According to NPR Movies, the Independent Film Channel will begin airing a six-night documentary of Monty Python on Sunday, timed to commemorate the comedy troupe’s 40th anniversary. Commentator David Bianculli is glad to see the brand is staying true to form, even after all these years:
Watching it, it’s good to know that after all these years, the surviving members of Monty Python still can’t even take themselves seriously. Oh, they have the best of intentions with this new megadocumentary. They really do want to explain where their peculiar sense of humor came from, how the six of them met and the inspirations for their most famous sketches, record albums, movies and stage shows.
But just as the original Monty Python’s Flying Circus poked fun at the stiffness of the BBC when it premiered on the BBC back in 1969, this new documentary can’t help but send up the documentary form a little. Its individual hours sport such titles as The Not-So-Interesting Beginnings and The Much Funnier Second Episode. And for the theme song of this new production, the Pythons not only resurrected the main title music from The Life of Brian, but a dead ringer for the original vocalist as well.
Read the full story, and set your TiVos accordingly.
