The first half of the first season of "Monty Python's Flying Circus" has some of the best Python episodes ever. I especially liked Episode 3 ("How to Recognize Different Types of Trees From Quite a Long Way Away") and Episode 4 ("Owl Stretching Time"). While not quite as polished as some of the later episodes, it was all equally funny.
The DVD set looks slightly better than the videos released in 1989 by Paramount. The filmed, location sequences look pretty grainy, but that's how they've always looked. With every episode, there is an opprotunity to jump straight to the sketches, or to read a tidbit.
On the extras front, there's a clip from "Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl," scenes from other TV episodes, biographies, Pythonisms, a weblink, trivia games, and the always excellent Gilliamnations art gallery.

Well, they've gone and done it. They put Monty Python's Flying Circus on DVD! Well, what can I say? I am an afficianado of this silly group of English tricksters, and have been since I first saw them on PBS way back in the early 1970s.

This product is a 2 DVD complete set of the entire first year of Monty Python's Flying Circus. For yourinvestment, you get such sketches as: "Sex and Violence", complete with "You Can't tell the difference between Whizzo butter and this dead Crab" sketch; "The Larch"; "The Dull Life of a City Stockbroker"; "Nudge Nudge" sketch; and many more very silly sketches. I am also fond of the "It's the Arts" program, wherein interviewers are alternately rude and kind to the guests, particularly Arthur "Two Sheds" Jackson. Also included on the DVD are the weblinks to Pythonshop online, a "meet the chaps" biography section, a Pythonisms Glossary, and Art Gallery of Terry Gilliam, and a preview of upcoming episodes section. Episodes 1-6 are contained on this 2 set of DVDs. I like this format because its less bulky than the VHS set, and is a better value, with 3 episodes per DVD, as opposed to 2 for each VHS tape.

While the first season of Python isn't my favorite, it still is worth the money for the serious Python fan.

Instead of giving the conventional review of how hilarious Monty Python's Flying Circus is - We all bloody know that by now! - I'm going to list all of the skits that you will receive when you finally decide to get off your bum and buy this bleeding, essential first volume in A&E's wonderful collection of the entire series of Monty Python!

This site lists the 6 episode titles, but here are the 44 skit names. Why? Because I'm pretentious and a massive geek!

Disc one: Its Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart(Famous Deaths)/Italian Lesson/Whizzo Butter/Its the arts/Arthur "Two Sheds" Jackson/Picasso-Cycling Race/Funniest Joke in the world/French lecture on sheep aircraft/A man with 3 buttocks/Musical mice/Marriage guidance counselor/Wacky Queen/Working class playwright/Wrestling epilogue/Mouse problem/Court scene with Richelieu/Bicycle repairman/Children's stories/Restaurant sketch/Seduced milkman/Stolen newsreader/Nudge Nudge

Disc two: And did those feet/Art gallery/Art critic/Its a man's life in the modern army/Undressing in public/Self defence/Secret service dentists/Confuse-a-cat/Smuggler/Police raid/Newsreader arrested/Erotic film/Silly job interview/Careers advisory board/Burglar-Encyclopedia salesman/Johana Gombolputty/Non Illegal robbery/Crunchy frog/Dull life of a city stock broker/Red Indian theatre/A Scotsman on a horse/Twentieth century vole

You also get extras like: Meet the chaps (a scene and bio of each member of MP), Pythonisms (a glossary), Gillian's Attic (fun with the art), Nudge Nudge & Crunchy Frog (Live from the Hollywood Bowl!), Silly Occupations, and Hysterical figures (scenes from other volumes)

Congrats to A&E for the fab job they did on these and to Amazon for selling it to me inexpensively!

Instead of giving the conventional review of how hilarious Monty Python's Flying Circus is - We all bloody know that by now! - I'm going to list all of the skits that you will receive when you finally decide to get off your bum and buy this bleeding, essential first volume in A&E's wonderful collection of the entire series of Monty Python!

This site lists the 6 episode titles, but here are the 44 skit names. Why? Because I'm pretentious and a massive geek!

Disc one: Its Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart(Famous Deaths)/Italian Lesson/Whizzo Butter/Its the arts/Arthur "Two Sheds" Jackson/Picasso-Cycling Race/Funniest Joke in the world/French lecture on sheep aircraft/A man with 3 buttocks/Musical mice/Marriage guidance counselor/Wacky Queen/Working class playwright/Wrestling epilogue/Mouse problem/Court scene with Richelieu/Bicycle repairman/Children's stories/Restaurant sketch/Seduced milkman/Stolen newsreader/Nudge Nudge

Disc two: And did those feet/Art gallery/Art critic/Its a man's life in the modern army/Undressing in public/Self defence/Secret service dentists/Confuse-a-cat/Smuggler/Police raid/Newsreader arrested/Erotic film/Silly job interview/Careers advisory board/Burglar-Encyclopedia salesman/Johana Gombolputty/Non Illegal robbery/Crunchy frog/Dull life of a city stock broker/Red Indian theatre/A Scotsman on a horse/Twentieth century vole

You also get extras like: Meet the chaps (a scene and bio of each member of MP), Pythonisms (a glossary), Gillian's Attic (fun with the art), Nudge Nudge & Crunchy Frog (Live from the Hollywood Bowl!), Silly Occupations, and Hysterical figures (scenes from other volumes)

Congrats to A&E for the fab job they did on these and to Amazon for selling it to me cheap!

These first six shows are the true bedrock of Python. Although we get the biggies in the later half of series one (like Parrot, Lumberjack and Albatross) these six have some of Python's finest pieces. Highlights include the totally surreal French Lecture on sheep by Cleese and Palin, Chapman's dominating film producer Irving C. Saltzberg (one of Chapman's finest roles), the masterful spiraling comedy of the Undercover Dentists (again, superb performance skills from Chapman), classy work from Eric Idle as a Red Indian trotting out his theatre experience, and John Cleese clearly relishing the chance to humiliate a certain Sir Edward "Eddie-Baby" Ross. And of course, nothing can top the immortal Nudge Nudge sketch, the pinnacle of Idle's acting and writing skills. Don't stop to think! Get it!