Monty Python's 10 Favourite Sketches

#10: The Hearing Aid - John Cleese

“At Last the 1948 Show” (1967) / “Monty Python's Fliegender Zirkus” (1972)

First, we’re looking at one of Cleese’s favorite sketches, originally written for “The 1948 Show”. For those unaware, it was a 1967 sitcom in which Cleese and Chapman were involved, serving as a precursor to “Flying Circus”. The joke centres around a man trying to buy a hearing aid from someone almost deaf. It’s easy to see how this sketch inspired so many sketches that followed. The Pythons frequently wrote about surreal shop exchanges, so since this is the first of many, it makes sense why Cleese considers it one of his greatest sketches.

#9: The Black Knight - Terry Jones

“Monty Python and the Holy Grail” (1975)

One of the funniest scenes in British cinema is easily the Black Knight, which is a scene admired by Terry Jones. He initially proves a formidable foe for the daring King Arthur. As we all know by now, getting his limbs lopped off one by one doesn’t make him any less aggressive. Now, exclaiming that a mortal wound is simply a flesh wound is a common saying. Interestingly, it’s inspired by an actual phenomenon from the 14th and 15th centuries. This was called pas d’armes, and was when a knight would defend a busy spot, challenging any fellow knights they encountered to a duel.

#8: The Undertaker - Terry Gilliam

“Monty Python’s Flying Circus” (1969-74)

According to a GQ interview from 2020, Gilliam’s favorite sketch was the undertaker. It was also arguably their most controversial. The sketch appeared at the end of season 2’s final episode. It centres around Cleese asking an undertaker, played by Chapman, to deal with his deceased mother. His suggestions are outrageous, including dumping her in the Thames and burning her. The issue was when Chapman calls the deceased “an eater”. The BBC only agreed to play it if the audience would respond with anger at the sketch, which they did, but not to the BBC’s satisfaction. The fact that it broke so many rules is what made it so beloved by Gilliam.

#7: The Three Wise Men - Terry Jones

“Monty Python’s Life of Brian” (1979)

Jones is also a big fan of “Life of Brian”, like the vast majority of us. His favorite moment comes from the film’s intro, when Brian is confused for Jesus, which continues to be a recurring joke. Brian’s mother is hardly impressed, thinking they’re just a bunch of delinquents. It’s one of the many reasons the film was so controversial among Christians. At release, it was banned by 11 British councils and was even banned nationwide in Ireland and Norway. The controversy led to hilarious marketing techniques, like posters saying it’s “so funny it was banned in Norway”. The surrounding scandal likely made it more popular than it would’ve been otherwise.

#6: The Bookshop - John Cleese

“At Last the 1948 Show” (1967)

Next up is another pick from Cleese, once again from before his time as a Python. It’s also a sketch about a difficult interaction with a shopkeeper, which seems to be Cleese’s favorite type of sketch. It makes us wonder why, especially since he never worked as a shopkeeper. One of the main reasons it’s so hilarious is because of all the hilariously misspelled names. If you’ve ever worked in a bookshop or just general retail, you’ll probably relate to Cleese’s frustration. Hopefully, most people deal with these customers in a much less rude manner.

#5: Every Sperm Is Sacred - Terry Jones

“Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life” (1983)

The last proper Monty Python film had its fair share of hilarious moments. Jones had a few favorite scenes from the picture, including the “Galaxy Song” and, of course, Mr. Creosote and his wafer-thin mint. His #1 “Meaning of Life” moment is the all-out musical number set in Yorkshire. They had roughly 60 children involved in the track, and most of them had no idea what they were singing about. It’s simultaneously satirising Catholic views and excessively long songs in movies, which makes for a highly memorable moment. It’s also American comedian Seth McFarlane’s favorite Python song, showing how globally influential the Pythons were.

#4: Fish Slapping Dance - Michael Palin

“Monty Python’s Flying Circus” (1969-74)

Palin’s favorite sketch is rather surprising, as it’s hilarious but also short and simple. According to an interview on “The Cultural Life”, he loves the fish slapping sketch most. It’s parodying traditional folk dancing, but with extra pilchards and a trout. Palin and Cleese both practiced the sketch while the canal had way more water, making it way more terrifying to perform with the cameras on. Thankfully, he emerged unscathed, creating 20 seconds of television that will be remembered forever. It was also one of the favorite sketches of the Beatles’ George Harrison, and all members of the band were pretty big Python fans.

#3: The Cheese Shop - John Cleese

“Monty Python’s Flying Circus” (1969-74)

Out of all the sketches he ever wrote, Cleese’s favorite is the cheese shop sketch. There’s an interesting story behind it, being inspired by a time Cleese vomited on a cameraman while on a boat with Chapman. Afterwards, Chapman suggested buying him a spot of cheese, when only a pharmacy was open, the sketch’s idea was born. The Pythons didn’t find it humorous at first, except for Palin, who was on the floor laughing. His reaction convinced them to use the sketch, and the rest is history. While we’re on the topic of cheese, did you know Cleese’s father was originally named Reginald Cheese, but changed it to avoid embarrassment?

#2: Three Questions - Eric Idle

“Monty Python and the Holy Grail” (1975)

Next on our list is Monty Python’s greatest musician, Eric Idle, who said his favorite sketch is the Bridge of Death. Towards the end of the film, King Arthur and his knights encounter a mysterious bridge keeper, who asks them three questions. Lancelot gets some simple ones, but Brave Sir Robin, played by Idle, gets thrown to his death. Idle revealed it was his favorite in a Reddit AMA, simply answering “yellow. No, blue”. Originally, the line was “blue. No, yellow”, so you can read this as Idle misremembering, but it’s more likely to be an inside joke.

#1: Dead Parrot - Everyone’s Favorite Chapman

“Monty Python’s Flying Circus” (1969-74)

Tragically, Chapman died in 1989 after being diagnosed with terminal cancer. This means it’s unclear what his personal favorite sketch was, but we can say for certain, his fellow comedians thought the dead parrot was one of his most iconic bits. They adored it so much, at his eulogy, Cleese opened by calling him “co-author of the parrot sketch”. Since its first airing, it’s been a staple of the troupe. They’ve performed it countless times, including it in their first film, then pretty much all live releases. It’s a signature of not just Monty Python, but one of their finest members, Graham Chapman, and the countless laughs he provided in a life he lost too soon.

Which Python do you think writes the funniest sketches? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!