A team of well-educated clowns Monty Python A team of well-educated clowns

Monty Python’s Flying Circus popular sketch comedy show BBC 1969 Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin 4 series (45 episodes)

4 films And Now For Something Completely Different (1971) Monty Python And The Holy Grail (1975) Monty Python’s Life Of Brian (1979) - most controversial  success - “the story of a man mistaken for the Messiah - the eponymous Brian”( www.bbc.uk) Monty Python’s The Meaning Of Life (1983)

Sketch comedy new genre ‘segue technique’: - use of stream-of-consciousness ideas in a logical and rigid structure - no longer use of punchlines (= ‘‘the final part of a joke, usually the word, sentence or exchange of sentences which is intended to be funny and to provoke laughter from listeners ” ( wikipedia)) - rather: funny ideas everywhere

A phenomenon sitcoms on BBC films albums books a musical adaptation on stage

The name’s origins Python - sounded funny Monty - Field Marshal Lord Montgomery, a legendary British general of World War II OR - a popular fellow who drank in Idle’s local pub

// The Beatles an autonomous comedy team responsible for both writing and performing their work changing the way performers entertained audiences George Harrison  regarded Monty Python as ‘continuing the spirit’ of The Beatles