Critical popcorn

In case I hadn’t rabbited on about it enough, of course I haven’t, it’s the 50th Anniversary of the iconic Monty Python’s Flying Circus this year and to celebrate, they’re doing a whole lot of extremely wonderful things and, as luck would have it, we can all be a part! As well the aforementioned Norwegian Blu-ray Edition of everything Python, Network Distributing have announced Monty Python’s Flying Circus: The Complete Series 1, fully restored in high-definition for the first time, and out now!

Starring some humans, who are formed in the shape of Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin, this ground-up restoration has been produced from the best available materials, painstakingly restored, and garnished with larks’ vomit… oh, and in HD, so that’s nice.

We’ve had a little sneak peek of it all and the restoration is really impressive, both keeping the lunacy on screen but also bringing forth a clear and concise image on-screen. None of that VHS jumpiness or fuzzy vision, this is the series looking as good as it can be from the source material… and it’s all still as absurd and wonderful as you remember. The second disc also contains a host of extras, which includes some really insightful ‘studio outtakes’, which somehow remind you of how naturally funny they were and, also, how they keep their focus on reset, following reset AND in front of an actual audience.

Previously edited sketches have been returned to their original length while filmed sketch sequences and Gilliam’s animations have been newly scanned in HD, adding unimaginable depth and clarity to some classic moments, he recently dropped by the restoration studio to have a look – his excited reaction HERE.

From the archive come genuine rarities including previously unseen studio outtakes and extended versions of filmed sketch material, making this the ultimate in television restoration and a must-have for every generation of Python fan! The Digipak edition features an exclusive packaging design using original Monty Python animation work blessed by Gilliam, and an extensive book on the series’ production history from noted TV historian Andrew Pixley.

Monty Python’s Flying Circus: The Complete Series 1 and Standard Blu-ray and DVD editions are out now and will be followed by:

• Monty Python’s Flying Circus: The Complete Series 2 on Monday 27^th January 2020
• Monty Python’s Flying Circus: The Complete Series 3 on Monday 30^th March 2020
• Monty Python’s Flying Circus: The Complete Series 4 on Monday 25^th May 2020

So it’s time to order your copy now. Nudge nudge! Know what I mean? Say no more…