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Holy Flying Circus

Holy Flying Circus
Holy Flying Circus DVD.jpg
DVD cover art
Written by Tony Roche
Directed by Owen Harris
Starring Darren Boyd
Charles Edwards
Steve Punt
Rufus Jones
Tom Fisher
Phil Nichol
Theme music composer Jack C. Arnold
Country of origin United Kingdom
Original language(s) English
Production
Producer(s) Polly Leys
Kate Norrish
Cinematography Richard Mott
Editor(s) Billy Sneddon
Running time 90 minutes
Release
Original network BBC Four
Original release
  • 19 October 2011 (2011-10-19) (UK)

Holy Flying Circus (2011) is a 90-minute BBC television comedy film first broadcast in 2011, written by Tony Roche and directed by Owen Harris.

The film is a "Pythonesque" dramatisation of events following the completion of Monty Python's Life of Brian, culminating in the televised debate about the film broadcast in 1979.

At a meeting in the offices of their film distributor, the members of Monty Python discuss allowing the film Life of Brian to be released in America first because of America's first amendment. John Cleese voices his support for the idea, and says that he loves Americans. We then see American reporters at a screening of the movie where a near riot is taking place, with the protesters condemning the film as "blasphemous". The Pythons review a disheartening statement made by a religious leader, implying that the film causes violence. Cleese misinterprets this (possibly deliberately) and goes off on a tangent about little kids carrying out copycat crucifixions on their friends. Their distributor, Barry, suggests a low profile approach for the UK release so as not to cause too much upset. "Let's not project an advert onto the side of Westminster Abbey or make Life of Brian Christmas crackers".

Much of the film is taken up with preparations for a debate on the BBC2 chat show Friday Night, Saturday Morning. Initially, the Pythons are reluctant to take part but decided that Cleese and Michael Palin should represent the troupe on the programme. Palin's wife is depicted with a remarkable resemblance to Terry Jones (Rufus Jones plays both parts). The production team of the BBC chat show eventually manage to gain a commitment from Malcolm Muggeridge and , then the Bishop of Southwark, to oppose the two Pythons. Portions of this televised discussion are recreated towards the end of the film.


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