On This Day In History - 1969......

[mushroom25]

saw the premier of a new anarchic comedy sketch show - Monty Python's Flying Circus. this first episode included the funniest joke in the world sketch, as well as featuring Arthur "2 sheds" Jackson and a parody of the Stork SB adverts. although billed as a sketch show, the stream of consciousness technique made it stand out.

from this far away, a review of the series would probably show that very little of the content (aside from the oft-repeated classic sketches) would be funny now, and some would be downright unbroadcast-able.

[naomi24]

I tried watching Monty Python quite recently.  It's just not funny now.  

 

I also revisited Life of Brian - which has stood the test of time.

[Ken4155]

Monty Python was brilliantly whacky, but also of it's time.

[naomi24]

Ken, Life of Brian is still brilliantly whacky - well I think so.  How can anyone not laugh?  It really is so deliciously daft!  :o)

[ichkeria]

Monty Python was always a bit hit and miss: I think I still find the funny bits funny and the non funny bits ... not funny.

What bits wouldn't they show now?

[nescio]

My favourite bit in Life of Brian:

"You're all individuals."

"Yes, we're all individuals."

"You're all different."

"Yes, we're all different."

Then one man pipes up

"I'm not."

[Canary42]

I agree with ichkeria - I was a great fan at the time, and some of the sketches do stand the test of time. But even at the time sketches sometimes failed IMHO, and it was therefore a bit hit-and-miss. 

[Ken4155]

Naomi, i watched LOB in the Garrison cinema back in the 70s. When we came out of the cinema, there were clergy of all flavours handing out leaflets - invitations to attened one of the churches on Sunday morning to discuss the 'blasphemy' in the film. Needless to say, the Garrison street cleaner had his work cut out the following morning.

[mushroom25]

// What bits wouldn't they show now? //

any number of sketches where the company wear blackface, eg Our Eamonn, Killer Sheep, Atilla the Hun, Boxing Match Aftermath, etc......

[Ken4155]

I think the sketch that had me laughing the loudest was an animation in which a lady is waiting for a bus at the top of a hill. The bus trundles along, she sticks her hand out but it drives past. So she hums a little tune to herself andwhen the next bus comes along, she repeats the process of requesting it to stop. Once more the bus drives by.

When the 3rd bus comes along, she sticks her leg out and trips it up. Then she gets on the bus - the fact that the bus was now upside down, and going nowhere, was what made it that little funnier.

[JimF]

[Ken4155]

^

Ta for that Jim - almost as i remembered it😉

[William51]

 Monty Python broke the mould. It was made up of some brilliantly stupid inventive sketches that are still funny now and i suspect will tell the test of time.