Even the most die-hardcore Python lover will admit there are moments in this otherwise excellent series of utter cringeworthiness. So which episode you think has been cursed with most of such moments?
For me it's a toss-up between 'Scott of the Antarctic' and 'The Cycling Tour'. Both episodes were just totally dull and unfunny, except for a few rare moments of giggle worth.
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Yeah, Cycling Tour is kind of overrated to me. I know a lot of folks like it, but I really didn't care for it.
Kindness...A little bit of it goes a very long way.
"Cycling Tour" reminds me of a series I saw years ago on PBS (here in California), "Ripping Yarns." Yeah, also a Michael Palin show. I assume from what I know of the various members' styles and the fact that Palin and Jones were the main characters in "Cycling Tour," that they were the ones who wrote it.
Michael Palin is probably my favorite Python, with the possible exception of John Cleese, but he likes a story format more than the others, and the laughs come farther apart than in a bunch of unrelated sketches. I like the story oriented episodes like Cycling Tour and Mr. Neutron OK, but not as well as earlier sketch driven episodes.
I could probably go with "Scott of the Antarctic" as well. Also not too keen on "All-England Summarize Proust Competition". Nor does the fourth 'series' amount to much, but "Light Entertainment War" is pretty good.
shareAny episode after Cleese left
shareSeries 4 is IMHO a massive improvement on the unmemorable second half of Series 3.
"The Cycling Tour" (selected by Terry Jones as his favourite Python episode, in 1999) is indeed over-long, but it raises enough laughs to prevent it from dragging.
"Scott Of The Antarctic", being from Series 2, is hilarious and does not deserve the disdain it has received here.
As for "Monty Python's Fliegender Zirkus", they are both pretty weak - due to the lack of audience laughter!
For me it was S 01 E 04:
Owl-Stretching Time
A change from street clothes to swim trunks turns into a burlesque act; a karate class exercises defense tactics against fresh fruit; a man tries to buy a book about false teeth.
I didn't laugh once. Then I decided to stop watching the show if E 05 was also not funny (to me). Well, I only laughed once and only at the randomness of a boxer knocking out some guy out of the blue. I don't want to waste 30 minutes for one laugh.