Monty Python's Flying Circus: The Complete Monty Python's Flying Circus 16-Ton Megaset (DVD)

Connect to Facebook/Twitter, recommend via email and much more.

---

Someday, someone will undoubtedly write a paper on "A History of Surrealism: From Andalusian Dogs to Flying Circuses." In fact, if I know my media studies, I´m willing to bet somebody already has written it. For my part, I´m going to resist the urge to intellectualize it, and just watch another episode. "Monty Python´s Flying Circus" – it´s better than a dagger up the backside or a blow to the head, and it doesn´t even matter if you like spam.

Video

The episodes are presented in their original full screen broadcast format. As stated on the back of the boxed set, the unrestored episodes are "Now in glorious digital DVD format so that you, the digital aficionado, can enjoy the original scratches, pops and hisses with crystal clarity.

Audio

The DVD is presented in Dolby Digital stereo. Optional English-language subtitles support the audio and may be necessary for some viewers who have difficulty understanding the Pythons´ accents.

Extras

Often, collections as large as this compile all the special features onto a separate disc, but the 16-ton Megaset spread them out over each of the 16 discs in the collection. Each disc has a "Loony Bin" which contains several extras, with a different set of offerings on each disc. The extras include Trivia Contests, Pythonisms (definitions of unique terms used in the series) and Character Bios. In addition, each disc contains a few features which collect short clips from other episodes in the collection – previews, if you will. There isn´t enough room for me to list each of the extras on each disc. Besides, half the fun is exploring the Loony Bin on each disc to see what is offered. Each episode also comes with a "Useless Tidbit," a piece of trivia about the episode.

I do have a few complaints about the way the collection is organized. First, there is no time code on the episodes; therefore, you have no way to know how long each episode is (OK, they´re all about a half hour long) or how far into an episode you are. Second, the disc would benefit greatly from an insert that includes a master sketch list. In grand absurdist fashion, the titles of many episodes have no relationship to the content on the film and, in several cases, I had to search through several discs to find specific skits that I wanted.

In general, though, the menus are well organized and the extras are entertaining, though the features which are nothing more than clips from other episodes seem a bit superfluous.

Closing Thoughts

Running at nearly thirty hours and costing more than a few bob, the "16-ton Megaset" is not for the casual Python fan. The budget-minded Pythonophile might want to try out one of the "Personal Best" series of single discs: Eric Idle´s and Michael Palin´s Personal Best have already been released (see my review of the Eric Idle disc linked below) and several more will soon follow. If you´re a full-blown Python addict, the "16-ton Megaset" has everything you could ever want, plus a few things you probably don´t much care for but don´t really mind all that much seeing as you´re not very fussy, and then a bit of rubbish that you´d just as soon pretend never happened at all. But let's be honest. You don't really have anything else to do, so why don't you stop complaining already?

ADDENDUM: As pointed by DVDTown poster CHRTRPTNT, this set combines the previously available 14-disc Monty Python collection with the previously available "Monty Python Live." If you already have the first Python collection, you have no reason to buy this one - you can just buy the "Monty Python Live" set and get the same thing. If you don't have either, however, you probably will want to get this one instead - it's got it all.

---

Connect to Facebook/Twitter, recommend via email and much more.

---