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"MONTY PYTHON'S FLYING CIRCUS" - running orders
The shows are listed in chronological order of original
transmissions, with series/number reference. transmission date,
number in order of recording (in brackets) and date of recording
(also in brackets). For the first three series, the order of shows
was altered after recording so as to provide a better balanced series
as transmitted. A very few sketches were transferred to a different
show during the editing. Some shows have a a title for the whole
show; these titles are underlined.
It will readily be understood that compiling running orders for
'Monty Python's Flying Circus' is rather like trying to make a set of
engineering drawings for a surrealist painting. Consequently the
details given below are not really titles in the conventional sense,
but are intended to give an indication of what the item is about.
Also, since items frequently spill over into each other, it should
not be assumed that separate titles indicate quite separate
sketches
The principal animated links have been indicated by an asterisk: only
occasionally has it been possible to give a title, as the animations
are even more surrealist than the sketches, and indeed the studio
scripts rapidly abandon the attempt to describe them and merely
indicate the footage.
The shows are written and performed by: Michael Palin, Terry Jones,
Graham Chapman, Eric Idle and John Cleese (not 4th series).
Animations and occasional appearances by Terry Gilliam. Carol
Cleveland and Connie Booth appear in a number of shows.