Don't forget Life of Brian was cutting edge at the time. Banned by 39 local authorities.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/8126490.stm
+1 on the hard to understand now how ground-breaking and limit-pushing it was for its time and how MP has suffered from its own success to some extent - being endlessly over-quoted or being set up as genius always makes stuff harder to appreciate...
What did Monty Python ever do for us?
I just watched the return live show (1 down 4 to go) thought it was good, laughed like meeting old friends and I didn't expect the Spanish inquisition... Few little updates and links but a great show. I don't think anyone can dispute where it stands in the history of comedy, the people who joined at the end show that to you. They also had the first series on the plane it was still funny, parts were not. What you could see is where the last 40 years of comedian's have got a lot of material from.
it's still very good - but a lot of the references are dated. consider it a museum piece.
it never resorts to the casual racism or sexism of the time, either.
Derek and Clive FTW
Some of it has dated, other stuff, like Life of Brian, is still superb. In fact I'd say LoB is easily the funniest film ever made.
The thing to remember though is to try and judge it by the standards of when it was made and don't judge them against modern comedy. They broke all sorts of new ground with much of their material.
I saw them at the O2 in the summer and thought they were brilliant, not because they were funny per se, but because they were Monty Python. I never thought I'd get to see my childhood comedy heroes playing live, so for me it was almost as much emotional as anything else. I'm quite aware they said they were doing it for the money, but I suspect they were being somewhat disingenuous in that brilliant Python way. The amount of thought and effort that went into the O2 show was not just about five guys making a quick buck.
And if you need a simpler explanation of why they were comedy gods, it's the simple fact that the line "I fart in your general direction" still makes me laugh out loud.
I told them we already had one
That's was never five minutes
You didn't pay for the full half hour.
Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony. If I went around saying I was an emperor just because some moistened bint had thrown a scimitar at me they'd lock me away.
I remember one Sunday night in 69 and my dad said "there's something on you might like". Lo and behold, the first episode of Python. I was a firm fan for years. This came after previous good stuff like Do Not Adjust Your Set, where the funny members of the Pythons started.
Is it just me or is John Cleese the dullest, most unfunny person ever to have walked a pair of legs? I'll admit he was sometimes amusing on I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again but never since.
As others have said, Monty Python has got to be taken in context.
At a time when when people genuinely thought that Elvis Presley swivelling his hips was the end of civilisation as we know it, or John & Yoko spending a week in bed would bring about the downfall of Western Democracy, Monty Python was truly revolutionary.
Peter Cook and Dudley Moore are still pretty funny.
I never found it any more than occasionally mildly amusing. Which is odd because it's daft, stupid and slapstick and that is the sort of thing I generally like.
To be honest I've always found it a bit lame and forced.
For years I've carried this dark dirty secret alone. But it seems I am not alone. I've never really found MP very funny.
Thought Holy Grail was gash when I was younger but I loved the episodes.
About 3yrs ago I woke up to the Holy Grail.
My word. 🙂
You need to 'click' with its form of comedy. I loved league of gentleman whereas mrshora couldnt relax to it. She just searched for punchlines in it. Its dark comedy with silly moments. MPs holy grail is silly comedy with dark references?
I've always thought Holy Grail was funnier that Life of Brian TBH.
It's got the French knights, constitutional peasants, coconuts, Tim the Enchanter, Holy hand grenades, European swallows, Swamp castle...
Watched it with my son and daughter, and genuinely thought they would die from laughing too hard
The Fast show was great when it was fresh. The new ones made for Beeb 2's 50th were awful; free from any laughs.
Comedy ages; some better than others. I was watching 'The General' with Buster Keaton last week and it's still a hoot; and that was made in the 1920's.
Monty Python is still brilliant, but I wouldn't watch everything they ever made, you need to apply a bit of Quality Control.
"...are you suggesting coconuts migrate "
I think the pythons openly admit that at least 40% of each episode was rubbish and they knew it. Just padding. Most of them had toured and were used to what would work with a live audience but I think TV allowed them to be a bit more experimental, exploring the medium.
I've never found the parrot sketch funny but there are some absolute classics. The architects sketch for example - "Ah, I don't think I'd correctly divined your attitude towards your clients......". And some of the bizarre fillers and running jokes were just so obscure but brilliant - the archbishop practising his lines "OOO Mr Belpit my big legs are all swollen".
My children think the Holy Grail is best too!
Python can be very funny but not in the same league as Derek and Clive.
"[i]This bloke came up to me[/i]" I'll leave it at that.
Bloody Greta Garbo!
Pete and Dud. A bit more acceptable.
Sometime funny sometime not.
🙄
Teach us how to f uck off o Lord !
Look there goes the king... How do you know he's the king? He's the only one not covered in sh1t
