50th Anniversary Update
“Python has survived because we live in an increasingly Pythonesque world. Extreme silliness seems more relevant now than it ever was.”
Our month-long season at BFI Southbank - "It’s…Monty Python At 50" - kicked off on Sunday 1 September. The season features all the Monty Python feature films; oddities and curios from the depths of the BFI National Archive; back-to-back screenings of the entire series of "Monty Python’s Flying Circus" in a unique big-screen outing; and screenings of post-Python TV and films, and a free exhibition of Python-related material from the BFI National Archive and The Monty Python Archive. Visit here for more information & to purchase screening tickets.
Tickets for the first official Monty Python Guinness World Record attempt for the ‘Largest Gathering of People Dressed as Gumbys’ which will take place on 5 October at The Roundhouse, London and be hosted by Terry Gilliam, are now on sale here.
The "Radio Times Official Guide to Monty Python at 50" which features never-before-seen images of the Pythons and exclusive interviews, is now available here, and this week's Radio Times magazine features all-new Terry Gilliam artwork for the cover.
Last night, BBC Radio 4 premiered the first of five new radio specials executive-produced by Michael Palin - "Monty Python at 50: The Self-Abasement Tapes" - which feature never-before-released material from the Monty Python sound archives. They are all now available to listen to on BBC Sounds. These will then be broadcast later in the month by SiriusXM in the US, to kick-off the anniversary celebrations Stateside.
BBC Two will celebrate Monty Python with defining career pieces from the archives this Saturday 7 September, from 8pm.
BBC AMERICA will celebrate the anniversary with a marathon of "Monty Python’s Flying Circus" episodes, "Monty Python’s Life of Brian" and "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" on Sunday 29 September.
The anniversary re-issue of "Monty Python Sings (again)" for the first time on double vinyl, with the addition of the "Stephen Hawking sings Monty Python… Galaxy Song" track and new packaging artwork overseen by Terry Gilliam, will be released in October.
Restoration is well underway of all 45 episodes of "Monty Python’s Flying Circus" which will be released in an exclusive limited edition box set, by Network Distributing, in the Autumn with all four individual series available to purchase separately at a later date. Keep an eye out for exclusive clips which we are sharing on our Facebook & Twitter pages. You can now purchase your box set here.
"Monty Python's Flying Circus: 50 Years Of Hidden Treasures" is available now in hardback. Visit here to buy your copy.
All the original Monty Python books published by Methuen, since 1971, including "Big Red Book" and "Brand New Papperbok", will be re-issued and on sale from 4th October, and the newly updated edition of "Monty Python Speaks! The Complete Oral History", the ultimate record of Britain’s most rebellious and successful comedy act, featuring a new foreword by John Oliver of Last Week Tonight is available now.
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