So, I hopped into my car this morning for the 30 minute trek to my office. ( I have mid-terms next week and last week’s big move made me push off studying to this weekend).  Since I have two kids, one wife, and two in-laws back at the house right now, I figured the best thing to do would be to come into the office to study.

Anyway, my wife swiped my iPod on her way to the gym this morning (since she couldn’t find hers), which means I was left without being able to listen to my usual audio book.  Fortunately, a couple of months ago, I took XM Satellite radio up on its promotion offer and got 6 months of service for about $30, which means I had satellite radio as an option.  I was going to listen to the one of the news stations, but when I flipped it on, it was tuned to one of the comedy stations – Laugh USA, which was running a two week all-Monty Python channel.

It was a fun walk down memory lane.  The Pythons got their start on October 5, 1969 – a little over 40 years ago.  Their half-hour BBC show ran for 5 years and the pythons produced 5 movies; the last in 1983.  What’s amazing to me is that the Pythons had stopped producing new material before I even got into college which is where I learned about the group.  As much as anything, I think that the college community remains one of the strongest fans of Monty Python’s work even 40 years later.  What’s also interesting is that much of the material is still pretty funny today.  When you compare it to some of the other British humor of the day such as the Benny Hill show, which has not stood up as well, or even an American humor/variety show such as Hee Haw (which you can’t watch today without cringing), you can really appreciate the genius of the Pythons.  In much the same was as the Beatles has transcended generational divides, Monty Python has as well.

What is also really cool is that while Monty Python produced video programs from it’s seminal Flying Circus to its movies, much of the material translated pretty well to an audio-only format.  For many of the skits, the video is an enhancement, not a necessary element and again an example of the genius of the troupe.

I’d recommend that if you have not had a visit with Monty Python in a while, you rent one of their movies or some episodes of the Flying Circus.  You might be surprised how fresh it still sounds today.  It is also an excellent opportunity to start indoctrinating the next generation in all things Python so that if they go off to school, they can be “in the know” about Monty Python and can enlighten their more ignorant class-mates.

If you have never watched any Monty Python, but want to give it a try, I would suggest Monty Python and the Holy Grail.  It is probably the most easily accessible of all of the Python material and provides so many of the most quoted Python lines.  The Life of Brian is also quite funny, but some people consider it terribly sacrilegious, so if you are a devout Christian that might be easily offended with a send up of the life of Jesus, you might want to pass on this one.  The irony is that the movie is not about Jesus but instead about Brian, a nobody who is mistaken for a Jesus-like figure and winds up in similar straights.  That said, the life parallels might be a bit too close for some folks, so you’ve been warned.

The first python movie, And Now for Something Completely Different is mostly a collection of the best of the short skits from the Flying Circus.  Live at the Hollywood Bowl is also a collection of Flying Circus skits, but performed before a live audience.  The final movie, Monty Python’s Meaning of Life was intended to be a loosely connected series of new skits.  It is considered their darkest movie full of Black Humor.  It is also my least favorite.  I would would still suggest it be part of your Python education, but leave it until a bit later.

I would also leave the original Monty Python’s Flying Circus half hour shows until after you had absorbed some of the movies.  The material is a bit denser and feel a bit more rough.  There are some huge laughs here, but also some real flops.

So, wish that I had been on my game and posted this on October 4th, but in any case, Happy 40th birthday Monty Python!

Jim