Every comedy troupe is always compared to Monty Python for good reason: because they set the standard and raised the bar higher than anyone has been able to reach yet. From Broken Lizard, Apatow’s group, the Happy Madison gang, the Frat Pack and many others, the comparison is the same. No one has reached their level as of now and probably never will. They are the single greatest collection of comedic talent together, very talented independently, and changed British comedy forever while influencing several generations of American comics. Monty Python’s Flying Circus ranks as perhaps as one of the greatest television shows of all time.
They all pale in comparison to John Cleese and his group of merry men both individually and as a group, mainly because their collection of material has come to an end. Graham Chapman’s death sealed their fate, as the other five members of the troupe refuse to perform without him. But for the time they spent on Monty Python’s Flying Circus and a trilogy of films, the Pythons (Cleese, Chapman, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones and Michael Palin) left an exceptional legacy of absurdist comedy. Now their entire television collection has been re-released onto DVD in the appropriately titled The Complete Monty Python’s Flying Circus Collector’s Edition.
The set is broke up into volumes. It’s a 21-disc set, so it’s not a quick afternoon viewing. The first 14 discs are the exact same from the 16 disc Flying Circus collection featuring the entire Flying Circus television series. Nothing has changed from the first box set in terms of the series itself, presented in order and uncensored hilarity.
The two “Live” compilations from the “16-Ton Mega Set” are included as well, but the joy in this collection is in the five additional discs provided. Featuring three discs of sketches picked by the cast members themselves as their favorite sketches on top of two compilation DVDs of early Python gags pre-dating Flying Circus which is worth viewing.
Discs 1-14: All 45 episodes of Monty Python and the Flying Circus television series
Disc 15: Before the Flying Circus is a documentary on the six chaps about their time before Python. Presented in Black and White, it’s an absolutely fascinating look at the early days of the Pythons before they came together as Monty Python. Featuring all sorts of material they were in during the 1960s on the BBC, including rare pictures of early performances on Broadway in their twenties as parts of various acting troupes, it’s a no-holds-barred look at their comedy careers. Featuring interviews from everyone involved outside of Chapman, obviously, its must watch viewing on the Pythons. It follows them from childhood to their peak years, spending plenty of time on their work beforehand in tremendous detail. You get to see early sketches and the foundations of the brand of humor that would turn into some of the characters and sketches that would become comedic history. It’s a rare look at the group of men who wanted to do what they wanted to do on their own terms, a rare set of “arrogance” as Cleese says, who reinvented British comedy in a way that’s still felt today.
There is also a Missing Sketch that was deemed lost for many years until showing up in a Buffalo, NY, PBS broadcast reel.
Disc 16: Monty Python Conquers America is a piece on Python’s influence on American comedy. Featuring Trey Parker and Matt Stone (the men behind South Park), Luke Wison and other American comedy stars. Focusing on how the series came to America, the Pythons’ first attempt was And now for something completely different which didn’t get a release in the United States in part to the “Twit of the Year” sketch until long after it had been filmed. Python would gain a foothold in America via their comedy albums, which resulted in a release amongst New York area hipsters. They relate a story about their first exposure to U.S audiences, on the “Tonight Show,” which was an absolute disaster. Selling it to PBS was perhaps their best chance of finding an audience, it’s a retrospective on how the troupe came to be as popular as they became back in their heyday and still are.
Discs 17 – 21: Are five discs of personal sketches picked out by the five surviving Pythons of their favorite discs. Already released onto DVD, they’re put in this set as a sort of complete feeling to the set.
The a/v portion of the set is a bit erratic. The series is cleaned up somewhat, but is the same a/v quality as the “16 Ton Mega Set” and everything else has wild variances of a/v. For the most part it’s presentable, with some of it being quite good, but for the most part the material varies wildly in quality.
If you put off buying the “16-Ton Mega Set” edition due to price, then this is definitely a recommended buy. If not, then it’s basically a retread of that set with other significant material included in the set. The documentaries are worth viewing, but not strong enough to recommend purchasing this set on top of the aforementioned set.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
A & E presents Monty Python’s Flying Circus (Collector’s Edition). Directed by Terry Gilliam. Written by and Starring John Cleese, Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam, Michael Palin. Running time: 1869 minutes. Not Rated. Released on DVD: November 18, 2008. Available at Amazon.
