Okay, so how many of you out there were aware of the fact that American music legend Elvis Presley was a big fan of Monty Python? Certainly not I. At one particular moment in time (those serendipitous late-teen/early-20s years), I had nearly every hard-to-find book about Britain’s bad boys of comedy. I had certainly seen my share of ribbing toward The King himself, but I never bore witness to any such claim that Elvis was a fan.

And that is just one example of what you can learn if you go out and buy Monty Python: Almost The Truth - The Lawyer’s Cut today. Note how I completely skipped over the whole “subtle salesman approach” and went straight for your jugular there. It’s not because they paid me to say so (they did), but it just so happens that Monty Python: Almost The Truth - The Lawyer’s Cut is by and far the best and most comprehensive Python documentary ever made (so far).

We begin at the beginning (or should that be “begin the beguine?”), with the first episode of Eagle Rock’s six-part documentary delving deep into the sordid pasts of the now really-fucking-old comedians. From there, the series devotes entire hour-long(-ish) episodes to the formation of Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin as a semi-functional unit; the BBC days of Python; the feature films; and the present. Each surviving Python member is well-represented via brand new interviews, while the late Graham Chapman is on hand thanks to the wonders of archival footage (love that blazer he’s wearing!).

Originally broadcast on IFC, Monty Python: Almost The Truth - The Lawyer’s Cut is a good seven hours and 43 minutes of laughs, factoids, and a number of unforgettable clips from the memorable Flying Circus days up to the feature film years (and beyond). The series also boasts interviews with a venerable who’s who of celebrities (from both sides of the Pond), including Steve Coogan, Bruce Dickinson (of Iron Maiden), Eddie Izzard, Dan Aykroyd, and Russell Brand to name a few — the latter of whom looks like he’s stoned out of his mind, and is so completely irritating that he is the only downside to this entire programme. Another highlight is the ever-altering theme song: every episode sports a new take on the old Life Of Brian theme song — although, as we get closer to the final episode, the new lyrics (sung by either Sonia Jones or diva Shirley Bassey — the jury’s still out) change from being honorary to downright hateful (a wonderful touch).

Article Author: Luigi Bastardo

Luigi Bastardo is the disgruntled alter-ego of Adam Becvar, a thirtysomething lad from Northern California who has watched so many weird movies since the tender age of 3 that a conventional life is out of the question. …

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