Happy Monty Python Day!

Back on October 5, 1969, the first episode of the sketch comedy Monty Python’s Flying Circus premiered, bringing something completely different to UK television, inspiring many a young comedian, and brilliantly warping the fragile minds of a whole generation. Oxbridge-educated Terry Jones, Michael Palin, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Graham Chapman, and animator Terry Gilliam became The Beatles of comedy, stomping a big, heavy foot on all of the staid TV humor that came before. And they infuriated their bosses at the BBC, who found the show to be “disgusting”, “nihilistic” and “in appalling taste,” and more damningly, they predicted it to be a bad investment. Boy, were they ever wrong. The show went on for five seasons, spawning award-winning movies, blockbuster musicals, and legendary individual acting and directing careers.

What are your favorite Flying Circus sketches from each of the boys? Here are some suggestions:

Graham Chapman – “Woody and Tinny Words”