Editing Monty Python (section)

===Before ''Flying Circus''===
Jones and Palin met at [[Oxford University]], where they performed together with [[the Oxford Revue]]. Chapman and Cleese met at [[Cambridge University]]. Idle was also at Cambridge, but started a year after Chapman and Cleese. Cleese met Gilliam in [[New York City]] while on tour with the [[Footlights|Cambridge University Footlights]] [[revue]] ''[[Cambridge Footlights Revue|Cambridge Circus]]'' (originally entitled ''A Clump of Plinths''). Chapman, Cleese, and Idle were members of the Footlights, which at that time also included the future [[The Goodies|Goodies]] ([[Tim Brooke-Taylor]], [[Bill Oddie]], and [[Graeme Garden]]), and [[Jonathan Lynn]] (co-writer of ''[[Yes Minister]]'' and ''Yes, Prime Minister'').<ref>Hewison, Robert (1983). ''Footlights! – a hundred years of Cambridge comedy''. Methuen London Ltd. {{ISBN|978-0-413-51150-8}}.</ref> During Idle's presidency of the club, feminist writer [[Germaine Greer]] and broadcaster [[Clive James]] were members. Recordings of Footlights' revues (called "Smokers") at [[Pembroke College, Cambridge|Pembroke College]] include sketches and performances by Cleese and Idle, which, along with tapes of Idle's performances in some of the drama society's theatrical productions, are kept in the archives of the [[Pembroke Players]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://footlights.org/history |title=Footlights history |publisher=Footlights.org |access-date=4 November 2018 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130922122310/http://footlights.org/history |archive-date=22 September 2013 }}</ref>

The six Python members appeared in or wrote these shows before ''Flying Circus'':
* ''[[I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again]]'' (radio) (1964–1973): Cleese (cast member and writer), Idle and Chapman (writers)
* ''[[The Frost Report]]'' (1966–1967): Cleese (cast member and writer), Idle (writer of [[David Frost]]'s monologues), Chapman, Palin and Jones (writers)
* ''[[At Last the 1948 Show]]'' (1967): Chapman and Cleese (writers and cast members), Idle (guest star and writer)
* ''[[Twice a Fortnight]]'' (1967): Palin and Jones (cast members and writers)
* ''[[Do Not Adjust Your Set]]'' (1967–1969): Idle, Jones, and Palin (cast members and writers), Gilliam (animation) 
* ''[[We Have Ways of Making You Laugh]]'' (1968): Idle (cast member and writer), Gilliam (animation)
* ''[[How to Irritate People]]'' (1968): Cleese and Chapman (cast members and writers), Palin (cast member)
* ''[[The Complete and Utter History of Britain]]'' (1969): Palin and Jones (cast members and writers)
* ''[[Doctor in the House (TV series)|Doctor in the House]]'' (1969), Cleese and Chapman (writers)

The BBC's satirical television show ''The Frost Report'', broadcast from March 1966 to December 1967, is credited as first uniting the British Pythons and providing an environment in which they could develop their particular styles.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/thefrostreport/|title=The Frost Report|publisher=BBC Comedy|access-date=4 November 2018}}</ref>

[[File:The_Four_Yorkshiremen,_2014_(crop).jpg|thumb|The "[[Four Yorkshiremen]]" sketch at the 2014 Monty Python reunion. Written by Cleese, Chapman, [[Tim Brooke-Taylor]] and [[Marty Feldman]], it was originally performed on their TV series ''[[At Last the 1948 Show]]'' in 1967. It parodies nostalgic conversations about humble beginnings or difficult childhoods.]]
Following the success of ''Do Not Adjust Your Set'' (which was broadcast on [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] from December 1967 to May 1969), [[Thames Television]] offered Gilliam, Idle, Jones, and Palin their own late-night adult comedy series together. At the same time, Chapman and Cleese were offered a show by the [[BBC]], which had been impressed by their work on ''The Frost Report'' and ''At Last the 1948 Show''. Cleese was reluctant to do a [[Double act|two-man show]] for various reasons, including Chapman's supposedly difficult and erratic personality. Cleese had fond memories of working with Palin on ''How to Irritate People'' and invited him to join the team. With no studio available at Thames until summer 1970 for the late-night show, Palin agreed to join Cleese and Chapman, and suggested the involvement of his writing partner Jones and colleague Idle—who in turn wanted Gilliam to provide animations for the projected series. Much has been made of the fact that the Monty Python troupe is the result of Cleese's desire to work with Palin and the chance circumstances that brought the other four members into the fold.<ref name="Autobiography">''The Pythons Autobiography by the Pythons''. Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, John Chapman, David Sherlock, Bob McCabe. Thomas Dunne Books; Orion, 2003</ref>

By contrast, according to John Cleese's autobiography, the origins of ''Monty Python'' lay in the admiration that writing partners Cleese and Chapman had for the new type of comedy being done on ''Do Not Adjust Your Set''; as a result, a meeting was initiated by Cleese between Chapman, Idle, Jones, Palin, and himself at which it was agreed to pool their writing and performing efforts and jointly seek production sponsorship.<ref>''So, Anyway ...'' by John Cleese; Crown Archetype, London, 2014</ref> According to their official website, the group was born from a Kashmir tandoori restaurant in Hampstead on 11 May 1969, following a taping of ''Do Not Adjust Your Set'' which Cleese and Chapman attended.<ref>{{cite book |last1=McCall |first1=Douglas. L. |title=Monty Python: a chronological listing of the troupe's creative output, and articles and reviews about them, 1969–1989 |date=1991 |publisher=McFarland |page=1}}</ref> It was the first time all six got together, with their first meetings then taking place at Cleese's apartment in [[Basil Street]], Knightsbridge in central London.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Morgan |first1=David |title=Monty is 30 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/1999/oct/03/life1.lifemagazine2 |access-date=9 May 2025 |date=3 October 1999|work=The Guardian}}</ref>