# Monty Python: Almost the Truth (The Lawyer's Cut) (2009)

> A six-part documentary that traces the surreal comedy group Monty Python from their schooldays to their later projects, told through surviving members' interviews and archive footage.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/29235

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 6
- Episode runtime: 60 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: documentary, comedy
- Network: PBS
- Cast: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Michael Palin, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, Carol Cleveland, Neil Innes
- TMDB rating: 8.1/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1422182/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: none
- Tone: nostalgic, irreverent, wry, affectionate, playful

## Synopsis

Monty Python: Almost the Truth (The Lawyer's Cut) (2009) is a United States, PBS-aired documentary miniseries created for television about the surreal British comedy troupe Monty Python. Across six hour-long episodes, it follows the group's arc from childhood and school days, through university life and pre-Python work, to Flying Circus and later projects such as the musical Spamalot. The engine of the series is the members' own recollections: new interviews with surviving members John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin are interleaved with archive interview footage of Graham Chapman, and associates such as Carol Cleveland, Neil Innes and Chapman's partner David Sherlock add perspective. Commentary from modern comedians frames the material for newer viewers. Each episode unspools a chapter of the story in a conversational, affectionate register, mixing wry self-deprecation with nostalgia for the anarchic sketch work that reshaped television comedy. Fans of Ripping Yarns and other British absurdist comedy will find resonance in the mix of archival clips and irreverent personal testimony. It is a limited series with a single season, suited to fans of the troupe and of comedy history.

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