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Holy Flying Circus

Very funny and well observed drama about the fuss over Python's life of Brian.

Was shown on Wednesday and then followed by the orginal "Friday night, Saturday morning" debate with muggeridge and the bishop of Southwark.

Bit like the Damned Utd in that it's a good drama but the real participants less than impressed.

Well worth watching on BBC iplayer if you like Python as lots of references to their sketches
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Comments

  • Only saw a clip but was surprised at the likenesses between the actors and the real Pythons. Steve Punt as Eric Idle in particular.
  • edited October 2011

    Agree Sir Henry, very much enjoyed it. Whilst we were in Jersualem a week or so ago, we visited the church of the holy sepulchre. Outside, propped up against the walls, was a pile of huge wooden crosses. I thought this was an attempt at one of those 'installation' thingies, but in fact it was genuinely a 'rent a cross' outlet. It seemed like religion imitating Monty Python and i thought it highly blasphemous ;-)

  • Only saw a clip but was surprised at the likenesses between the actors and the real Pythons. Steve Punt as Eric Idle in particular.
    Yes, did that very well.

    Cheers for the link Stig

    SA, I'm biting my lip resisting the urge to launch into a python sketch : - )
  • The bloke playing Michael Palin was spot on
  • He's not the messiah...
  • It's a shame that the actor playing John Cleese decided to play him as Basil Fawlty.

    Remember that episode of Friday Night/Sat Morn and really enjoyed watching it again, well seen first 25 mins or so. Tim Rice was a good host wasn't he?????

    Saw the film at the Granada Welling in '79 and got bothered by a load of bible bashers on the way out! It remains the funniest film I have ever seen.

  • It's a shame that the actor playing John Cleese decided to play him as Basil Fawlty.

    Remember that episode of Friday Night/Sat Morn and really enjoyed watching it again, well seen first 25 mins or so. Tim Rice was a good host wasn't he?????

    Saw the film at the Granada Welling in '79 and got bothered by a load of bible bashers on the way out! It remains the funniest film I have ever seen.

    I thought Cleese explaining how he wasn't Fawlty and really a nice person was one of the best bits along with Palin's wife.

    Agree about Tim Rice.  Why he's not now hosting a major chat show I'll never know!

    Will have to watch LOB with my son and see if you finds it funny.
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  • The bloke playing Michael Palin was spot on


    Spot on indeed he was. In fact given that we seen most of the actors in many other things I was really surprised how much they got them to look like their characters.

    I really enjoyed the programme and just shows that we can still make great tele.....even if the masses prefer "The Next Katie Price Dances on Ice" or whatever that s###e is called.

  • It's a shame that the actor playing John Cleese decided to play him as Basil Fawlty.

    Remember that episode of Friday Night/Sat Morn and really enjoyed watching it again, well seen first 25 mins or so. Tim Rice was a good host wasn't he?????

    Saw the film at the Granada Welling in '79 and got bothered by a load of bible bashers on the way out! It remains the funniest film I have ever seen.

    I thought Cleese explaining how he wasn't Fawlty and really a nice person was one of the best bits along with Palin's wife.

    Agree about Tim Rice.  Why he's not now hosting a major chat show I'll never know!

    Will have to watch LOB with my son and see if you finds it funny.
    I'm NOT your son!
  • It's a shame that the actor playing John Cleese decided to play him as Basil Fawlty.

    Remember that episode of Friday Night/Sat Morn and really enjoyed watching it again, well seen first 25 mins or so. Tim Rice was a good host wasn't he?????

    Saw the film at the Granada Welling in '79 and got bothered by a load of bible bashers on the way out! It remains the funniest film I have ever seen.

    I thought Cleese explaining how he wasn't Fawlty and really a nice person was one of the best bits along with Palin's wife.

    Agree about Tim Rice.  Why he's not now hosting a major chat show I'll never know!

    Will have to watch LOB with my son and see if you finds it funny.
    I'm NOT your son!
    I am thankful for such small mercies
  • .....Spike Milligan.............
  • Just watched it. Absolute Genius programme. As mad as a box of tap dancing frogs - Exactly as it should be. 
  • It's a shame that the actor playing John Cleese decided to play him as Basil Fawlty.

    Remember that episode of Friday Night/Sat Morn and really enjoyed watching it again, well seen first 25 mins or so. Tim Rice was a good host wasn't he?????

    Saw the film at the Granada Welling in '79 and got bothered by a load of bible bashers on the way out! It remains the funniest film I have ever seen.

    I thought Cleese explaining how he wasn't Fawlty and really a nice person was one of the best bits along with Palin's wife.

    Agree about Tim Rice.  Why he's not now hosting a major chat show I'll never know!

    Will have to watch LOB with my son and see if you finds it funny.
    Tim's a family friend (my mum is godmother to his daughter) - sounds like something off FR! I'll pass on the compliments. 
  • Superb program. Recommend it to any MPFC fans out there.
  • Great programme and indeed mad as a box of frogs :)

  • Great programme and indeed mad as a box of frogs :)

    "If You agree say "Christ on a Gondola" ".
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  • v good show

    think i enjoyed the chat show afterwards better 

    interesting that Malcom Muggeridge was editor of punch for 4 years (i never knew that) and that he saw himself as an arbiter of humour/comedy, i particularly liked his words about how this film wouldnt stand the test of time ...how wrong he was !i also particularly liked how polite and deferrential JC and MP were to Muggeridge and the Bishop

    One of the funniest films ever made and it doesnt date and never will 
  • It was such a creative and interesting time altogether, loads of ideas flying around. Quite how we've allowed globalisation to turn us all into zombies, I still can't quite fathom. Muggeridge hugely disappointed the Pythons. He was a radical initially (Croydon Labour roots) but his experiences of Russia disillusioned him and then he found his version of god and along with Cliff Richard, Mary Whitehouse and assorted evangelicals set about cleaning up TV. Muggeridge himself was a womanising pompous lush and his views on the role of women had already made him a target of the burgeoning feminist movement. He became a caricature of himself and this debate did him no favours at all, thankfully. Life of Brian remains my no 1 film.
  • Brilliant stuff.

    Going to watch it for the third time later this week - sheer quality, brilliant character acting and mad as a box of frogs.  Wish all comedy could be this creative.

    And as for Life of Brian not standing up to the test of time.....you have to laugh! (no pun intended)
  • Just watched the original debate and then the Holy Flying Circus. What an utterly fantastic piece of telly! Absolutely loved it.
  • Brilliant programme totally absurd and off the wall. Very clever writing with cleese and palin deliberately being stereotypes from their most popular roles. I wonder how the real life wife of palin felt about a man playing her role? Remember seeing life of brian when I was a kid (early eighties) its the kind of film that can set a tone for life.
  • I wonder how the real life wife of palin felt about a man playing her role? 
    I expect she was a bit miffed at her soup getting slaughtered.
  • I went to see Life of Brian at Bexleyheath cinema - early 1981'  if I remember correctly 

    I always remember as it was my first ever "date" with a girlfriend. -  she lived in Sidcup somewhere & remember getting the bus back to her place and  walking a long way from the station bus stop to her house - couldn't remember the way back & got the last train back to Bexley !!

  • Watched Life of Brian with my daughter (15) recently hoping that she would get it, thankfully she did and has now bought the box set of all Python films.

    Absolutely love it, takes me back to when I was her age. 

  • Watched Life of Brian with my daughter (15) recently hoping that she would get it, thankfully she did and has now bought the box set of all Python films.

    Absolutely love it, takes me back to when I was her age. 

    I watched Holy Flying Circus last night .. thought it was great

    This morning I've ordered the same box set of all the films, plus the complete box set of the TV series, plus the Live at the Hollywod Bowl DVD as well .. very happy that all this cost me less than £30
  • Caught up with it last night too. Brilliantly surreal, good characterisations too, Darren Boyd as John Cleese playing Basil Fawlty was inspired.
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