The BEST episodes of Monty Python's Flying Circus season 1
Every episode of Monty Python's Flying Circus season 1, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Monty Python's Flying Circus season 1!
And now for something completely different: Monty Python's Flying Circus was simply the most influential comedy program television has ever seen. Five Englishmen, all working under the constraints of conventional TV shows such as The Frost Report (for which the five Englishmen wrote), gathered together with an expatriate American in the spring of 1969 to break the rules. The result, first airing on BBC-1 on October 5, 1969, has influenced countless future men and women in the media and comedy since.
#1 - Full Frontal Nudity
Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired 12/7/1969
Hermit and bomb; credits; Episode 12b Full Frontal Nudity; man on the street interviews on full frontal nudity; an Army recruit wants out, gangsters offer protection to Colonel `things burn Colonel', Colonel ends sketch because of silliness; animation- Full Frontal Nudity; man in the street considers full frontal nudity; art critic reviews `the place of the nude in my bed... in art!'; newlyweds try to buy a bed and mattress; more men in the street; colonel warns again about silly sketches; two hermits talk about hermitting; animation- Venus on the half shell; Pet Shop Sketch `but the palindrome of Bolton, would be notlob!'; newsreader announces frontal nudity; flasher; Hell's Grannies, baby snatchers, and vicious gangs of Keep Left signs, Colonel stops sketch; flasher; Hermit and bomb; credits.
#2 - Sex and Violence
Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/12/1969
Hermit struggles to camera; opening credits with flowers; Part 2, Sheep farmer explains about Harold `that most dangerous of animals' a clever sheep; Frenchmen explain commercial possibilities of flying sheep; women on Frenchmen; animation- The Thinker; and now for something completely different- a man with three buttocks `Oh! Me bum!', a man with two noses; Arthur Ewing and his musical mice; marriage counselor sketch `Arthur Pewty today you're a man!'; coal miner visits his playwright father; a Scotsman on a horse; animation- flying sheep; The Epilogue: a question of belief to be decided by two out of three falls; animation- a train and other twisted things from the mind of Terry Gilliam, a baby carriage that eats people, the kiss; Of Mice and Men: an investigative report on mouse clubs; Hermit; end credits.
#3 - The Ant, an Introduction
Season 1 - Episode 9 - Aired 12/14/1969
Hermit dodging landmines; credits; Part 2: The Llama, Live from Golder's Green- a Flamenco troupe explains the Llama `Llamas son mas grandes que las ranas'; and now for something completely different: a man with a tape recorder up his nose; mountaineering sketch, two men skilled in climbing apply to an expedition to the twin peaks of Mt. Kilimanjaro; and now: Monty Python; a man with a tape recorder up his brother's nose, and now in stereo; animation- saint selling encyclopedias; barber fights urge to kill, reveals he always wanted to be a lumberjack, song- Lumberjack Song; letters of protest; housewife protests about too much sex on television `I mean, I keep falling off', Prof. Gumby gives an opinion on television's influence; announcer grovels during introduction of star, `Ken Buddha, a smile, two bangs and a religion', animation- Brian Islam and Brucie; life in the country guns, guns, guns; knight with chicken not needed this week; and now: Victor and Iris's night alone together wit
#4 - Man's Crisis of Identity in the Latter Half of the 20th Century
Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 11/16/1969
Hermit rowing boat; credits; Confuse A Cat Ltd.; animation- growing mustache; customs sketch; implications of law enforcement techniques of last sketch discussed by a duck, cat and a lizard; man in the street interviews about customs regulations, chicken knight; Police Constable Henry Thatcher's raid for substances of an illicit nature; letter of protest; letter of protest about letter of protest; housewife urges use of satire as a weapon, more man in the street interviews; newsreader wanted for jewel robberies, Match of the Day highlights missing so tonight's romantic movie highlights shown instead; animation- Charles Atlas' Dynamo Tension Ad; management training course interview; career advisory board, burglar comes to sell encyclopedias; Hermit; credits.
#5 - Whither Canada?
Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 10/5/1969
Hermit comes out of sea; credits; pig killed; It's W.A. Mozart, famous deaths with Genghis Khan and others; pig killed; Italian language classes; pig killed; animation- pig swallowed by man; Whizzo butter and a dead crab comparison; It's the Arts- Sir Eddie-Baby Ross interviewed, Arthur `Two Sheds' Jackson interviewed, and live coverage of Picasso doing an abstract on a bicycle; animation- sit up! and other stuff; Ernest Scribbler writes the funniest joke in the world: Ian McNaughton The Killer Joke `Wenn ist das Nunstuck git und Slotermeyer? Ja!... Beiherhund das Oder die Flipperwaldt gersput!'; Hermit; credits.
#6 - It's the Arts
Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 11/23/1969
Hermit answers phone; credits; Next week: how to fling an otter; BBC expenses on captions; This Week, autograph seeker; animation- autograph & titles for =>; It's the Arts profiles- Johann Gambleputtydevonausfernschpledenschlittcrasscrenbonfriedigger- dingledangledonglebursteinvonknackerthrasherapplebangerhorowitz- ticolensicgranderknottyspelltinklegrandlichgrumblemeyerspelter- wasserkurstlichhimbleeisenbahnwagengutenabendbitteeinnurnburger- bratwurstlegerspurtenmitzweimacheluberhundsfutgumberaberschonend- ankerkalbsfleischmittleraucher Von Hauptkopf of Ulm; animation the fig leaf and the hand; planning a jewel robbery; man in the street interview about robbers; The Whizzo quality assortment of chocolate `Crunchy Frog?!'; dull life of city stockbroker, animation- comic book adventure; Indian massacre at theater; policemen make wonderful friends, `for Mrs. Emma Hamilton of Nelson, a Scotsman on a horse'; animation- a man eating baby carriage, and the 20th Century Vole logo;
#7 - The Naked Ant
Season 1 - Episode 12 - Aired 1/4/1970
Hermit pinballs off trees; credits; episode 17-26: The Naked Ant; signal man & bear; men falling past window; letter of protest; animation- people falling; Spectrum- `What is Going On?'; the North Minehead By-Election with Adolf Hilter, man on the street about Mr. Hilter; Spectrum again `What do I mean, by what do I mean?'; `I Wish to Report a Burglary!'; The 127th Annual Upper Class Twit of the Year competition `He doesn't have any sort of sensory apparatus what-so-ever. My God this is exciting!'; letter of compliment; animation- soldier falls apart; Ken Shabby proposes `After five years they give me a brush', The Story So Far...; A Party Political Broadcast on behalf of the Wood Party- minister falls through Earth's crust `I should think the longest length of BBC rope', commentary on minister's fall; Anything else? `No', Spectrum again `What do we mean by no', sixteen ton weight; Hermit; credits.
#8 - How to Recognise Different Types of Trees from Quite a Long Way Away
Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/19/1969
Hermit comes out of trees; credits; Episode 12b: How to Recognize Different Types of Trees From Quite a Long Ways Away: No. 1: the Larch; Mr. Larch on trial for parking offense with Mrs. Fiona Lewis, the late Arthur Aldridge and Cardinal Richelieu as character witnesses, Dim of the Yard! in pursuit of a notorious Cardinal Richelieu impersonator, song- If I Were Not in the C.I.D., knight with rubber chicken; No. 1: the Larch; `Bicycle repairman, but how?!'; announcer goes crazy on commies, chicken knight; storytime about Rumpletweezer, Old Nick the Sea Captain and Rikki the Magic Pixie; animation- hippo and rabbits, vicar pounds man into ground; an announcer at the beach introduces: the Restaurant Sketch, announcer and chicken knight; animation- advertisement purchase a past; disappearing Milkman; BBC news announcer kidnapped while on air; No. 1 the Larch; schoolboys recognize trees, `Eric's written a sketch', `Say no more! Nudge! Nudge!'; Hermit; credits.
#9 - Owl-Stretching Time
Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/26/1969
Hermit thrown off cliff; credits; Episode Arthur Part 7 Teeth, live from Cardiffs Room Libya; Art Gallery sketch- `fancy a Turner?'; an art critic- `but it's my only line!'; back to Cardiff Rooms- `It's a Man's Life in the Cardiff Rooms Libya'; Colonel objects to stolen slogan; viking `this is my only line'; gentleman trying to change into swimsuit, striptease `It's a Man's Life Taking Your Clothes Off in Public'; Colonel objects again; How to defend yourself against a foe laden with Fresh Fruit `and pointed sticks. SHUT UP!'; animation- my last operation; aristocrat at beach; back at Cardiff Rooms;`'It's a Man's Life in England's Mountain Green'; Colonel is furious; The Bookshop Sketch featuring `Lemming, Arthur Lemming special investigator British Dental Association' and `The Big Cheese!' song- Lemming of the B.D.A.; Colonel shuts show down; Hermit; credits.
#10 - Oh, You're No Fun Anymore
Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/30/1969
Hermit runs downhill and can't remember line; credits; camel spotting; animations & vignettes of- You're no fun anymore; board meeting `I embezzled it!'; here is the address to complain to; reminder about leaving your radio on at night; announcer for the next sketch: The Science Fiction Sketch, Mr. & Mrs. Samuel Brainsample, first victims of being from another world, scientist and his assistant, more Scotsman, desolate England, scientist and his assistant, Mr. Angus Podgorny owner of a Dunbar Men's Shop receives an order for 48 million kilts from a blancmange from Andromeda `Angus Podgorny what do ya mean?', police station--woman reports seeing a blancmange playing singles with itself, Angus Podgorny's wife gets eaten, Policeman tells how Mrs. Podgorny could have avoided that, Scotland Yard detective inspector interviews Angus and gets eaten, scientist and his assistant `They mean to win Wimbledon', BBC coverage of a Wimbledon match between Angus Podgorny and a blancmange from the plane
#11 - The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Goes to the Bathroom
Season 1 - Episode 11 - Aired 12/28/1969
Hermit hit by auto; Episode Two's: Royal Philharmonic goes to bathroom; letter of objection; Mary Bignell's wonderful jump; letters of objection; Royal Philharmonic flushes; animation- objections; Prof. Canning presents the Black Death, interrupted by undertakers racing hearses & having picnic lunches, Canning leaves in disgust; Inspectors Tiger, Lookout, There's-a-man-behind-you, and Fire investigate a murder; undertakers interrupt show for a burial; a late letter of objection; an existential football interview `Well Brian, I hit the ball first time, and there it was in the back of the net. I'm opening a boutique'; back to the murder investigation; undertakers having it rough; animation- undertakers & two nude ladies; Interesting People: a man in a matchbox, `Ali Bayan stark raving mad', `Men of Harlech' on bicycle bells, a man who can give a cat influenza, an invisible man, interesting sports, a man who's into shouting, a man whose cat jumps across a studio into a bucket of water- `B
#12 - Intermission
Season 1 - Episode 13 - Aired 1/11/1970
Undertakers carry Hermit on; a short intermission; credits; a medium-sized intermission; animation- ""intermission"" eaten; 'Please excuse my wife'; a whopping great intermission; animation- Pearls for Swine presents... cinema ads- ALBATROSS! Gannet on a stick!; more ads; policeman and man on corner (""Do you want to come back to my place""); Me Doctor?, chicken knight; Gumbies; Historical Impersonations- Cardinal Richelieu as Petula Clark and Marcel Marceau mimes a man being struck on the head by a sixteen-ton weight; schoolboys 'I want to have Raquel Welch dropped on top of me. She's got a big bottom!' and insurance agents; cops and robbers; Probearound looks at Magic and the police force; A.T. Hun turns himself in 'Curses! Curses!'; letters of protest, animated letter falls apart; Psychiatrist Larch sees a man about strange voices the man is hearing, man goes to see Larch's friend who specializes in these sort of things and gets an expensive operation, man found to have squatters in his
#13 - Untitled
Season 1 - Episode 10 - Aired 12/21/1969
Hermit on meathook; credits; BBC sends letter to plumber asking him to be in a sketch, robber in lingerie shop waits for plumber; David Unction introduces `It's a Tree' with Arthur Tree, a piece of laminated plastic and a block of wood; animation- Chippendale does impersonations, announcer introduces => the vocational guidance counselor sketch- accountant wants to be lion tamer; David Unction and a viking; Ron Obvious tries to jump the English channel, eat a cathedral, tunnel to Java, split a railway car with his nose and run to Mercury; pet conversion sketch; comments on sketch predictability; gorilla wants to be a librarian; letters; lover visits lady in the night and encounters a crowd; animation- comments on last sketch predictability by animals; Hermit; credits.