Editing Monty Python (section)

===Going solo===
[[File:Monty Python (4624404749).jpg|thumb|right|[[Blue plaque]] at 11 [[Neal's Yard]], London, marking where Palin and Gilliam bought offices in 1976 as studios and editing suites for Python films and solo projects.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hind |first1=John |title=Terry Gilliam: 'I had a big row with John Cleese about tinned peaches' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/dec/07/terry-gilliam-cleese-row-monty-python |access-date=17 January 2023 |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=7 December 2013 |language=en}}</ref>]]

Each member has pursued various film, television, and stage projects since the break-up of the group, but often continued to work with one another. Many of these collaborations were very successful, most notably ''[[A Fish Called Wanda]]'' (1988), written by Cleese, in which he starred along with Palin.<ref name="PopMatters"/> The pair also appeared in ''[[Time Bandits]]'' (1981), a film directed by Gilliam, who wrote it together with Palin. Gilliam directed ''[[Jabberwocky (film)|Jabberwocky]]'' (1977), and also directed and co-wrote ''[[Brazil (1985 film)|Brazil]]'' (1985), which featured Palin, ''[[The Adventures of Baron Munchausen]]'' (1988), which featured Idle; he followed these with writing and directing an additional six (as of 2021) films.<ref name="Collab"/>

[[HandMade Films]], the film studio that George Harrison co-founded to produce ''Life of Brian'', contributed to British cinema in the 1980s, producing classics of the period including ''[[The Long Good Friday]]'' and ''[[Mona Lisa (film)|Mona Lisa]]'' (both starring [[Bob Hoskins]]), ''Time Bandits'', and ''[[Withnail and I]]'', with the studio also launching Terry Gilliam's directorial career.<ref name="Handmade"/> ''[[Yellowbeard]]'' (1983) was co-written by Chapman and starred Chapman, Idle, and Cleese, as well as many other English comedians including Peter Cook, [[Spike Milligan]], and [[Marty Feldman]].<ref>{{cite book |last=McCall |first=Douglas |date= 6 November 2013|title=Monty Python: A Chronology, 1969–2012 |edition=2nd |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=RS0FAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA96|location=[[Jefferson, North Carolina]] |publisher=[[McFarland & Company]] |page=96 |isbn=978-0-7864-7811-8}}</ref>

Palin and Jones wrote the comedic TV series ''[[Ripping Yarns]]'' (1976–79), starring Palin. Jones also appeared in the pilot episode and Cleese appeared in a nonspeaking part in the episode "Golden Gordon". Jones' film ''[[Erik the Viking]]'' also has Cleese playing a small part. In 1996 Terry Jones wrote and directed an [[The Wind in the Willows (1996 film)|adaptation]] of [[Kenneth Grahame]]'s novel ''[[The Wind in the Willows]]''. It featured four members of Monty Python: Jones as Mr. Toad, Idle as Ratty, Cleese as Mr. Toad's lawyer, and Palin as the Sun. Gilliam was considered for the voice of the river. The film included [[Steve Coogan]] who played Mole.<ref name="Reunions">{{cite news |title=Monty Python: 30 years of near reunions from the comedy troupe |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/showbiz/comedy/a532589/monty-python-30-years-of-near-reunions-from-the-comedy-troupe/ |access-date=21 August 2019 |work=Digital Spy}}</ref>

Cleese has the most prolific solo career, appearing in dozens of films, several TV shows or series (including ''[[Cheers]]'', ''[[3rd Rock from the Sun]]'', Q's assistant in the [[James Bond movies]], and ''[[Will & Grace]]''), many direct-to-video productions, some video games and a number of commercials.<ref>{{IMDb name|id=92 | name= John Cleese}}; includes prerelease items</ref> His BBC sitcom ''[[Fawlty Towers]]'' (written by and starring Cleese together with his wife [[Connie Booth]]) is the only comedy series to rank higher than the ''Flying Circus'' on the [[BFI TV 100]]'s list, topping the whole poll.<ref>Mattha Busby, 9 April 2019, [https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/apr/09/fawlty-towers-greatest-ever-british-sitcom "Fawlty Towers named greatest ever British TV sitcom"]. ''The Guardian'', Retrieved 24 May 2019</ref><ref>[https://www.itv.com/news/2019-04-09/fawlty-towers-and-father-ted-top-list-of-britains-favourite-sitcoms/ "Fawlty Towers and Father Ted top list of Britain's favourite sitcoms"]. ITV. Retrieved 24 May 2019</ref> Cleese's character, [[Basil Fawlty]], was ranked second (to [[Homer Simpson]]) on Channel 4's 2001 list of the [[100 Greatest (TV series)|100 Greatest TV Characters]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/tv/microsites/G/greatest/tv_characters/results.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090531160558/http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/tv/microsites/G/greatest/tv_characters/results.html |archive-date=31 May 2009 |title=100 Greatest TV Characters |access-date=26 May 2019 |publisher=[[Channel 4]]}}</ref>

Idle enjoyed critical success with ''[[Rutland Weekend Television]]'' in the mid-1970s, out of which came the Beatles parody [[the Rutles]] (responsible for the [[cult]] [[mockumentary]] ''[[All You Need Is Cash]]''), and as an actor in ''[[Nuns on the Run]]'' (1990) with [[Robbie Coltrane]]. In 1976 Idle directed music videos for George Harrison songs "[[This Song]]" and "[[Crackerbox Palace]]", the latter of which also featured cameo appearances from Neil Innes and John Cleese. Idle has had success with Python songs: "[[Always Look on the Bright Side of Life]]" went to no. 3 in the UK singles chart in 1991.<ref>{{cite news |title=Official Singles Chart Top 75 (13 October 1991 – 19 October 1991) |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/singles-chart/19911013/7501/ |access-date=22 August 2019 |work=Official Charts Company}}</ref> The song had been revived by [[Simon Mayo]] on [[BBC Radio 1]], and was consequently released as a single that year. The theatrical phenomenon of the Python musical ''[[Spamalot]]'' has made Idle the most financially successful of the troupe after Python. Written by Idle (and featuring a pre-recorded cameo of Cleese as the voice of God), it has proved to be an enormous hit on Broadway, London's West End and [[Las Vegas Valley|Las Vegas]].<ref name="ParkerO'Shea2006">{{cite book|first1=Alan|last1=Parker|first2=Mick|last2=O'Shea|title=And Now For Something Completely Digital: The Complete Illustrated Guide to Monty Python CDs and DVDs|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=G49bRxbeH1kC&pg=PA68|access-date=29 September 2010|date=1 April 2006|publisher=The Disinformation Company|isbn=978-1-932857-31-3|page=68}}</ref> This was followed by ''[[Not the Messiah (He's a Very Naughty Boy)|Not the Messiah]]'', which revises ''The Life of Brian'' as an [[oratorio]]. For the work's 2007 premiere at the [[Luminato]] festival in [[Toronto]] (which commissioned the work), Idle himself sang the "baritone-ish" part.