Monty Python's Flying Circus

Monty Python's Flying Circus was a British alternative sketch comedy series, broadcast between 1969 and 1974. The show also spawned several movies, among which "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" (1975) and "Monty Python's Life of Brian" (1979) are the most popular. They have been referenced a few times in The Simpsons.

References to Monty Python in The Simpsons

Picture Season Episode number Episode name Reference 2 27 "Principal Charming" Hans Moleman's character is originally called "Ralph Melish" in this episode, a reference to "The Adventures of Ralph Melish: Hot Dog and Knickers" sketch from the Monty Python album "Matching Tie and Handkerchief." 4 74 "I Love Lisa" The animatronic Mount Rushmore cut-out that appears at the end of the school play has the heads of the presidents sing by having only the lower jaw move. This bears a canny resemblance to the way Terry Gilliam's cut-and-paste animations in "Monty Python's Flying Circus" moved. 5 84 "Homer Goes to College" In the couch gag The Simpsons are squashed by a huge pink foot. This is a reference to the iconic crushing foot that appeared at the end of the intro of every Monty Python's Flying Circus episode. This couch gag would later be re-used in the episodes Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy, Another Simpsons Clip Show and The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular. Homer's college room mates claim to know the words to every Monty Python sketch, then quote from the "Knights who say "ni" sketch" from the film "Monty Python and the Holy Grail". 86 "Treehouse of Horror IV" In the opening credits Colin Lewis is credited as Colin "Two Sheds" Lewis. This is a reference to the Monty Python sketch "Arthur "Two Sheds" Jackson" from the first season of the TV series. 6 119 "Bart vs. Australia" On the DVD audio commentary it is claimed that some of the stereotypes about Australia used in this episode were inspired by the "Bruces" sketch from Monty Python's Flying Circus. In this particular Python sketch a bunch of Australian philosophers appear, all talking with an Aussie accent, wearing bushwacker uniforms and being very obsessed with beer. 7 139 "Marge Be Not Proud" The game Angus Podgorny's Caper Toss is a reference to the character "Angus Podgorny" who was seen in various episodes of "Monty Python's Flying Circus". 7 146 "The Day the Violence Died" The Itchy and Scratchy cartoon appearing near the end of the episode features God's foot crushing Scratchy and covering most of the screen in the process. This is very similar to the giant foot crushing down at the end of the opening credits of every Monty Python episode. 18 395 "Marge Gamer" While playing World Of Warcraft Bart plays a character named "The Shadow Knight". Near the end of the game both his arms and legs have been decapitated, causing him to resemble the Black Knight character from "Monty Python and the Holy Grail", whose limbs are also cut off in a very famous scene. The character was also released on The Simpsons: Tapped Out in the Clash of Clones event. 24 526 "Pulpit Friction" Moe Syzlak yells "bring out your beds!" to inform townspeople to throw their bug infested mattresses out. This is a reference to the Bring out your dead scene in Monty Python and the Holy Grail. 28 597 "Monty Burns' Fleeing Circus" The title of the episode is a parody of Monty Python's Flying Circus. 600 "Treehouse of Horror XXVII" The music that was used in 600 closely resembles "Brian Song" from Monty Python's The Life of Brian.

References to Monty Python in Simpsons Comics

Picture Comic issue Story Reference Bart Simpson's Treehouse of Horror #3 The Immigration of the Body Snatchers When Springfield is being invaded by multiple alien species, Groundskeeper Willie warns everyone that there are also blancmanges from outer space turning everyone into Scotsmen. This is a reference to the "Man Turns Into Scotsman" sketch in the Monty Python episode "You're No Fun Anymore". Simpsons Comics #87 Hail to the Cat Among the crowd of British characters attacking Springfield John Cleese can be seen, dressed as the character from the Monty Python "Ministry of Silly Walks" sketch. Simpsons Comics #91 3000's Company Declan Desmond is attacked by a snake owned by Mr. Burns, calling it "Monty's Python". Jasper Beardley is also seen with his clothes ragged and saying "It's...", a reference to the recurring It's Man character. Simpsons Comics #208 Brit Simpson! A character named "Monty Python" is featured.

References to Monty Python in Simpsons books

• In Comic Book Guy's Book of Pop Culture Comic Book Guy names the quote "Tis but a scratch" from Monty Python and the Holy Grail one of the Greatest Quotes of All Time.

Common cast members

Picture Name Role in Monty Python Role on The Simpsons Eric Idle Main member of Monty Python Voiced Declan Desmond in the season 14 episode "'Scuse Me While I Miss the Sky", the season 16 episode "Fat Man and Little Boy", the season 18 episode "Springfield Up", and the season 23 episode "The Spy Who Learned Me". Picture Michael Palin Main member of Monty Python Voiced the museum curator in the season 32 episode "I, Carumbus". Picture

External links

• Monty Python's Flying Circus at Wikipedia

Cultural references

Television The A-Team • All in the Family • Alvin and the Chipmunks • America's Funniest Home Videos • Animaniacs • Barney & Friends • Battlestar Galactica • Baywatch • Beauty and the Beast • Bewitched • The Big Bang Theory • Black Mirror • Bob's Burgers • The Brady Bunch • Breaking Bad • Charlie's Angels • Cheers • The Critic • CSI • Dallas • Davey and Goliath • DC Comics • Dennis the Menace • Dilbert • Disenchantment • Doctor Who • The Dukes of Hazzard • Family Guy • The Flintstones • Frasier • Futurama • Game of Thrones • Garfield • Gilligan's Island • Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. • Happy Days • The Honeymooners • Gunsmoke • I Dream of Jeannie • I Love Lucy • The Jetsons • King of the Hill • Late Show with David Letterman • Law & Order • The Lone Ranger • Looney Tunes • Lost • Lost in Space • Married... with Children • Marvel • M*A*S*H • Matlock • Monty Python's Flying Circus • Mork & Mindy • The Munsters • The Muppets • My Little Pony • MythBusters • The Odd Couple • Orange Is the New Black • Peanuts • Pokémon • Popeye • The Powerpuff Girls • The Ren & Stimpy Show • Rick and Morty • The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show • Sailor Moon • Scooby-Doo • Sesame Street • Seinfeld • The Smurfs • The Sopranos • South Park • SpongeBob SquarePants • Stargate • Starsky & Hutch • Star Trek • Stranger Things • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles • Teletubbies • That '70s Show • Thriller • The Tracey Ullman Show • Transformers • The Twilight Zone • The Walking Dead • When Animals Attack! • Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? • The Wonder Years • The X-Files Films 2001: A Space Odyssey • Alice in Wonderland • Alien • Alvin and the Chipmunks • Apocalypse Now • Avatar • Back to the Future • Beauty and the Beast • Ben-Hur • Das Boot • C.H.U.D. • Charlie's Angels • Casablanca • Charlie and the Chocolate Factory • A Christmas Carol • Citizen Kane • A Clockwork Orange • Close Encounters of the Third Kind • DC Comics • Dial M for Murder • Die Hard • Dracula • The Dukes of Hazzard • The Exorcist • Fantasia • The Fly • Frozen • Garfield • Ghostbusters • The Godfather • Godzilla • Gone with the Wind • Harry Potter • Home Alone • The Hunger Games • Indiana Jones • It's a Wonderful Life • James Bond • Jaws • Jurassic Park • King Kong • Laurel & Hardy • The Lion King • The Little Mermaid • The Little Rascals • The Lone Ranger • Looney Tunes • The Lord of the Rings • M*A*S*H • Mad Max • Marvel • The Marx Brothers • The Matrix • The Odd Couple • Pirates of the Caribbean • Planet of the Apes • Pokémon • Popeye • Psycho • Pulp Fiction • RoboCop • Saw • Scooby-Doo • The Shawshank Redemption • The Shining • The Silence of the Lambs • Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs • The Sound of Music • Soylent Green • SpongeBob SquarePants • Star Trek • Star Wars • A Streetcar Named Desire • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles • Terminator • Thelma & Louise • They Saved Hitler's Brain • The Three Stooges • Thriller • Titanic • Toy Story • Transformers • When Harry Met Sally... • The Wizard of Oz Video games Angry Birds • Candy Crush Saga • Donkey Kong • Grand Theft Auto • The Legend of Zelda • Mario • Minecraft • Pokémon Magazines Cracked • MAD • The New Yorker • Playboy • Rolling Stone Books Alice in Wonderland • Beauty and the Beast • Ben-Hur • The Catcher in the Rye • Charlie and the Chocolate Factory • A Christmas Carol • A Clockwork Orange • Dial M for Murder • Dracula • The Exorcist • Fahrenheit 451 • The Fly • Game of Thrones • The Godfather • Gone with the Wind • Goosebumps • Harry Potter • The Hunger Games • James Bond • Jaws • Jurassic Park • The Little Mermaid • The Lord of the Rings • Moby-Dick • The Old Man and the Sea • Planet of the Apes • Psycho • The Silence of the Lambs • The Shining • Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs • A Streetcar Named Desire • The Wizard of Oz Comics DC Comics • Dennis the Menace • Dilbert • Garfield • Life in Hell • Marvel • Mary Worth • My Little Pony • Peanuts • Popeye • Sailor Moon • The Smurfs • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles • Tintin • The Walking Dead Other Art references • Gilbert and Sullivan • Hindenburg disaster • References in other media