'Masterpiece' BBC TV series that's an absolute classic fans still say is a '10/10'

When a series first aired on BBC One in October 1969, no one quite knew what to make of it. Sketch shows existed, of course, but nothing like this: a surreal, fast-cut, anarchic blend of satire, slapstick, intellectual absurdity and animated interludes that ignored every convention of television comedy.

More than half a century later, the series is still hailed as one of the greatest of all time, with viewers calling it "a masterpiece of contemporary western comedy" and giving it perfect 10/10 scores online.

Across its four series and 45 episodes, Monty Python's Flying Circus introduced the world to a distinctive kind of humour that would influence generations of comedians.

It launched the careers of John Cleese, Graham Chapman, Michael Palin, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Terry Gilliam, whose unique animated cutaways became one of the show's trademarks.

Sketches like the Ministry of Silly Walks, the Dead Parrot, the Lumberjack Song and Spam are 'masterpieces' now firmly fixed into British cultural history.

Fans who discovered the show in its original run often describe it as life-changing. One IMDb reviewer wrote: "For me as well as for a great many other semi nerdy and amateur intellectual kids, Monty Python's Flying Circus was more than just another comedy show."

"It was a part of our academic and intellectual development... They have served as an inspiration to many comedians and been copied by numerous others and will continue to be watched and enjoyed forever, in spite of the fact that the show is from 1969!"

The international appeal has been just as enduring. Another fan remembered first encountering Monty Python through the troupe's films: "I have never laughed so hard at a movie before and even if I didn't understand all the jokes I loved it from the start... What can I say, there are no words except for Brilliant! Fantastic! Hilarious! Spam! Unbelievable! and Awesome!"

Part of what made the series so distinctive was its willingness to push boundaries. As one long-time viewer put it: "It was revolutionary for its time before skit comedy shows were even common, but what really revolutionized it was in its execution of comedy where it dared to not play it safe and actually go the extra mile. To this day I'm still surprised they were able to get away with what they did."

The cast themselves were fully committed, with John Cleese's uptight, manic physicality becoming a hallmark of the series. The animated segments added a surreal texture that, according to fans, made the show feel "like a live action Mad Magazine."

The sketches remain as funny today as they were over 50 years ago. "Any episode of Monty Python will reduce one to fits of laughing that will produce bouts of tears that will render the viewer on the ground," one reviewer said, singling out Cleese's physical comedy in the Ministry of Silly Walks sketch. Another praised the writing for walking "that fine line between genius and silly, and [meshing] the two."