Monty Python's Flying Circus - Review

"I'd like to have an argument please" – A review of Monty Python's Flying Circus. 

Oh, how I adore Monty Python's Flying Circus. I didn't discover the show until I was well into my twenties, and it was love at first site. First airing in 1969, the show was full of absurdism, surrealism, satire and wit – a truly groundbreaking British comedy sketch show for the time, and a show that certainly holds up today.

I love absurd, surreal comedy, and Monty Python really delivers. Expectations are constantly subverted, scenarios are completely ridiculous and illogical, and it's almost impossible to guess a punchline. The writing is fantastic; the sketches play with language, puns and reality, making a mockery of traditional comedy. There are so many fourth wall breaks that you really feel like you're in on the joke, even when you don't understand how you got to the punchline.

The show also doesn't hold back when it comes to poking fun at, well, anything, from day-to-day life to institutions and authority figures. There's plenty of slapstick comedy, clever wordplay and visual gags which makes the comedy timeless and always hilarious. Essentially, it's all very silly.

The cast is incredible. John Cleese, Graham Chapman, Michael Palin, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones deliver iconic and hilarious performances full of charisma, chemistry and impeccable comedic timing. There are too many hilarious sketches to mention, but "Dead Parrot" and "Ministry of Silly Walks" are some of my favourite sketches of all time.

This is a show that I revisit often, especially when I need cheering up. There's something so charming about a show that revels in its own originality and ridiculousness; I know this is coming across as a bit of a love letter to the show, and honestly, it's because that's exactly what this is.

Monty Python's Flying Circus is not just a TV show; it's a cultural phenomenon. It's one of my favourite comedies of all time, and I love how original and unapologetically silly it is. If you're a fan of shows like The Mighty Boosh or other more modern surreal comedy, I cannot recommend this show enough, and if you're revisiting it, I'm sure you'll laugh just as much as the first time you saw it.

Written by Tam Page

Posted by Mr. Tomney

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