I'm a 'Brianite' i.e. one who thinks Life of Brian is funnier than Holy Grail.

Don't get me wrong, I own and love both (as well as the full series), but Brian just makes me laugh more.

My favourite is definitely the defense from fruits scene.... Still cracks me up.

Well well well...nobody expects the 40th anniversary...or at least, I didn't.

I wore out my VHS copy of And Now For Something Completely Different.

And nothing cracks me up more than the "How not to be seen" sketch, and the dead-pan line, "Yes. It was the middle one."

Best TV comedy series ever.

To The Man with Two Brains: I'm a Grail man, but I can totally understand the preference for Brian for one simple reason: it's a much better film narrative. Grail is chock-a-block with hilarious bits and ideas, but it doesn't hold up to scrutiny when evaluated as anything resembling a coherent story. Brian not only tells a proper story, but also has a lot say on several subjects. Grail is all laughs, while Brian is laughs coupled with the team's more assured sense of exactly how to make a film.

And here's a general question: considering how beloved the Flying Circus is and how important it is to the history of comedy, why in hell are various sketches missing from the DVDs? Those omissions have been in place since the show hit VHS and I would like some sort of an explanation. The Flying Circus minus "Dad's Pooves?" Blasphemy!

Holy Grail is great. Yes, Life of Brian is hilarious in many ways, and definitely has a better story and feels more like a movie, in a way, but Holy Grail just has better one-liners.

As for Flying Circus, I love the sketch about 'The Piranha Brothers'. So quotable and satirical. And the Restaraunt sketch.... 'No, Mongo! Never kill a customer!'

And TR, what you said about nerds and Python is completely spot on.

Me and my best freind were exchanging python quotes all day today. no idea how appropriate it was.we reenacted the man with the tape recorder up his nose skit while working. we even spoke of organizing our very own twit race.

python is actually one of the earliest things i can remember watching on television. no wonder i'm as fucked up as i am

Ahh, that one tired old cassette tape of sketches that had so many plays during that 1991 band camp weekend.

"Hi, Hello, Good Evening"

First time I saw the killer rabbit scene in Grail I couldn't breathe from laughing so much. Wish I could erase my memory just to watch that moment fresh again.

"Ah warned yese, but oh no, yeh didnae listin.."

"Oh SHUT UP!"

"Manky Scots git!"

"I soiled my armour!"

Definitely the best of Flying Circus is when all the Englishmen are being turned into Scots, and you find out at the end it was all a ploy so that Scotland could finally win at Wimbledon. Just the thought of high brow Englishmen turning into scots and scurrying away (as only MP could have them do) just drives me to hysterics!

Monty Python and the Holy Grail is the funniest movie ever. And when I watched It's a Good Life in my sci-fi class today, when the grandpa was doing the magic trick and the giant, evil, rabid bunny popped out, all I could think about was the white rabbit from holy grail.

Life of Brian was their high point for me, but the Black Knight bit in Holy Grail is what always makes me laugh the most.

'Look you stupid bastard, you've got no arms left!'

@Bunche: Aye, that's part of it. Also, Holy Grail gets quoted way too much in my opinion, and it gets stale because of that. Not the movie's fault of course, but it's hard to laugh at a film you've heard quoted completely ad nauseum.

I think the moment that made me laugh the most upon first viewing was the Secret Policeman's Ball performance of Dead Parrot where... well, let me just include a link to it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YnEeIL4fFs

Flying Circus, the one with the 2 French guys explaining the "Sheep Airplane" still makes me laugh and I've seen it 1000 times.

and the "Sheep airplane" youtube link...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jC7NKkjCe0

Always look on the bright side of life!

I ♥ Monty Python. One of the first comedic sketches I can remember is the Dead Parrot sketch with John Cleese.

Those guys are pure genius. I was watching a show last night where they were saying how it all started. Amazing.

I've never really watched a lot of Flying Circus (a bit before my time) but I do love the films, especially Life Of Brian.
My fave quotes from Python:
"Help! Help! I'm being repressed!"
"Blessed are the cheesemakers"
"This is an EX-PARROT!"

Now I'm going to be humming 'Always look on the bright side of life' for the rest of the evening.

Classic Brit comedy. They will always be classic and considered the best comedy troupe for years to come in my opinion. Even right here in the good 'ol U.S. of A!

Already 40 years... I've only been around for less than half of that, and yet I can still quote several sketches verbatim.

My absolute favorite sketch is definitely the Spanish Inquisition.

I am definatly a grail man the black knight sketch had me acctually fall off my chair with laughter the first time I saw it.

As for flying circus there is so much to choose from but I think I will have to say my favorite is probably Lemming of the BDA.

I think I will crack out my season 1 boxset to relive the charm and celebrate the godfathers of comedy (at least in my eyes)

My name is Peter
My quest to watch all of my backlog DVDs
My favorite color is green
And one of the four the capitals of Assyria is Ashur or Calah or Dur Sharrukin or Nineveh.
and as for the Airspeed Velocity of an Unladen Swallow see the link:
http://www.style.org/unladenswallow/

I am now humming
I'm a lumberjack and I'm okay

For me, it doesn't get any better than the Argument Sketch- it was the first one I ever memorized, and I even got to the finals of my high school-level forensics competition by performing it solo. Best line:
"Look, if I argue with you, I must take up a contrary position." "Yes but that isn't just saying "no it isn't" "Yes it is!" "No it isn't!"

My parents exposed me to Monty Python and the Holy Grail at the age of 9, being deep believers in a good liberal education.

My best MP memory? Doing "The Parrot Sketch" at a band camp talent show.

I had one of their games...not "Complete Waste of Time" but the one based on The Holy Grail...which, of course, I can't remember the name of. Does anyone remember what it was called and/or know where I can download it?
Claire, I loved the parrot sketch as well. Remember the Spam one? "Egg and spam, egg, bacon and spam...spam spam spam spam and spam..." etc. That one is still one of my favorites.

LOL Spam was awesome. I really like spam, and for some reason it just made me laugh even harder. I tried to learn that one, but just couldn't keep track of the number of spams.

I saw the Meaning of Life before either of the other films, and to be honest, although I thought it was incredibly funny, it just didnt stick as much as anything else. I really can't remember anything other than the 'Every sperm is sacred' song, which was fantastic!

Heres a classic: the election night special.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31FFTx6AKmU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k1ccguXiws

Brilliant.

"I want to buy some cheese." And the Unexploded Scotsman Disposal Squad.

This makes me feel so old. >.>

I completely agree with Patracolos- the tennis sketch was my favorite, especially the doctor and the alien marshmallows (or blamanges). Until my grandparents got cable a few years ago, the only thing worth watching was Flying Circus, Fauwlty Towers, and the Vicar of Dibly.

The Ministry of Silly Walks bit always makes me giggle insanely. Which is why I had to stop watching Monty Python in the library.

I just love the talented Miss Rita Fairbanks & the lovely ladies from the Barley Townswomen's Guild.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMqSmiC_xHg&feature=related

How to recognize different types of trees from very far away: The Larch...the Larch.

Bicycle Repairman! Our hero!

Arthur "Two Sheds" Jackson.

And NOW: the punchline.

But my favorite sketch is Picasso on a Bicycle. Yeah, it's in the first episode, but...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63Tar_9kDuI

The John Cleese race commentary reduces me to a quivering mass of laughing jelly.

What, no Sam Peckinpah's Salad Days? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1-NpyaOWV0 As for the movies, Brian beats 'em all hands down. Funny, funny, funny and more funny. "What have the Romans ever done for us?"

Meaning of Life ftw.

Also, I'm not a lumberjack, but I'm still okay. And it's okay that I wear women's undies, as I am a woman.

Don't Forget

Every sperm is sacred
Every sperm is good
Every sperm is needed
In your neighborhood!

Best evening of my life was when daughter and I went to road show of "Spamalot" in Boise. Rolled in the aisles. Will forever be searching for the perfect shrubbery.

I should share my favorite Monty Python story.

In 7th grade, I had an exchange teacher from Australia. And to introduce the segment on medieval history, he showed the class Holy Grail. (Which I was well familiar with at the time - most of the class was not.)

So, later we asked when he would show Life of Brian. And he decided, sure, we could do that.

So the day comes when he planned to show the Life of Brian to a group of thirteen-year olds. Except he wound up sick that day. So we had a sub. And the sub had a note from the teacher explaining the situation, with an important note - that there was a scene with NUDITY in it, and he should probably fast-forward past it. Sub, apparently, had never seen the movie.

So we watch. And along comes the scene where the old man leaps out of the grave. The sub, who had been lying in wait for some sign of illicit flesh, fast forwards past this point.

And then, having lost interest, goes and sits down at the other side of the room.

And we keep watching, until we get to the scene where Brian gets up and opens the window to the onlooking crowd - and a group of 7th graders gets a full frontal nude scene of a man's junk.

Laughter ensues. The sub, suddenly listening again, leaps up and runs across the room, but by the time he gets to the control, it's too late. Brian has a shirt on.

So the sub goes and SITS DOWN AGAIN.

Until we get to the scene where Brian's girlfriend Judith appears - and the 7th graders get a full frontal nude scene of a lady's bush.

By this point there was simply no continuing. I must admit I saw this fiasco coming a mile off - but the humor potential was far to great to warn him.

TV series is still the best, though Meaning of Life is my favorite movie and Live at the Hollywood Bowl is just,... pure gold.

I have never seen Life of Bryan but I will find a way to watch it before next Monday. So don't kill me. Please?

@Anonymous (from the very top) - I agree. The defense from fruits skit made me laugh so hard I thought I would die. Also, Ministry of Silly Walks is still one of the best recurring jokes of all time.

God bless Monty Python.

There's no way I can choose a favorite, but a couple of sketches leap to mind:
A milkman is seduced by a woman who makes eyes at him and leads him into her house, up the stairs and into a room filled with... other milkmen.
And a short but sweet bit whose dialogue I shall post below:

Man: Officer?
Policeman: Yes?
Man: I'm terribly sorry, but I was sitting on that bench over there, and dozed off for a while, and when I woke up I found my wallet gone and 500 pounds to be stolen.
Policeman: Well, uh, did you see anyone around, anyone at all...?
Man: No, none at all, that's the trouble.
Policeman: Well, I'm afraid there's not much we can do about that, sir.
[long pause]
Man: You wanna go back to my place?
[another pause]
Policeman: Yeah, all right.

That above one's great. I like the way they walk off together.

The Fake Hungarian - English Phrasebook Sketch :-

"I will not buy this tobaccanist, it is scratched"

Words too rude to said :-

SEMPRINI !!!!

Gumby Brain Surgeons is a good one, along with the Architecture skit.

^ "My hovercraft is full of eels."

Loved the village idiot sketch, and the philosophers playing soccer. Omg just remembered the unknown joke and the mosquito hunt. Simply brilliant!

I would have to say that my favortite movie has to e the meaning of life, if only for one scene.. I love the "Every Sperm is Sacred" part. The song is great and the choreography is even better, but my absolute favorite part of that scene is after the singing and all the kids are heading to the labs for scientific research. I have been watching Python since I was about 12 years old. My mother introduced me to them.

So here's to 40 years of Python! Here, here!!

My fav -- it sctually has an ending. The All England Summarize Proust Contest.

"Proust in his first book he wrote about, he wrote about, he wrote about, he wrote about, Swan"

"And the winner is . . . the girl with the biggest tits."

And now for something completely different.

Upper Class Twit of the Year.