Monty Python

Terry Gilliam was a member of Monty Python. It was a group of six men: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, and Terry Gilliam. Some of them met at the University and the other joined later through their work on television comedy programmes.

They created Monty Python’s Flying Circus, a British Television comedy sketch show that appeared for the first time on BBC on October 5, 1969 in which they were responsible of writing and performing their sketches. Its free-form, sarcastic, and satirical style reflected the times they were living. This TV programme was successful among British people because it changed the way of entertaining the audience. They laughed of their own society and daily life situations.

The success of the first season made the BBC and Monty Python’s members create a second season of their show in 1970. Before doing it, they tried to enter to the world of films by releasing a movie called “And Now for Something Completely Different,” but they did not have the success they expected so they returned to the television production.

In 1972-73, they showed the third season of Monty Python Flying Circus. At the end of it, one of the members John Cleese decided to retire of the Pythons. After that, the fourth series, that had only four episodes, was renamed as Monty Python and it is considered the weakest of all the seasons they have had.

Learning from the failure of their first movie, in 1974, they filmed a movie called “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” which was directed by Terry Jones and Terry Gilliam. It was a great success and at the same time, they became successful in USA. After those great results, they realized that they were good in making films so they did four more movies.

In 1983 they filmed their last movie “The Meaning of Life” with which they won the Jury Prize at the Cannes film Festival. The Pythons had others projects particularly, so they decided to finish doing Monty Python’s movies. Monty Python has been a great influence for some British and American television comedy such as “Saturday Night Life.” Because of their influence and success, Monty Python is known as “The Beatles of Comedy.”