Monty Python

Monty Python (sometimes known as The Pythons) were a British surreal comedy group who created the sketch comedy show Monty Python's Flying Circus, that first aired on the BBC on 5 October 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over four seasons. The Python phenomenon developed from the television series into something larger in scope and impact, spawning touring stage shows, films, numerous albums, several books, and a stage musical. The group's influence on comedy has been compared to The Beatles' influence on music.

Broadcast by the BBC between 1969 and 1974, Flying Circus was conceived, written, and performed by its members Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin. Loosely structured as a sketch show, but with an innovative stream-of-consciousness approach (aided by Gilliam's animation), it pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable in style and content. A self-contained comedy team responsible for both writing and performing their work, the Pythons had creative control which allowed them to experiment with form and content, discarding rules of television comedy. Their influence on British comedy has been apparent for years, while in North America, it has coloured the work of cult performers from the early editions of Saturday Night Live through to more recent absurdist trends in television comedy. "Pythonesque" has entered the English lexicon as a result.

List of minor planets: 13001–14000

Monty Python's Personal Best

Monty Python's Personal Best is a miniseries of six one-hour specials, each showcasing the contributions of a particular Monty Python member. Produced by Python (Monty) Pictures Ltd., the series first aired on PBS stations 22 February 2006, though two episodes were initially released on Region 1 DVD in 2005; the remaining episodes were released in late February 2006.

The five surviving members (Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam, Michael Palin and John Cleese) were invited to select favourite sketches they wrote or starred in, from the Monty Python's Flying Circus TV series as well as the troupe's films. All five collaborated on the sixth episode, a tribute to deceased Python Graham Chapman.

Wraparound segments

With the exception of Graham Chapman's episode, each Personal Best segment features one or more wraparound sketches written by and starring the featured member:

Personal Best

Personal Best may refer to:

Personal Best (film)

Personal Best is a 1982 movie centered on a group of women trying to qualify for the American track-and-field team bound for the 1980 Olympic Games. Despite their commitment to their training regimen, their dreams are thwarted when the United States announces its boycott of the Games for political reasons, leaving them with only the informal "personal best" marks they achieved during training to connote their achievements.

The movie starred Mariel Hemingway and real-life track star Patrice Donnelly, along with Scott Glenn as the coach of the track team. It was written, produced and directed by Robert Towne.

The film was praised by critics for providing a realistic look at the world of women's athletics, for exploring the complex relationships that can exist among teammates and their coach, and for its sensitive portrayal of the relationship between an older lesbian (Donnelly) and a younger bisexual woman (Hemingway). Despite good reviews, it flopped at the box-office.

Many of the scenes were filmed in San Luis Obispo County. While the sign on the track said "Cal Poly", which is a university in San Luis Obispo, it was filmed at the track at Morro Bay High School. There are also two scenes filmed at restaurants in downtown San Luis Obispo; the Cigar Factory and 1865. Filming locations in Eugene, Oregon, included Hayward Field and the nearby Track Town Pizza restaurant.

Personal Best (Team Dresch album)

Personal Best is the debut studio album by the United States punk band Team Dresch. The album was released in January 1995 on both singer/guitarist Jody Bleyle's label Candy Ass Records and bassist Donna Dresch's label Chainsaw Records.

Washington Post writer Chris Richards called Personal Best "a fiery, all-but-forgotten punk masterpiece".

Reception

Allmusic declared the album is a "call to arms" that "explodes on contact", saying: "Of all the punk records to come out of the 1990s, Personal Best comes closest to actually recapturing the sheer passion and rage which originally spawned the movement two decades earlier..." and praised the band's all-encompassing fusion of the dual emotional and polemical issues felt within the LGBT community, as well as how the band "never put their politics ahead of their songs — each of these ten tracks is airtight, with melodies as blistering as the lyrics".

Track listing