The Best Thing Each Monty Python Member Has Done Since the Series Ended
Despite setting a lot of us up for massive disappointment when we finally visited England for real (not a single Ministry of Silly Walks, and all the cheese shops actually carry cheese?), we still love forcibly reunited later in life to pay off legal debts and alimony bills.
But as good as they were as a group, once Monty Python’s Flying Circus wrapped up, the gang started pouring their talents into other projects. But which ones were the best? We’ve endeavored to determine each Python member’s greatest post-Flying Circus, non-Python movies and TV shows, starting with…
Eric Idle, ‘The Rutles’
Pre-dating This Is Spinal Tap by six years, Idle wrote and co-directed this Beatles-inspired TV mockumentary about a fictional rock band known as The Rutles, the legendary group behind hit songs such as “Cheese and Onions” and “Ouch!”
Sure, the parody is a tad hard on George Harrison drops by to help lampoon his own legend. Plus, the songs by frequent Python collaborator and Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band member Neil Innes are legitimately catchy.
Graham Chapman, ‘The Odd Job’
Sadly, Chapman didn't star in many projects outside of the explosives enthusiast Keith Moon played the part of the stranger, as Chapman originally intended.
Terry Jones, ‘Labyrinth’
It’s no secret that Jones David Bowie’s lycra-bound ballsack” appeared anywhere in his screenplay. But still, Jones’ distinctive humor and flair for original fantasy storytelling (also showcased in movies like Erik the Viking) are clearly the engine behind this nostalgic favorite.
Terry Gilliam, ‘The Fisher King’
Gilliam has obviously made a number of acclaimed movies over the years, such as Robin Williams) complete a mythical quest.
Michael Palin, ‘A Fish Called Wanda’
Palin accomplished a lot after his Python duties became more sporadic — he had a whole second career as a great travel host and author who was also one of the Knights Who Say “Ni.”
But if we’re talking about his very best work, it’s hard to top Palin’s performance as the animal lover turned accidental animal murderer Ken in A Fish Called Wanda. Sure, it was John Cleese’s script, and Kevin Kline won an Oscar for playing the psychotic Otto, but the movie just wouldn’t work without Palin.
John Cleese, ‘Fawlty Towers’
Look, we’d love to recommend some of Cleese’s more obscure offerings, like his nudity-filled Chekhov adaptation inadvertently autobiographical.
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