Monty Python's Flying Circus

#70 · Monty Python's Flying Circus

Comedy · 1969–1974 · 4 seasons · 45 episodes

IMDb: 8.8 87,434 votes TVmaze: 8 My rating: –

Show summary

And now for something completely different: Monty Python's Flying Circus was simply the most influential comedy program television has ever seen. Five Englishmen, all working under the constraints of conventional TV shows such as The Frost Report (for which the five Englishmen wrote), gathered together with an expatriate American in the spring of 1969 to break the rules. The result, first airing on BBC-1 on October 5, 1969, has influenced countless future men and women in the media and comedy since.

Season 1 1969–1970 · 13 episodes · IMDb avg 8.01 My rating: –

Season summary

The Monty Python players make their mark with a winning mix of wit, ingenuity, and brilliant timing - and a penchant for mockery and cross-dressing.

#	Episode	Aired	IMDb	TVmaze	My Rating
1	Whither Canada?	1969-10-05	7.9 1,812	7.7	–
⚠ SPOILER WARNING — click to reveal Mozart presents famous deaths. Whizzo Butter is indistinguishable from dead crab. Arthur "Two Sheds" Jackson has only one shed. A joke goes to war.
2	Sex and Violence	1969-10-12	7.7 1,495	7.7	–
Sheep attempt flight. Queen Victoria's slapstick past is discovered. Experts wrestle with a religious question. Investigating the "mouse problem."
3	How to Recognise Different Types of Trees from Quite a Long Way Away	1969-10-19	8.5 1,533	8	–
Inspector Dim cross-examines Cardinal Richelieu. In a world of Supermen, Bicycle Repairman is a hero. A pub patron inquires about candid photography.
4	Owl-Stretching Time	1969-10-26	7.9 1,311	7.8	–
A beachgoer seeks privacy for an outfit change. Self-defense class emphasizes fruit attacks. At the bookstore, there is definitely something going on.
5	Man's Crisis of Identity in the Latter Half of the Twentieth Century	1969-11-16	8.1 1,297	7.3	–
A team of experts is called upon to confuse a cat. A newsreader announces a newsreader's arrest. A management training interviewee receives top marks.
6	It's the Arts	1969-11-23	7.9 1,237	7.5	–
An arts program profiles a forgotten composer. The hygiene squad investigates Whizzo's new confection, Crunchy Frog. A stockbroker leads a dull life.
7	You're No Fun Anymore	1969-11-30	7.7 1,259	7.3	–
A camel spotter jealously guards his catchphrase. In a sinister plot to win Wimbledon, dessert-shaped aliens transform humans into Scotsmen.
8	Full Frontal Nudity	1969-12-07	8.6 1,331	8	–
Mobsters make the army an offer it categorically refuses. An ex-parrot is not "pining for the fjords." Grannies terrorize a once-peaceful village.
9	The Ant, an Introduction	1969-12-14	8.3 1,217	8	–
An expedition to Kilimanjaro appears doomed from the start. A lumberjack's song takes a confessional turn. Uninvited guests spoil an intimate evening.
10	Untitled	1969-12-21	7.6 1,126	7.3	–
Arthur Tree, who is a tree, hosts "It's a Tree." Chartered accountant Mr. Anchovy seeks a career change. Ron Obvious attempts to set a world record.
11	The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Goes to the Bathroom	1969-12-28	7.7 1,120	7	–
⚠ SPOILER WARNING — click to reveal A murder mystery has no corpse until Inspector Tiger is killed. 18th-century social legislation gets an erotic spin. Housewives reenact Pearl Harbor.
12	The Naked Ant	1970-01-04	8.3 1,141	7.7	–
"Mr. Hilter" of the "Bocialists" runs for office. Competition is fierce for Upper-Class Twit of the Year. A minister falls through the Earth's crust.
13	Intermission	1970-01-11	7.9 1,079	7.7	–
A couple experiences restaurant abuse. Historical figures including Ivan the Terrible do impressions. The police utilize magic in crime prevention.

Season 2 1970 · 13 episodes · IMDb avg 8.11 My rating: –

Season summary

Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition. But Monty Python's Flying Circus subverts all expectations with their trademark surreal humor.

#	Episode	Aired	IMDb	TVmaze	My Rating
1	Dinsdale	1970-09-15	8.5 1,141	7.7	–
⚠ SPOILER WARNING — click to reveal For quicker service, a housewife chooses death. The Ministry of Silly Walks fields a grant applicant. The crimes of the Piranha Brothers are recalled.
2	The Spanish Inquisition	1970-09-22	8.9 1,358	8.5	–
The Spanish Inquisition is unexpected and ill-equipped for torture. Semaphores perform "Wuthering Heights." A court case is conducted by charades.
3	Déjà Vu	1970-09-29	8.1 1,010	7.7	–
A look at the work of cash-strapped poet Ewan McTeagle. A milkman-psychiatrist provides diagnoses, cream and yogurt. "It's the Mind" examines déjà vu.
4	The Buzz Aldrin Show	1970-10-20	8.1 998	7.7	–
Action hero "The Bishop" tries to stop a series of vicar attacks. The Poet Board hopes to get a poet in every home. A nude man objects to titillation.
5	Live from the Grill-o-mat	1970-10-27	7.9 967	7.5	–
In a show hosted from the Grill-o-Mat, the Society for Putting Things on Top of Other Things disbands. A butcher is alternately rude and polite.
6	It's a Living	1970-11-03	7.7 949	6.7	–
A school prize ceremony is hijacked. A couple receives dung from the Book of the Month Club. Silly candidates sweep the Sensibles on election night.
7	The Attila the Hun Show	1970-11-11	7.7 945	7.3	–
Attila comes home to the wife and kids on "The Attila the Hun Show." Killer sheep are on a rampage. Village idiots provide a vital social function.
8	Archaeology Today	1970-11-17	7.9 938	7.3	–
Height is a critical factor in a showdown between archaeologists. Australian backwoodsmen hunt mosquitoes. Beethoven can't get a moment's peace.
9	How to Recognize Different Parts of the Body	1970-11-24	8.0 943	7.7	–
⚠ SPOILER WARNING — click to reveal An Australian university's philosophy department -- all Bruces -- welcomes a Michael. "The Death of Mary, Queen of Scots" is performed on the radio.
10	Scott of the Antarctic	1970-12-01	7.6 945	7.3	–
Contractual obligations trouble an epic film production. A pet owner seeks a fish license. Gynecologists vs. Long John Silver impersonators at soccer.
11	How Not to Be Seen	1970-12-08	8.3 942	7.3	–
A coffee ad campaign is a disaster. Crackpot Religions Ltd. has a variety of options. A government instructional film offers tips on not being seen.
12	Spam	1970-12-15	8.6 991	8	–
The world's great communist thinkers are quizzed about sports. A hospital caters to overactors. The Green Midget Café menu leans heavily towards Spam.
13	Royal Episode Thirteen	1970-12-22	8.1 908	7.3	–
The show awaits Her Majesty's royal viewing. Welsh coal miners dispute a fine point of history. Lifeboat survivors debate who they'd rather eat.

Season 3 1972–1973 · 13 episodes · IMDb avg 7.92 My rating: –

Season summary

And now, it's the Flying Circus, taking a cycling tour and featuring rarely seen restored sketches that were censored by the BBC.

#	Episode	Aired	IMDb	TVmaze	My Rating
1	Whicker's World	1972-10-19	7.8 877	7.7	–
The great Icelandic saga of the Viking known as Erik Njorl carries him to North Malden. Whicker Island is overpopulated by television interviewers.
2	Mr. & Mrs. Brian Norris' Ford Popular	1972-10-26	7.9 873	7.7	–
A couple embarks on an adventurous expedition. Classic theater performed in a slenderizing garment melts the pounds away. The BBC runs low on funding.
3	The Money Programme	1972-11-02	8.2 885	6.7	–
A film director is accused of impersonating Visconti. A husband requests meals with less rat. A client pays for a professional five-minute argument.
4	Blood, Devastation, Death, War and Horror	1972-11-09	8.0 863	9	–
A merchant banker tries to grasp the concept of charity. Nature's brutal competition is documented. A pantomime horse becomes an action movie hero.
5	The All-England Summarize Proust Competition	1972-11-16	7.7 839	8	–
Competitors summarize Proust in evening wear. The fire brigade phone keeps ringing off the hook. Anne Elk has a new theory about the brontosaurus.
6	The War Against Pornography	1972-11-23	7.8 827	8.5	–
Ordinary mums battle strikers, the left wing and artistic indecency. A Gumby's brain hurts. The groovy new Royal Navy insists it is cannibal-free.
7	Salad Days	1972-11-30	8.1 857	9.5	–
Fictional adventurer Biggles tries to dictate a letter. A cheese shop is oddly uncontaminated by cheese. Sam Peckinpah's new film is true to form.
8	The Cycling Tour	1972-12-07	8.1 922	8.5	–
On a cycling tour of Cornwall, clueless Mr. Pither ends up on a perilous journey accompanied by a traveling companion with multiple personalities.
9	The Nude Organist	1972-12-14	7.8 822	8.5	–
Flats built by hypnosis are perfectly safe as long as the residents believe in them. Paraguay is getting warmer during the Hide-and-Seek finals.
10	E. Henry Thripshaw's Disease	1972-12-21	7.9 796	8	–
The Tudor Jobs Agency hasn't placed anyone since 1625. Dr. E. Henry Thripshaw craves the glory and fame of having a disease named after him.
11	Dennis Moore	1973-01-04	8.1 850	8.5	–
Heavyweights fight to be named Oxford Professor of Fine Arts. Highway bandit Dennis Moore struggles with the complexity of redistributing wealth.
12	A Book at Bedtime	1973-01-11	7.9 802	8.5	–
Scottish soldiers train to be kamikazes. A man considers using the phrase "No time to lose." Theories of penguin intelligence lead to social change.
13	Grandstand	1973-01-18	7.6 778	8.5	–
Oscar Wilde and other society gadflies accuse each other of witty remarks. David Niven's fridge presents a prize at the British Show Biz Awards.

Season 4 — Monty Python 1974 · 6 episodes · IMDb avg 7.35 My rating: –

Season summary

The last bow of Monty Python's Flying Circus tackles Hamlet, World War II, Mr. Neutron and party political broadcasts.

#	Episode	Aired	IMDb	TVmaze	My Rating
1	The Golden Age of Ballooning	1974-10-31	7.2 881	8.5	–
The surprising history of "The Golden Age of Ballooning" includes Ferdinand von Zeppelin's murderous insistence that his airship is not a balloon.
2	Michael Ellis	1974-11-07	7.6 861	8.5	–
It's hard to get good service at the ant counter. Her Majesty visits an ant poetry reading. A toupee-less gentleman wants to complain about his ant.
3	Light Entertainment War	1974-11-14	7.5 815	8.5	–
Heroes of World War II can't decipher fighter-pilot banter. TV programming executives decide the public are idiots. A gentleman enjoys "woody" words.
4	Hamlet	1974-11-21	7.2 789	8.5	–
⚠ SPOILER WARNING — click to reveal Hamlet consults a psychiatrist. A boxer wins the championship despite his lack of a head. Queen Victoria pulls ahead in the Queen Victoria Handicap.
5	Mr. Neutron	1974-11-28	7.3 788	8.5	–
The search for Mr. Neutron, who plans to dominate the world, stretches from a London suburb to the Yukon, and results in the destruction of earthly civilization.
6	Party Political Broadcast	1974-12-05	7.3 788	7.5	–
A spoof of British political-party broadcasts includes the finals of "the worst family in Britain" contest, a violent cricket match, and a housewife who revolutionized beekeeping.

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