CHRISTMAS came early for fans of British comedy this week when BBC Entertainment began flighting a nightly double feature of Monty Python’s Flying Circus.

The pioneering series that cemented the legend of John Cleese and made Michael Palin, Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam and the late Graham Chapman the bane of religious zealots everywhere, is still considered the final word in skit humour, and would give rise to the later full-length movies The Search for the Holy Grail, The Life of Brian and The Meaning of Life.

As the only American among the group, it is perhaps unsurprising that Gilliam has enjoyed most success, the director famed for offbeat dramas and comedies like Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and 12 Monkeys.

What is not so widely known is that he was responsible for the hilarious animation synonymous with the Pythons, those grainy caricatures depicting a man slathering shaving cream onto his entire face and then lopping off his head with a straight razor in a parody of a mundane existence.

Not that the sketches any less effectively underline the idiosyncrasies of mankind. Although the actors are quick to point out today their creative differences were vast and frequently led to heated skirmishes, the end product always delivered.

Python certainly did raise – or lower – the tone of humour in its heyday, deliberately setting out to offend, but that’s what made it so groundbreaking. The BBC sometimes pulled the show, sometimes for weeks. However, such was its popularity that followers successfully petitioned maniacally for its return, and a fine thing, too, as its screening on Channel 120 is making this festive season a little bit sweeter.