The Complete Monty Python's Flying Circus 16-Ton Megaset (16 Discs)

Six comic delights -- five British guys, and one American. Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin.

These six guys created "Monty Python's Flying Circus," a groundbreaking comedy series made of skits. They were sometimes gross, naughty, and they were always strange. And their bizarre humour has influenced everything from "Saturday Night Live" to Jasper Fforde.

For dozens of episodes, these guys served up skits on every insane subject you can think of: defense against fresh fruit, the Ministry of Funny Walks, sitcoms based on the family life of Attila the Hun, lupin bandit Dennis Moore, obscene children's books, semaphores, racing twits, village idiots, goats, psychotic barbers, Vikings, "ALBATROSS!", killer sheep, lobotomies, pantomime horses, Tudor pornography, Royal Society for Putting Things on Top of Other Things, the dirty vicar, and giant alien blancmanges who are turning people into Scotsmen.

Certain sketches have reached the point of immortality, especially John Cleese's "dead parrot" sketch, in which he plays an increasingly peeved guy who is trying to return a parrot that was "nailed to its perch." Also Eric Idle playing the obnoxious guy who constantly thinks of sex, and refers to it as "wink wink, nudge nudge... say no MORE!" And of course, THE SPANISH INQUISTION, whose chief weapons are fear, surprise...

There are also some running jokes, like the pantomime Princess Margaret, and a mysterious knight who walks through hitting people with a dead chicken. And of course, Terry Gilliam's cartoons interspersing the skits -- goofy, surreal, sort of like Saturday morning cartoons if Dali were doing the animating.

Okay, not every skit is funny -- the "Mouse Problem" sketch takes a great idea and stretches it thin. But more often than not, they ARE quite funny. They also mock just about anything, from government officials to art to censorship to the military ("It's DANGEROUS, sir!").

There are also a pair of live discs, in which the guys also do their best little skits and songs onstage, and they're almost as funny onstage as they are on a soundstage. They make a nice bonus for Python fans, and are fun viewing after you've seen all fourteen discs of the TV show.

And all of this by men who often dress up as the world's most unattractive girls, with only a tiny budget and minimal cast. The 70s production values are omnipresent, and they are decidedly unpolitically correct. But in a weird way, these only make it even funnier than it would have been otherwise -- the writing and acting are pure, raw, unrefined comedy.

Probably the most memorable actors here are Cleese and Idle. Cleese does his psychotic shrieks better than anyone, as well as having that rubbery lanky body that twists itself into Silly Walks. And Idle not only has amazing comic timing, but he can adjust his voice and body language to... anything, from domestic goddesses to sleazy TV hosts. But the other actors are quite good too, especially Michael Palin, especially when he's playing someone timid or crazy.

This classic comedy series not only became a pop culture staple, but it's still fresh and funny more than thirty years after it was made. The full series is definitely a must-have.

And now for something completely different...

Take the best of material and it can still be wrecked by the incompetence of those charged with the license to put it on DVD.

Why is it that there needs to be DVD releases that just do not measure up to the original material?

Given that there are edits that remove or censor the content of the original series and thus make it incomplete - why would anyone spend the kind of money they are asking for on this pile of discs?

If I or anyone is expected to plunk down that level of cash, I would expect the DVD, as one should from any DVD release, that it be COMPLETE, it must include every second of every sketch as they aired in the tv series. If my ancient VHS recordings of the show provide a more complete library of the sketches than the DVD's then we have a failed series. Others have already pointed out some of the failures.

To anyone who wants a definitive DVD collection of the entire Monty Python's Flying Circus, I recommend NOT buying this but waiting, maybe another 5 or 10 years. Maybe, if the BBC releases their own version , they will get it right and not bungle the job like A&E has done.

SHAME ON YOU, A&E!

My only criticism is the one edit that I noticed from the original BBC re-masters.

Certain words are silenced from the "Summarize Proust" competition with respect to the contestant's hobbies. real fans will know . everyone else may simply wonder why there is a delay in laughter from the audience. This is not the fault of the presenter A&E, but rather the that of the BBC who were ahead of their time in the 60's, but who got nervous later.

One might think this decision should have been reversed for the private home use of the box set.

for the record the man's hobbies include "strangling animals, golf and masturbation"