original Pythons and has material you just won't find anywhere else such as an e-mail organ donation service and personalized Python abuse.Other sites that deserve a visit include the Monty Python Encyclopedia, Bibliography and Daily llama (three separate sites all maintained by Hans Ten Cate) and, when you're in the mood for a quick dose of Python try the Random Monty Python Skit Server . Also worthwhile are the Monty Python Episode Guide , Monty Python's Useless WebSite and the Monty Python and the Holy Grail site.
Monty Python Resources:
Python Videos: Are available wherever fine videos are sold...and
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