Monty Python's Flying Circus: The Complete Series [DVD]

I loved this on PBS as a kid

I liked the whole thing. It was quite funny.

Bought this for my mom’s bday because she loved watching this growing up. Now loves it all over again.

I just received this set, so I haven't yet had an abundance of time to peruse and sample it thoroughly. But my first impression is that, for fans of this programme, this is the best thing to happen to comedy since Monty Python was originally conceived.First, from what little I've seen of the actual remastering thus far, it is stellar. It is astounding how fantastically good the video looks now. It is a revelation that must be seen to be believed. All releases that came before pale in stark comparison, particularly the A&E discs. (You can see samples of the restoration by doing an online search.)Second, the only "editing" that has been performed on this set is not to truncate material, but to restore episodes to their original intent and glory. This means that most (if not all) jokes and visuals that were censored either before first airings or subsequent reruns have been located and restored. The fact that these elements still exist is nothing short of miraculous, considering the BBC once considered wiping the broadcast tapes completely. All thanks and gratitude go to the team at Network for the painstaking research and monumental effort it took to make this set a reality.Speaking of research, each series (season) comes with its own exclusive book obsessively detailing seemingly every minute that went into creating and filming that series. Each is over 150 pages.Third, each series contains whatever respective outtakes could be located, the first time such material has been commercially released or seen (unless I'm mistaken). Again, the fact that any elements of this nature have survived further cements this set as a holy grail, of sorts.Lastly, from an aesthetic perspective, my box arrived thoroughly undamaged. It even came in its own sealed, plain brown shipping box with a MPFC barcode sticker affixed, thus limiting potential shipping damage. So it is possible to receive one that survives relatively crash-free.If you have the 8-DVD set The Complete Series from Sony (unfortunately available only in PAL), I'd hold onto it as well. The transfers on that set are not bad - though not comparable to the superior Network restoration - and use the set of masters as shown on American television (in the '80s, anyway) - i.e. differing edits than those found on the A&E set. And if you're like me, you may occasionally feel nostalgic to see some sketches the way you remember. For instance, I always thought the "gangrene" male voice overdub was intentional and enhanced the joke. It's wonderful to finally hear it as intended, but I may eventually miss that silly edit - perhaps the only such alteration I will miss.If I have any knock on the set, it would be that I wish the two episodes produced for German television had been included. True, they weren't part of the series proper, but it would have been a treat to see them get the same loving treatment. Their absence, however, in no way detracts from the riches contained herein. My guess is that Network has such a project in its future sights. And who knows? They may well discover even more long-missing material by then as well, and we may still be alive to see it.Cheers,Semprini

My wife and I purchased this two or three months ago and just finished watching the remaining episodes about two weeks ago. We have always been fans of Monty Python, but had never seen the entire Flying Circus series in its entire run, so it was nice to have the opportunity (and unedited).First I should mention that I had some trepidation about ordering the Blu-ray set due to the comments about the packaging. Something may have changed, as the set we received did not come in the fancy box, but just a regular compact case with discography like most T.V. series are boxed in these days. The discs were pristine and undamaged.For a series that ran from 1969 to about 1974 the remastering/restoration was stunningly done. My hats off to the technicians who did that. Here and there some source material did not escape the ravages of time so well, but it was usual in a scene here or there and in some cases (maybe in the extras) there as a note about the low quality due to the original being lost or such. Overall excellently restored though.As for the content, if you are used to Monty Python humor, sight gags, etc. you will not be disappointed. I would say there is material here and there in certain episodes that some will find offensive by today's standards (religious knocks, nudity [think Benny Hill type stuff], racial knocks [some instances of black face], and more obscure ethic jokes/gags), but to be fair that was the times so to speak. It is what it was. Just a warning for those who might be offended.Otherwise, It was good to see "the boys" in form and we recognize other actors/actresses that appear in their later shows and films.

Nobody likes a High Definition remaster more than I do... Come to think of it, most people enjoy a High Definition remaster more than I do - but that's beside the point.When it comes to low-fi television productions, the use of state-of the art technology to improve the modern viewing experience (not to mention the cost and labor involved) is admirable. However, my eccentric preference for viewing such content is on my old tube television because it presents shot -or processed -on video content in a much more natural way than an HDTV.This is why I opted to purchase the DVD version of this series. While remastering the entire series in HD offered potential for improvement, that improvement was bound to be selectively significant, given that most of the show was shot on standard-def PAL video and the filmed content was shot on 16mm film. Down-converting it to DVD seemed like hardly a sin and a simpler option for purchase.While I'm happy to report that this compact box - containing every episode looking better than ever - is an obvious replacement to that A&E version I gave up on collecting years ago, I am disappointed to report that its 4:3 image is pillar-boxed in a 16:9 signal. If you never intend to view this on an old 4:3 monitor, you have nothing to worry about, but most major labels (even Criterion) would have made sure to transfer the content to the DVD in 4:3 form, knowing that it will play back correctly on any TV.To finally have the complete series despite the lack of certain legacy extras and specials, gives me a completist satisfaction. I'm only a little bummed that I'm limited to watching it on a flat-screen.

My youth comes back.

AWESOME

quite a bit of fun if you remember the group and enjoy british comedy.

The complete TV series, beautifully restored on blu-ray. Each season is in a separate box with its own book. As others have complained, the inner cardboard dividers of the main box were too flimsy to survive shipping, but I consider that to be a minor problem. The discs and books were not damaged.

Watching Monty Python should be compulsory, it would give people good perspective on life.