Monty Python's Flying Circus: The Complete Series 1-4 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		5.0

Monty Python's Flying Circus: The Complete Series 1-4 Blu-ray Movie Review

Universal has released the classic 'Monty Python's Flying Circus: The Complete Series' on Blu-ray. All four seasons have been fully restored and are spread across seven discs. A small booklet is included with notes on the restoration work, episode listings, and details of the on-disc special features, and the inner print duplicates all of this information. The set comes housed in a slipbox. A Digital Code is not included.

Monty Python's Flying Circus: The Complete Series 1-4 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

These discs appear to share the same transfer as the previous Network release, and, in fact, the booklet contains identical notes on the restoration. So, for an assessment of the video presentation please refer to the link above. To allow for a comparison of these two releases, I have attempted to replicate, or at least get very close to, many of the same screen captures from Mr. Kauffman's reviews. The bulk of the captures presented here are from the first three seasons, however, numbers 5 and 17-19 are from the fourth season and show, per the restoration notes, the greatest improvement in video quality.

Monty Python's Flying Circus: The Complete Series 1-4 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Monty Python's Flying Circus: The Complete Series features a solid DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono track. The primary complaint that Mr. Kauffman had with the Network release was the distinctly noticeable change in fidelity within a given episode when it transitioned from studio shots to filmed location material and back again. While I do not own a copy of that release and have not had the pleasure of viewing it for myself, Mr. Kauffman's word choice makes me believe the issue was more significant there than it is here. Across the four seasons, while there is occasionally a mildly detectable change in sound quality as we move from studio to outdoor shots, I don't believe it to be very distracting or jarring. Dialogue is always cleanly delivered, and while some may struggle with accents or the meaning of slang from time to time, every word is intelligible. Sound effects are era- appropriate and music is reproduced with solid clarity and presence as well. The most notable difference with this release is the puzzling absence of subtitles. Since the prior DVD set and the Network release both had English subtitles at the very least, I'm not sure why they were dropped here. While not a deal-breaker for me, I know there are many collectors who will not be pleased with this omission. As a result, I am deducting one-half of a point from the audio score.

Monty Python's Flying Circus: The Complete Series 1-4 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

There are two primary differences between this set from Universal and Network's "Monty Python's Flying Circus: The Compete Series Norwegian Blu-ray Edition" are Universal's simplified packaging and the deletion of the four volumes of viewing notes. As my colleague Mr. Kauffman seemed to have some frustrations and/or misgivings about the Network set's packaging, the transition to a standard 7-disc Blu-ray case for this release seems like a definite positive. The loss of the viewing notes authored by Andrew Pixley, however, seems a more significant change as I'm always in favor of meaningful and substantive books that accompany Blu-ray releases. There is, however, no shortage of books available on the Pythons and the series to fill that void. I've got a few myself. Instead, this set is accompanied by a six-page booklet that consists simply of notes on the restoration work, and a detailed listing of the episodes and special features found on each disc.

The on-disc supplemental material is a mix of good news and bad news. The good news is that these discs appear to be identical (minus the subtitles) to those of the Network release, and all of that on-disc material is ported over to Universal's discs. For a complete listing of that material, please refer to the link above. The bad news is that all of the material from the old DVD release, "The Complete Monty Python's Flying Circus Collector's Edition Megaset" , that was missing from the Network set is likewise missing here, so fans who want the most complete Python experience possible will still want to hold on to those sets. So, if you're like me, you're going to have to keep that monstrous set around a while longer, unfortunately.

Monty Python's Flying Circus: The Complete Series 1-4 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The restoration work done on Monty Python's Flying Circus: The Complete Series is truly remarkable, and the video presentation is simply the best the series has ever looked and likely will ever look. It is not pristine and perfect, so viewers will need to temper their expectations, but those familiar with the television broadcasts of the series or the previous DVD releases will easily notice and appreciate the improvement on display here. Inexplicably, the array of subtitles present on the Network release are missing here, so some viewers may want to weigh their importance and/or necessity before considering a purchase. Some of the sketches, based on the subject matter or language, perhaps haven't aged well, and there were several instances when I was glad I was watching them out of sight of my college-aged daughter. But the bulk of them remain as hilarious, insightful, absurd, and glorious as ever. The impact of the groundbreaking series cannot be understated and established fans and newcomers alike would be well- served to pick up this excellent and space-saving set. Highly recommended.