The Complete Monty Python's Flying Circus

Monty Python was a surreal comedy troupe from Britain who created the show Monty Python’s Flying Circus, which first aired on the BBC.  Broadcast between 1969 and 1974, Flying Circus was written, and performed by its members: John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Graham Chapman, Michael Palin, and  Terry Jones. The show was groundbreaking: a stream-of-consciousness approach to sketch comedy that pushed the boundaries of what was considered acceptable on broadcast television. The Pythons experimented with form and content, injecting satire and a unique blend of sardonic wit and unabashed silliness, that attracted a cult-like fan base in the process.  The comedy team would achieve worldwide fame in the wake of Monty Python’s Flying Circus, and go on to produce several critically acclaimed films, albums, books, and live shows.  

Graham Chapman was an English comedian, writer, actor, and author, and one of the six members of the famous British comedy group Monty Python. He had starring roles in two of their most famous films, Monty Python and the Holy Grail and Life of Brian. He was the author of Graham Crackers: Fuzzy Memories, Silly Bits, and Outright Lies and A Liar’s Autobiography. He died in 1989.

Eric Idle is a comedian, actor, author, and singer-songwriter who found immediate fame on television with the sketch-comedy show Monty Python’s Flying Circus. Following its success, the group began making films that include Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Monty Python’s Life of Brian, and Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life. Eric wrote, directed, and created The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash, the world’s first-ever mockumentary, as well as the Tony Award–winning musical Spamalot. His memoir Always Look on the Bright Side of Life was a New York Times bestseller.

Terry Gilliam is a screenwriter, director, animator, actor, and comedian. One of the founding members of Monty Python, he was responsible for the comedy group’s distinctive absurd animation and visual language. In addition to his work with Monty Python, Gilliam has directed 12 feature films, including Time Bandits, Brazil, 12 Monkeys, and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

Terry Jones is one of the original creators of Monty Python’s Flying Circus. He is also a film and television director, a scriptwriter, a medieval scholar, and author of various children’s books, including the award-winning The Saga of Erik the Viking and Fairy Tales. Jones co-directed (with Terry Gilliam) Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and directed the subsequent Python features Life of Brian and The Meaning of Life. He also wrote the screenplay for the Jim Henson fantasy, Labyrinth. He lives in London.