Monty Python's Fliegender Zirkus (Monty Python's Flying Circus) is a pair of 45-minute Monty Python German television comedy specials produced by WDR for West German television. The two episodes were respectively first broadcast in January and December 1972 and were shot entirely on film and mostly on location in Bavaria, with the first episode recorded in German and the second recorded in English and then dubbed into German.
Production
While visiting the UK in the early 1970s, German entertainer and TV producer Alfred Biolek became aware of the Pythons and, excited by their innovative and absurd sketches, invited them to Germany in 1971 to write a special German episode of their Flying Circus show and to act in them. Despite mixed audience reception, a second episode was produced in 1972.
According to producer Biolek, the Pythons were initially somewhat reluctant to the idea of going to Germany to produce comedy for a German audience. Biolek had only seen a few shows, but he was impressed with the concept of the Flying Circus. Specifically, it stood out to him that they were both good comedians and good actors—a combination that Biolek rarely saw in the German comedy scene at the time. Biolek arranged to meet with the Pythons in the BBC's bar in London to convince them "with many arguments and even more gin and tonics" Terry Jones recalled Biolek's inquiry as an opportunity "to do silly things in Germany". Michael Palin also noted, "All I know is that it reversed all one's prejudices. Python has done very, very well in Germany, and the movies do extremely well. ... Whenever anyone says, you know, the Germans have no sense of humour, say no, hang on, hang on, they got Monty Python before a lot of other countries."
The second episode was the final television show that Cleese recorded with the group, having already announced his decision to only commit to film and stage productions in future. The episode also featured Terry Gilliam taking more acting roles than before.
Sketches
The "Colin "Bomber" Harris vs Colin "Bomber" Harris" and "Hearing Aid Shop" sketches in the second show had previously featured in At Last the 1948 Show.
Footage of the "Silly Olympics," "Little Red Riding Hood," "Flashers' Love Story," and "The Philosophers' Football Match" sketches from these German specials was regularly used to fill time between live stage performances, The Stake Your Claim sketch was included on the English language record Another Monty Python Record.
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