Among the many things Monty Python has anchored in the collective consciousness of late 20th century TV viewers is the perfect formula on how to make a perfect transition from one thing to the other with no logical link whatsoever - and use considerably fewer words than in this introduction. Clearly the Pythons were ahead of their time with innovations like this. Or by beginning a show at its end, leading up to a breathtaking start. Or by glorifying canned meat into something ubiquitous and inescapable by writing a song about it - the product that would give the daily shocking content of our e-mail inboxes a proper unmistakable name. Or by aborting a sketch due to exceeding silliness, by continuing after the credits have rolled or by introducing artful, however out-and-out off-wall animation as just one of the many ingredients in order to go for something completely different. Monty Python swims against the tide of the typical punchline laughs. It stands for the perfect cross between surrealism for humor's sake, for encompassing absurd comedy somewhere between triviality and existentialism, with a tad of innuendo-laden references (wink, wink, nudge nudge, say no more), functioning also because it hit a nerve back then in 1968 and hasn't lost any of its cultural relevance almost 50 years later. Nowadays, when people are reading reviews for the lack of having anything better to do, they might not expect the Spanish Inquisition to show up (nobody does!). But they just did, and that's thanks to Monty Python - the guys who also wrote the killer joke where 13 people looked at two words and had to be sent to the hospital. Dangerous stuff!It's a sure bet that you'll still find people whistling Sousa's military march for no apparent reason for many years to come. Even when the members of this incomparable comedy troupe are gone to meet their maker, are pushing up the daisies, have rung down the curtain and joined the choir invisible. Whatever you do, the Pythons are a great reminder that the last laugh is on you. I'm sure that was what occurred to Graham Chapman as well when he participated in his own funeral and the rest of the gang just made a high caliber comedy show out of it, Python style. Can't kill them, I tell ya.

Now that the show and Monty Python the group itself has been an icon for forty years and counting. The Flying Circus is what started it all. And that the five British comedians and one American illustrator would spawn off Saturday Night Live and Kids in the Hall, just to name a few of the sketch comedy shows. But Monty Python stands out and holds out as an original, THE ORIGINAL OF ALL SKETCH COMEDY! The show kind of fizzled out after John Cleese left after the third season, in order to do Fawlty Towers. But still, despite forty-five shows, they are the classic of the classics. Begin discovering Monty Python at 15 back in 1989. You can't get comedy better than that. Who can forget the Lumberjack sketch, Salad Days, Parrot Sketch, just to name a few! Monty Python rocks!

I remember when I was 9 and my mom bought me "Life of Brian". I had no idea what it was and who the people in it were. But I have never laughed so hard at a movie before and even if I didn't understand all the jokes I loved it from the start.After that I started looking for more movies by Monty Python including "Meaning of Life" and "The Holy Grail". Then, my dad bought me the film "And Now For Something Completely Different" which is when I realized that they had made a TV-show. I didn't know where to get a hold of it since it wasn't for sale and was never aired on television(in Sweden).Then a few years ago they released it on DVD and I got it. What can I say, there are no words except for Brilliant! Fantastic! Hilarious! Spam! Unbelievable! and Awesome! The only complaint I have is for the fourth season in which John Cleese decided not to take part in. It's just not the same if someone's missing.It's a real shame that Graham Chapman died, otherwise I think they would have made some more films.R.I.P Graham Chapman and R.I.P. Monty Python.

Funny, funny, funny! One of the funniest shows ever! It is a God send to all nerds (like me) everywhere. Without this show nerds would have nothing to do at all. But this show sparked the Nerd Invaision of the 60's and 70's-unlike that pointless British Rock and Roll Invaision, I mean who needs the Beatles ? These guys are The Beatles of comedy. My favorite sketch on the show is The Fish Slapping Dance (wait, is that even a real sketch?). It's just such a random sketch, it's funny! My favorite line is "Well if a homicidal manic comes and attacks you in the middle of the night wielding a pineapple, don't come crying to me!" That pretty much sums up Monty Python. The only sad thing is that, it's gone. Graham Chapman's dead, Terry Gilliam and John Cleese have moved on to bigger and better things, Michael Palin's gone traveling, Eric Idle's kicking back feeding of his cut of the Python legacy. And what the hell happened to Terry Jones? But the show will live on in our hearts. Actually just a little joke, I'm actually rat-catcher who needs cash. No you're not! Yes I am! No you're not! Yes I am!