15 Things You Didn’t Know About ‘Monty Python’s Flying Circus’

10. The Different Styles Of Comedy

How do you know who wrote what? I could do this, but why deny John Cleese the opportunity? As the comedian said, “most of the sketches with heavy abuse were Graham’s and mine, anything that started with a slow pan across countryside and impressive music was Mike and Terry’s, and anything that got utterly involved with words and disappeared up any personal orifice was Eric’s.”

11. Okay, One More Note About the Title

Just because they’re awesome, here are some possible (but rejected) titles for what became Monty Python’s Flying Circus: Owl Stretching Time, The Toad Elevating Moment, A Horse, a Spoon and a Bucket, Vaseline Review, and Bun, Wackett, Buzzard, Stubble and Boot. They settled on the Flying Circus because the BBC told them to cut it out.

12. The “It’s” Man

A lot of times, the show was introduced by a poor, sad fool in ragged clothing and a castaway-length beard. This sap would be forced to run some harrowing gauntlet, like walking towards the camera through a minefield, in order to get his moment in the sun. He’d get the chance to mutter only, “It’s …” before being cut off by the camera. It’s was actually an early title suggestion for the series.