Monty Python facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Monty Python
The Pythons in 1969: Back row: Chapman, Idle, Gilliam Front row: Jones, Cleese, Palin
Medium	Television film theatre audio recordings literature
Nationality	British
Years active	1969–1983, 1989, 1998–1999, 2002, 2013–2014
Genres	Satire surreal humour black comedy blue comedy
Notable works and roles	Flying Circus (1969–1974) And Now for Something Completely Different (1971) Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) Life of Brian (1979) Live at the Hollywood Bowl (1982) The Meaning of Life (1983) Monty Python Live (Mostly) (2014)
Members	Graham Chapman (deceased) John Cleese Terry Gilliam Eric Idle Terry Jones (deceased) Michael Palin

Monty Python, also known as The Pythons, is a group of British comic actors. They have acted in several comedy movies (most famously, Monty Python and the Holy Grail). They had a television show, Monty Python's Flying Circus between 1969 and 1974, which is still well-known and watched around the world.

The members of Monty Python are: John Cleese, Eric Idle, Graham Chapman, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin.

Monty Python started with their first movie, And Now For Something Completely Different, and finished with their final movie, Monty Python's The Meaning of Life.

Movies

• And Now For Something Completely Different (1971)
• Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
• Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979)
• Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl (1982)
• Monty Python's The Meaning of Life (1983)

Images for kids

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  "Four Yorkshiremen sketch" at the 2014 Monty Python reunion. Written by Cleese, Chapman, Tim Brooke-Taylor and Marty Feldman, it was originally performed on their TV series At Last the 1948 Show in 1967. It parodies nostalgic conversations about humble beginnings or difficult childhoods.

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  "The Ministry of Silly Walks" sketch performed at the 2014 Python reunion. Featuring Cleese as a bowler-hatted civil servant in a fictitious British government ministry responsible for developing silly walks through grants, it appears in season 2, episode 1 of Monty Python's Flying Circus.

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  Gilliam, Palin and Jones performing "The Spanish Inquisition" sketch during the 2014 Python reunion. As a sketch writer and creator of animations, Gilliam did considerably less acting, although he did have some notable sketch roles such as this (Cardinal Fang).

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  Cupid's foot, as used by Monty Python's Flying Circus. A trademark of Gilliam's stop-motion animation, the giant foot would suddenly squash things, including the show's title at the end of the opening credits.

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  Jones and Cleese as housewives in the 2014 reunion. Playing Brian Cohen's mother in Life of Brian, Jones delivered the line, "He's not the Messiah, he's a very naughty boy!".

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  "The Lumberjack Song" with Palin (right) and Carol Cleveland at the 2014 reunion. It appeared in the ninth episode of Monty Python's Flying Circus.

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  Soldier's helmet from Monty Python and the Holy Grail at the Museum of Pop Culture, Seattle

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  Blue plaque at Neal's Yard, London. In 1976 Palin and Gilliam bought offices here as studios and editing suites for Python films and solo projects.

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  Left to right: Palin, Gilliam, Jones, Idle, Cleese (pictured in 2014).

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  Spamalot at the Shubert Theatre, New York in 2006. Winning the 2005 Tony Award for Best Musical, Idle's musical opened in London's West End a year later. The original Broadway cast included Tim Curry as King Arthur, Hank Azaria as Sir Lancelot, and Cleese as the (recorded) voice of God.

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  Long-time collaborator Neil Innes at the premiere of The Seventh Python in 2009

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  Members of Monty Python on stage at the O2 Arena, London, in July 2014

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  Eric Idle singing the "Galaxy Song" (from The Meaning of Life) at the 2014 Monty Python reunion. Known for his wordplay and musical numbers, he also performed "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" (from Life of Brian)

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  Carol Cleveland (in 2009), commonly called "Python girl", or "Seventh Python".

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  "Argument Clinic" sketch with Palin (standing) and Cleese in 2014. CNN states, "Monty Python has been called The Beatles of comedy".

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  Menu from the "Spam" sketch, from where the junk term is derived. Spam is included in almost every dish, much to the consternation of a customer.

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  Gumby flower arranging. A character of limited intelligence and vocabulary (a satire on the condescending use of the "man on the street" on TV), he is played here by Terry Gilliam in 2014.

See also

In Spanish: Monty Python para niños