The Complete Monty Python's Flying Circus

Author: Monty Python
Publisher: Pantheon
ISBN: 0679726470
Category : Humor
Languages : en
Pages : 350

Book Description
***ALMOST CERTAINLY NOMINATED FOR SOMETHING SOMEWHERE*** The complete scripts from the four Monty Python series, first shown on BBC television between 1969 and 1974, have been collected in two companion volumes. Characters' names, often not spoken, are given as in the original scripts, along with the names of the actual performer added on their first appearance in each sketch. This first volume contains twenty-three classic episodes, featuring some of the most entertaining writing to have gone into television anywhere. The minister of silly walks, the dead parrot, banter in a cheese shop - here is every silly, satirical skit, every snide insult, every saucy aside.

Monty Python's Flying Circus

Author: Graham Chapman
Publisher: Methuen Publishing
ISBN: 9780413741004
Category : Monty Python's Flying Circus (Television program)
Languages : en
Pages : 336

Book Description
The complete unexpurgated scripts of the original television series--except for, of course, the animation bits This volume includes the scripts of all 23 episodes from the first and second series of the famous Monty Python's Flying Circus shows. Well loved and much quoted pieces such as "The Lumberjack Song," The Architect Sketch," "The Spanish Inquisition," "Archaeology Today," "Dead Parrot," "Test Match," and "Hell's Grannies" are included in this volume.

Monty Python's Flying Circus

Author: Marcia Landy
Publisher: Wayne State University Press
ISBN: 0814336515
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 130

Book Description
A comprehensive study examining the history, content, and context of the legendary comedy series Monty Python’s Flying Circus. One of the most innovative comedic programs to air on television, Monty Python’s Flying Circus was a mix of the carnivalesque and the critical. The show has become famous for eschewing many of the conventions of situation comedy, the fully formed and coherent script, narrative closure, predictable characters, and the decorum associated with presentation. Its curious transatlantic popularity defied the assumption that comedy is regional and exclusive, and the show’s cult status still lives on in the United States and United Kingdom through reruns, videos, DVDs, and continual reappearances by the show’s now iconic stars. Most written accounts of Monty Python’s Flying Circus focus solely on members of the Pythons, histories of the sketches, or the development of other Monty Python projects, leaving a dearth of scholarly and contextual analysis on the television show itself. Marcia Landy’s book is one of the rare studies available examining the Flying Circus within the context of its time, analyzing the show’s influence on 1960s and 1970s British television as well as British cultural influence on the show’s legendary material. Landy explores not only why the series’ complex form of comedy was important but also why it was so well received, citing the Pythons’ amalgam of comedic material: the unruly treatment of sexuality, the mockery of religion and class, and the critique of the medium of television. The Flying Circus parodied both the lowbrow and the highbrow, throwing many previously untouchable topics into the ring, and here Landy deconstructs the impact of the show’s risks and reception. As informative as it is engaging and entertaining, this book will appeal to film and media scholars, popular culture enthusiasts, and Monty Python fans alike.

Monty Python's Flying Circus: Complete and Annotated...All the Bits

Author: Luke Dempsey
Publisher: Black Dog & Leventhal
ISBN: 9781579129132
Category : Humor
Languages : en
Pages : 880

Book Description
Available for the first time in paperback, Monty Python's Flying Circus: All the Bits includes every script from every episode of the innovative, hilarious, and absurd series--one of the most influential of all time--plus hundreds of annotations, behind-the-scenes stories, profiles, and more, as well as photographs, drawings, and Terry Gilliam's iconic artwork. Monty Python's Flying Circus is one of the most popular, important and oft-quoted comedy series of all time. Python's influence on comedy has been compared to the Beatles' influence on music. This landmark work collects the complete scripts for every one of the 45 episodes of Flying Circus: every silly setup, every clever conceit, every snide insult, and ever saucy aside from these classic skits, including "The Ministry of Silly Walks," "The Dead Parrot," "Banter in the Cheese Shop," "Spam, the Funniest Joke in the World," "The Spanish Inquisition," "The Argument Clinic," "The Fish-Slapping Dance," "The Lumberjack Song," and all the rest. Every script is thoroughly annotated with notes that cover the plethora of cultural, historical, and topical references touched upon in each sketch. Sidebars and commentary throughout include profiles of the principles -- Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, Terry Gilliam, and John Cleese -- fascinating facts about technical concerns, set design, and shooting locations; insider stores from on and off the set, including arguments, accidents, and practical jokes; goofs and gaffes; and much more. Also included are thousands of stills and artwork from the shows.

So, Anyway...

Author: John Cleese
Publisher: Crown Archetype
ISBN: 0385348258
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 397

Book Description
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “John Cleese’s memoir is just about everything one would expect of its author—smart, thoughtful, provocative and above all funny. . . . A picture, if you will, of the artist as a young man.”—The Washington Post The legendary writer and performer of Monty Python and Fawlty Towers fame takes readers on a grand tour of his ascent in the entertainment world John Cleese’s huge comedic influence has stretched across generations; his sharp irreverent eye and the unique brand of physical comedy he perfected now seem written into comedy’s DNA. In this rollicking memoir, Cleese recalls his humble beginnings in a sleepy English town, his early comedic days at Cambridge University (with future Python partner Graham Chapman), and the founding of the landmark comedy troupe that would propel him to worldwide renown. Cleese was just days away from graduating Cambridge and setting off on a law career when he was visited by two BBC executives, who offered him a job writing comedy for radio. That fateful moment—and a near-simultaneous offer to take his university humor revue to London’s famed West End—propelled him down a different path, cutting his teeth writing for stars like David Frost and Peter Sellers, and eventually joining the five other Pythons to pioneer a new kind of comedy that prized invention, silliness, and absurdity. Along the way, he found his first true love with the actress Connie Booth and transformed himself from a reluctant performer to a world class actor and back again. Twisting and turning through surprising stories and hilarious digressions—with some brief pauses along the way that comprise a fascinating primer on what’s funny and why—this story of a young man’s journey to the pinnacle of comedy is a masterly performance by a master performer.

A Book about the Film Monty Python and the Holy Grail

Author: Darl Larsen
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1442245549
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 633

Book Description
Monty Python’s Flying Circus aired from 1969 until 1974, but the conclusion of the series did not mark the end of the troupe’s creative output. Even before the final original episodes were recorded and broadcast, the six members began work on their first feature-length enterprise of new material. Rather than string together a series of silly skits, they conceived a full-length story line with references to the real and imagined worlds of the mythical King Arthur, the lives of medieval peasants, and the gloomy climate of 1970s Britain. Released in 1975, Monty Python and the Holy Grail was a modest success but has since been hailed as a modern classic. In A Book about the Film Monty Python and the Holy Grail:All the References from African Swallows to Zoot, Darl Larsen identifies and examines the cultural, historical, and topical allusions in the movie. In this entertaining resource, virtually every reference that appears in a scene—whether stated by a character, depicted in the mise-en-scène, or mentioned in the print companion—is identified and explained. Beyond the Arthurian legend, entries cover literary metaphors, symbols, names, peoples, and places—as well as the myriad social, cultural, and historical elements that populate the film. This book employs the film as a window to both reveal and examine “Arthurian” life and literature, the historical Middle Ages, and a Great Britain of labor unrest, power shortages, and the common man. Introducing the reader to dozens of medievalist histories and authors and connecting the film concretely to the “modern” British Empire, A Book about the Film Monty Python and the Holy Grail will appeal to fans of the troupe as well as medieval scholars and academics who can laugh at themselves and their work.

Monty Python's Flying Circus

Author: Adrian Besley
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
ISBN: 9781419724442
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
This is the story of Monty Python, one the most popular and influential forces in modern comedy--and of their TV show--told in words and images. This celebratory book includes 22 removable facsimiles of rare memorabilia from their official archives, including hand-scribbled scripts, cue sheets, character lists, posters, and animation artwork. Written with active input from the Pythons themselves, the book recounts the adventures of all six members and their TV show, from early days in the Cambridge Footlights through early appearances on the BBC, global stardom, the inevitable fights, and their triumphant reunions.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail

Author: John Cleese
Publisher: Methuen Publishing
ISBN:
Category : Drama
Languages : en
Pages : 124

Book Description
The Monty Python team's first feature film is a mock-heroic tale set in Medieval Britain.

Always Look on the Bright Side of Life

Author: Eric Idle
Publisher: Crown Archetype
ISBN: 1984822608
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 314

Book Description
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the ingenious comic performer, founding member of Monty Python, and creator of Spamalot comes an absurdly funny memoir of unparalleled wit and heartfelt candor—now featuring a new afterword. “A hilarious, charming book by this incredible, i̶n̶s̶u̶f̶f̶e̶r̶a̶b̶l̶e̶ interesting genius.”—Steve Martin We know him best for his unforgettable roles on Monty Python—from the Flying Circus to The Meaning of Life. Now, Eric Idle reflects on the meaning of his own life in this entertaining memoir that takes us on a remarkable journey from his childhood in an austere boarding school through his successful career in comedy, television, theater, and film. Coming of age as a writer and comedian during the Sixties and Seventies, Eric stumbled into the crossroads of the cultural revolution and found himself rubbing shoulders with the likes of George Harrison, David Bowie, and Robin Williams, all of whom became dear lifelong friends. With anecdotes sprinkled throughout involving other close friends and luminaries such as Mike Nichols, Mick Jagger, Steve Martin, Paul Simon, Lorne Michaels, and many more, as well as John Cleese and the Pythons themselves, Eric captures a time of tremendous creative output with equal parts hilarity and heart. In Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, named for the song he wrote for Life of Brian and which has since become the number one song played at funerals in the UK, he shares the highlights of his life and career with the kind of offbeat humor that has delighted audiences for five decades. 2019 marked the fiftieth anniversary of The Pythons, and Eric commemorated the occasion with this hilarious memoir chock full of behind-the-scenes stories from a high-flying life featuring everyone from Princess Leia to Queen Elizabeth.

Monty Python's Big Red Book

Author: Graham Chapman
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780413777423
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

Book Description
October 2019 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the first broadcast of Monty Python's Flying Circus on BBC Television. This humorous book contains zany writing and illustrations used by Monty Python. Graham Chapman's education and vocational training occurred variously in such places as the Midlands, Eton, the University of Cambridge, St Swithin's Hospital, on tour in a revue with John Cleese in New Zealand and on the island of Ibiza with David Frost. He was the author of A Liar's Autobiography and he also wrote for Monty Python's Flying Circus and the TV show Doctor in the House. Graham Chapman died in 1989. John Cleese was educated at the University of Cambridge where he performed in Footlights and then went to work in London as a performer and as a comedy writer for the BBC. Besides his work with Python he is best known for his TV series Fawlty Towers (co-written with Connie Booth), the books he has written with psychologist Robin Skinner and films such as Clockwise, A Fish Called Wanda and Fierce Creatures. Eric Idle was educated at the University of Cambridge where he joined the Footlights Club becoming president of the club in 1965. He created and acted in The Rutles and has appeared in numerous films including The Adventures of Baron Munchausen and wrote the book, and co-wrote the lyrics, for the award-winning musical Spamalot (based on Monty Python & The Holy Grail). Educated at the University of Oxford, Terry Jones worked in theatre, and wrote revues and scripts for the BBC before becoming one of the creators of Monty Python. He has written many books for children and is also the author (with other scholars) of Who Murdered Chaucer? and a study of Chaucer's Knight. He has directed such films as Personal Services, Erik the Viking and The Wind in the Willows, along with all the Python films. Michael Palin was born in Sheffield in 1943 and lives with his wife Helen in North London. His adventures around the world have been huge bestsellers. His books (all of which have accompanied his documentaries for the BBC) include Around the World in 80 Days, Pole to Pole, Full Circle, Sahara and Himalaya. His films have included The Missionary and A Private Function. As part of the Monty Python team, Terry Gilliam produced the series' bizarre animations as well as performing. His subsequent career has encompassed animation and film-making, and he has directed films including The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, Brazil, Twelve Monkeys and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.