It was 42 years ago today that the first episode of Monty Python’s Flying Circus made its debut on the BBC. In its 45 episodes, the rule-breaking sketch comedy series set the bar for a new generation of shows that would follow — and pushed the boundaries of what kind of humor people were expecting to find on TV. The Pythons weren’t afraid of mixing references to high and low culture in their absurd sketches, or coming off as overly intellectual.
“Their real importance was that they broke all the rules,” George Perry, the author of The Life of Python, explained to The New York Times on the show’s 25th anniversary. “They did skits without punch lines, letting one comic sketch flow into another without a segue. They interrupted themselves. They created a sense of the unexpected. Combined with the brilliant, sometimes grotesque graphics by Terry Gilliam, it was anarchic and completely innovative.”
If you’re unfamiliar with the Pythons’ timeless work, we’ve rounded up 10 of our favorite sketches after the jump for you to check out now; longtime fans, leave your own favorites in the comments.
There aren’t many ads out there that we would watch willingly — much less choose to post about — but we can’t ignore this wonderful series of sketches Monty Python legend has created for the European GPS company TomTom. In each of six short videos written by and starring Cleese, the comedian is stuck in traffic. In one, he gets out of his car and dances. Another clip finds him playing “I Spy” with a female companion. But perhaps our favorite is the ad in which he resorts to anger management CDs. Did we mention that the videos also include Cleese singing along to Queen’s “I Want to Break Free”? Watch a few clips after the jump, and check out the whole series here.
The Hangover Part II opens today, part of this summer’s endless parade of sequels — though, as we mentioned yesterday, this one is less a sequel than a scene-by-scene remake, following the structural format of the original Hangover as closely as possible without literally re-enacting it in Bangkok. Presumably, director Todd Phillips was just playing it safe. Not all filmmakers make that choice — and many don’t really have that choice, due to actors and other creative personnel who aren’t contractually obligated (as the Hangover boys were) to return. After the jump, we’ll take a look at ten movie sequels that were a little bit less conventional.
On last night’s Daily Show, Jon Stewart brought out a very special guest: Muppet Michael Steele, aka Mr. Johnson, the blue puppet man who always sends back his soup, much to Grover’s distress. In the interview, the pair discussed wasteful spending, racism, and “the lesbian bondage fiasco.” Tough topics, but Muppet Steele said that he was “happy to be in the hizzle with my main man Johnny Beefstew!” And then things were interrupted by his “Push It” ringtone.
The hilarious clip got us thinking about our other favorite Muppet/celebrity interactions. From Steve Martin to Johnny Cash, we’ve rounded up 10 of the best, but there are obviously a lot more. Share your favorites in the comments.
Maybe you’ve left your gift-buying to the last minute (again). Maybe you’re just looking for something to cozy up with as you keep yourself warm during the holiday lull. Either way, when it comes to quality screen time, there’s no beating the BBC. For decades, the British Broadcasting Corporation has created and aired some of the edgiest, funniest, and most envelope-pushing programming in the world — the best of which is available on US shores through BBC America.
Over the years, there have been a number of BBC series of such high quality that they begged to be collected in full, bringing their complete experiences into welcoming homes. After the jump, we round up the ten best of the best, along with info and the requisite video clips. But that’s not all: we also have copies of almost every one* of these BBC box sets available to win! To be in with a chance at one, leave us a comment telling us your personal favorite moment from British TV history. Be sure to use a valid email address when submitting, so we can contact you if you win. Bonus points if you catch the crossover cameos in our selected video clips — these UK stars have a habit of popping up in each other’s shows.
Celebrating 40 years of Monty Python, Almost the Truth: The Lawyer’s Cut brings the six-part IFC documentary series to DVD with a host of extras.
Chronicling the hugely influential comedy troupe’s entire history, Almost the Truth spans decades of Pythonism, and features tributes from the likes of Russell Brand, Jimmy Fallon, Simon Pegg, Steve Coogan, Dan Aykroyd, and Seth Green. It’s rounded out by sketches, film clips, and revelations, such as the lengths George Harrison went to in order to fund The Life of Brian.
Enter to win! We have a copy of the DVD to give away to one lucky reader. To enter, leave a comment below revealing your favorite moment from Monty Python history. Be sure to use a valid email address when entering, so we can contact you if you win.
When New York’s Ziegfeld Theater hosts an advance screening of IFC’s documentary Monty Python: Almost the Truth (The Lawyer’s Cut) on Thursday, everyone in the audience will have a favorite moment they hope is included, somewhere between the interview with Arthur “Two Sheds” Jackson from the first episode of the original BBC TV series to Mr. Creosote’s evening at the restaurant in The Meaning of Life. (For the rest of us, the documentary airs in six parts on IFC from Oct. 18-23.) At this point, however, the surviving members of the comedy troupe — who will be there to answer questions from the audience after the screening — have been apart much longer than they were together, and they’ve all done great projects on their own (or working in smaller clusters). Here are some of the highlights, presented in alphabetical order by Python. Read More »
