This Legendary 'Cult' Comedy Series Was Greenlit 57 Years Ago Today
Among the funniest Broadway musicals still touring is Monty Python's Spamalot, featuring numbers and sketches from the British comedy troupe's renowned films.
In addition to its big-screen work, the hilarious ensemble - consisting of Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin - was also popular on TV thanks to Monty Python's Flying Circus.
Saturday, May 23 marks exactly 57 years since the British Broadcasting Corporation gave the go-ahead to the absurdist comedy series and ordered 13 episodes.
The first episode of seminal comedy series, titled "Whither Canada?" was broadcast on October 5, 1969, according to the BBC. The Radio Times reportedly celebrated the launch with a spoof board game that set Monty Python in the context of previous satirical and late-night shows. In the first program, sketches included "Famous Deaths" presented by Mozart, the writing of the funniest and deadliest joke in the world.
The show's influence has been so notable that the word "pythonesque" now exists in the dictionary. The Cambridge Dictionary, for example, defines it as "funny in a silly, strange, or surprising way, in the style of the British TV show Monty Python's Flying Circus."
In 2007, TV Guide rankedFlying Circus at No. 6 on its list of Top 30 Cult Shows Ever. These days, fans can watch the beloved program on YouTube for free.
Nine years ago, meanwhile, the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail was ranked at No. 11 on an IMDb list of "Most Rewatchable Movies," placing it among some of the most revisited films ever made. The ranking adds to the movie's long-running reputation as one of the greatest comedy films in cinema history.
As fans are well aware, the movie turned the legend of King Arthur into a wildly absurd adventure filled with killer rabbits, rude French soldiers, coconuts used as horse sounds and one unforgettable Black Knight.
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This story was originally published May 23, 2026 at 9:19 PM.