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Monty Python (sometimes known as The Pythons)〔Wilmut (1980), p. 250.〕〔''The Pythons'' by 'The Pythons', ISBN 0-7528-5293-0.〕 were a British surreal comedy group who created the sketch comedy show ''Monty Python's Flying Circus'', that first aired on the BBC on October 5, 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over four series. The Python phenomenon developed from the television series into something larger in scope and impact, spawning touring stage shows, films, numerous albums, several books, and a stage musical. The group's influence on comedy has been compared to The Beatles' influence on music.〔David Free. ("The Beatles of Comedy" ). ''The Atlantic''. Retrieved 23 January 2012〕 Broadcast by the BBC between 1969 and 1974, ''Flying Circus'' was conceived, written, and performed by its members Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin. Loosely structured as a sketch show, but with an innovative stream-of-consciousness approach (aided by Gilliam's animation), it pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable in style and content.〔('Holy' Monty Python History Lesson ). ''Entertainment Tonight''. Retrieved 24 April 2012 〕〔('Monty Python' Reunion Planned for New Movie ). ''Christian Post''. Retrieved 24 April 2012〕 A self-contained comedy team responsible for both writing and performing their work, the Pythons had creative control which allowed them to experiment with form and content, discarding rules of television comedy. Their influence on British comedy has been apparent for years, while in North America, it has coloured the work of cult performers from the early editions of ''Saturday Night Live'' through to more recent absurdist trends in television comedy. "Pythonesque" has entered the English lexicon as a result. In a 2005 UK poll to find "The Comedian's Comedian", three of the six Pythons members were voted by fellow comedians and comedy insiders to be among the top 50 greatest comedians ever: Cleese at No.2, Idle at No. 21, and Palin at No. 30. ==Before ''Flying Circus''== Jones and Palin met at Oxford University, where they performed together with the Oxford Revue. Chapman and Cleese met at Cambridge University. Idle was also at Cambridge, but started a year after Chapman and Cleese. Cleese met Gilliam in New York City while on tour with the Cambridge University Footlights revue ''Cambridge Circus'' (originally entitled ''A Clump of Plinths''). Chapman, Cleese, and Idle were members of the Footlights, which at that time also included the future ''Goodies'' (Tim Brooke-Taylor, Bill Oddie, and Graeme Garden), and Jonathan Lynn (co-writer of ''Yes Minister'' and ''Yes, Prime Minister''). During Idle's presidency of the club, feminist writer Germaine Greer and broadcaster Clive James were members. Recordings of Footlights' revues (called "Smokers") at Pembroke College include sketches and performances by Cleese and Idle, which, along with tapes of Idle's performances in some of the drama society's theatrical productions, are kept in the archives of the Pembroke Players. All six Python members appeared in or wrote these shows before ''Flying Circus'': *''I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again'' (radio) (1964–1973) (cast member and writer ) – (and Chapman: writers ) *''The Frost Report'' (1966–1967) (cast member and writer ) – (writer of Frost's monologues ) – (Palin and Jones: writers ) *''At Last the 1948 Show'' (1967) (and Cleese: writers and cast members ) – (writer ) *''Twice a Fortnight'' (1967) (and Jones: cast members and writers ) *''Do Not Adjust Your Set'' (1967–1969) (Jones, and Palin: cast members and writers ) – (animation ) — Bonzo Dog Band: musical interludes] *''We Have Ways of Making You Laugh'' (1968) (cast member and writer ) – (animation ) *''How To Irritate People'' (1968) (and Chapman: cast members & writers ) – (cast member ) *''The Complete and Utter History of Britain'' (1969) (and Jones: cast members and writers ) *''Doctor in the House'' (1969) (and Chapman: writers ) ''The Frost Report'' is credited as first uniting the British Pythons and providing an environment in which they could develop their particular styles. Several other important British comedy writers or future performers who were featured included Marty Feldman, Jonathan Lynn, David Jason, and David Frost, as well as members of other future comedy teams such as Ronnie Corbett and Ronnie Barker (the Two Ronnies), and Tim Brooke-Taylor, Graeme Garden, and Bill Oddie (the Goodies). Following the success of ''Do Not Adjust Your Set'', a tea-time children's program, ITV offered Gilliam, Idle, Jones, and Palin their own late-night adult comedy series together. At the same time, Chapman and Cleese were offered a show by the BBC, which had been impressed by their work on ''The Frost Report'' and ''At Last the 1948 Show''. Cleese was reluctant to do a two-man show for various reasons, including Chapman's supposedly difficult and erratic personality. Cleese had fond memories of working with Palin on ''How To Irritate People'' and invited him to join the team. With no studio available at ITV until summer 1970 for the late-night show, Palin agreed to join Cleese and Chapman, and suggested the involvement of his writing partner Jones and colleague Idle—who in turn wanted Gilliam to provide animations for the projected series. Much has been made of the fact that the Monty Python troupe is the result of Cleese's desire to work with Palin and the chance circumstances that brought the other four members into the fold.〔''The Pythons Autobiography By The Pythons''—Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, John Chapman, David Sherlock, Bob McCabe—Thomas Dunne Books; Orion, 2003〕 By contrast, according to John Cleese's autobiography,〔''So, Anyway ...'' by John Cleese; Crown Archetype, London, 2014〕 the origins of ''Monty Python'' lay in the admiration that writing partners Cleese and Chapman had for the new type of comedy being done on ''Do Not Adjust Your Set''; as a result, a meeting was initiated by Cleese between Chapman, Idle, Jones, Palin, and himself at which it was agreed to pool their writing and performing efforts and jointly seek production sponsorship. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Monty Python」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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