Monty Python (sometimes known as The
Pythons) are a British surreal comedy group that created Monty Python's Flying
Circus, a British television comedy sketch show that first aired on the BBC on
5 October 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over four series. The Python
phenomenon developed from the television series into something larger in scope
and impact, spawning touring stage shows, films, numerous albums, several books
and a stage musical as well as launching the members to individual stardom. The
group's influence on comedy has been compared to The Beatles' influence on
music.
The television series, broadcast by the BBC
from 1969 to 1974, was conceived, written and performed by members Graham
Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin.
Loosely structured as a sketch show, but with an innovative
stream-of-consciousness approach (aided by Gilliam's animation), it pushed the
boundaries of what was acceptable in style and content. A self-contained comedy
team responsible for both writing and performing their work, the Pythons had
creative control which allowed them to experiment with form and content,
discarding rules of television comedy. Their influence on British comedy has
been apparent for years, while in North
America it has coloured the work of cult
performers from the early editions of Saturday Night Live through to more
recent absurdist trends in television comedy. "Pythonesque" has
entered the English lexicon as a result.
In a 2005 UK poll
to find The Comedian's Comedian, three of the six Pythons members were voted by
fellow comedians and comedy insiders to be among the top 50 greatest comedians
ever: John Cleese at #2, Eric Idle at #21, and Michael Palin at #30.
Here some famous Monty Python's sketches:
And the famous song from the movie "Life
of Brain":
Our party Saturday started earlier and the
guests trickled into the club little by little.
Eric Idle (born 
Idle's work in
Python is often characterised by an obsession with language and communication:
many of his characters have verbal peculiarities, such as the man who speaks in
anagrams, the man who says words in the wrong order, and the butcher who
alternates between rudeness and politeness every time he speaks. A number of
his sketches involve extended monologues (for example the customer in the
"Travel Agency" sketch who won't stop talking about his unpleasant
experiences with holidays), and he would frequently spoof the unnatural
language and speech patterns of television presenters. Unlike Palin, Idle is
said to be the master of insincere characters, from the David Frost-esque Timmy
Williams, to small-time crook Stig O'Tracy, who tries to deny the fact that
organised crime master Dinsdale Piranha nailed his head to the floor.
John Philip Sousa (November 6, 1854 – March
6, 1932) was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic era, known
primarily for American military and patriotic marches. Because of his mastery
of march composition, he is known as "The March King" or the
"American March King" due to his British counterpart Kenneth J.
Alford also being known as "The March King". Among his best-known
marches are "The Liberty Bell", "The Thunderer", "The
Washington Post", "Semper Fidelis" (Official March of the United
States Marine Corps), and "The Stars and Stripes Forever" (National
March of the United States of America).
"The Liberty Bell" was written
for Sousa's unfinished operetta "The Devil's Deputy," but financing
for the show fell through. Shortly afterwards, Sousa and his band manager
George Hinton attended the Columbian Exposition in 
The march is
often associated with the British TV comedy program Monty Python's Flying
Circus (1969–74), which used the piece as a signature tune.The British comedy
troupe Monty Python's use of the melody is ironic; the bouncy melody of the
march may be what the troupe found appealing. Terry Gilliam, the only American
in the troupe, decided to use the theme. He has said the piece was chosen
because the troupe thought it could not be associated with the program's
content, and that the first bell strike and the subsequent melody gave the
impression of getting "straight down to business". It was also chosen
because it was in the public domain and free from royalties, as there was no
budget for theme music copyrights.
Shopping with a friend is cool. There's
nothing forbidden, no rule.
