Monty Python is the name of a British comedy group known for a surreal sense of humour easily as gleefully anarchic and silly as The Muppets themselves. Their sketch series Monty Python's Flying Circus led to the films And Now for Something Completely Different, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Life of Brian, and The Meaning of Life.

The six members of the group were Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin.

Apart from the series influence on pop culture in general, the Broadway musical Spamalot was adapted from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

References

• One of the most popular Monty Python sketches is a sketch where John Cleese tries to return a dead parrot to a pet shop, calling it an "ex-parrot." In the Pigs in Space sketch which Cleese appears in, he gets frustrated at a wise-cracking parrot, holds his gun out in front of the parrot and asks the parrot if he would like to be an "ex-parrot."

• In the Fraggle Rock episode "I Don't Care," one of the actors in Mokey's play bangs two coconut halves together to simulate the sound of a trotting horse. The same effect was made famous in Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

• In the Muppet Babies episode "Pigerella," Baby Piggy hears a knocking sound, which turns out to be Baby Animal inside the nearby chest banging coconuts together, a la Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

• The troupe's comedy was the inspiration of a Muppet character on Sesame Street named Monty, who was well-known on the street for his odd sense of logic. In reference to Monty Python's Flying Circus, Monty presented his "flying circles" in Episode 3067. In Episode 3082, he is seen interacting with a python. In Episode 2939, he introduces "something exactly the same, yet completely different." Later, he visits a Birdketeer meeting wearing a fake bird on his hat in a scene that parodies the "Dead Parrot" sketch.

• Gonzo and Kermit the Frog read Michael Palin's limerick The Poacher for BBC's Favourite Modern Poem in 1996.

• Super Grover remarks his torn and ragged cape is an "ex-cape" in Sesame Street Episode 4037.

• In "Dungeons and Dominars," the second issue of the Farscape comic book, John Crichton tells Aeryn that "[t]here's always going to be someone shooting at us, breathing fire at us, kidnapping us, imprisoning us, poking us with sticks, and farting in our general direction," the last of which references a scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

• At the climax of Sesame Street Episode 4188, Telly Monster and Elmo end the search for Little Bo Peep's cow by pulling a rope floating in mid-air which drops the cow onto them. The idea of "dropping a cow" to end a long-running scene was coined by such a moment in Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

• In Muppet King Arthur #1, when it is suggested that the knights should get some horses, Sir Percival exclaims, "Or some coconuts!" — again in reference to Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

• Muppet King Arthur #2 makes reference to "Castle Anthrax," a location from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

• In Muppet King Arthur #3, the jealous Morgana states, "So Artie thinks he can go off and marry that Guinevere dame just because she's a noble chicken with huge tracts of land?" The latter part of the question references a scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Connections

• Marc Boyle played one of the stunt Queen Victorias in the fourth season Monty Python's Flying Circus episode "Hamlet"
• Tim Condren played one of the stunt Queen Victorias in the fourth season Monty Python's Flying Circus episode "Hamlet"
• Matt Frewer played an executive in The Meaning of Life
• Eddie Izzard appeared in Monty Python Live at Aspen (1998) and hosted and played sketch roles in Python Night: 30 Years of Monty Python (1999)
• Robert Klein hosted Monty Python Live at Aspen (1998)
• Chris Langham played Alfonso and a giggling guard in Life of Brian
• Spike Milligan shouted offscreen in the second season Monty Python's Flying Circus sketch "Election Night Special" and played a prophet in Life of Brian
• Colin Skeaping appeared in two second season Monty Python's Flying Circus episodes
• Guy Standeven played a restaurant patron in The Meaning of Life
• Kirk Thatcher is in the opening credits of Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl selling Spam to audience members
• Reg Thomason played one of the three English gentlemen in pyjamas in the fourth season Monty Python's Flying Circus episode "Hamlet" and a restaurant patron in The Meaning of Life
• Cy Town played extras in several second and third season Monty Python's Flying Circus episodes and a restaurant patron in The Meaning of Life
• Reginald Turner played extras in several fourth season Monty Python's Flying Circus episodes