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Monty Python's Flying Circus
S4.E1
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  • Cast & crew
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IMDbPro

The Golden Age of Ballooning

  • Episode aired Oct 31, 1974
  • TV-MA
  • 29m
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
904
YOUR RATING
Terry Jones, Carol Cleveland, and Monty Python in Monty Python's Flying Circus (1969)
Monty Python's Flying Circus: The Golden Age Of Ballooning
Play trailer1:51
2 Videos
5 Photos
Comedy

The Montgolfier brothers prepare for the first balloon flight.The Montgolfier brothers prepare for the first balloon flight.The Montgolfier brothers prepare for the first balloon flight.

  • Director
    • Ian MacNaughton
  • Writers
    • Graham Chapman
    • Eric Idle
    • Terry Jones
  • Stars
    • Graham Chapman
    • Eric Idle
    • Terry Jones
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.2/10
    904
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Ian MacNaughton
    • Writers
      • Graham Chapman
      • Eric Idle
      • Terry Jones
    • Stars
      • Graham Chapman
      • Eric Idle
      • Terry Jones
    • 2User reviews
    • 2Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Videos2

    Monty Python's Flying Circus: The Golden Age Of Ballooning
    Trailer 1:51
    Monty Python's Flying Circus: The Golden Age Of Ballooning
    The Complete Monty Python's Flying Circus 16 Ton Megaset: Disc 13
    Trailer 1:09
    The Complete Monty Python's Flying Circus 16 Ton Megaset: Disc 13
    The Complete Monty Python's Flying Circus 16 Ton Megaset: Disc 13
    Trailer 1:09
    The Complete Monty Python's Flying Circus 16 Ton Megaset: Disc 13

    Photos4

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster

    Top cast11

    Edit
    Graham Chapman
    Graham Chapman
    • Butler…
    Eric Idle
    Eric Idle
    • Jacques Montgolfier…
    Terry Jones
    Terry Jones
    • Joseph Montgolfier…
    Michael Palin
    Michael Palin
    • Plumber…
    Terry Gilliam
    Terry Gilliam
    • Dr. Hamer…
    Carol Cleveland
    Carol Cleveland
    • Antoinette…
    Peter Brett
    • Mr. Bartlett
    Frank Lester
    • Second Duke
    Bob Raymond
    • First Duke
    • (as Bob E. Raymond)
    Stenson Falke
    • Plumber at Montgolfier Estate
    Monty Python
    • Themselves
    • Director
      • Ian MacNaughton
    • Writers
      • Graham Chapman
      • Eric Idle
      • Terry Jones
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews2

    7.2904
    1
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    10

    Featured reviews

    5LCShackley

    Sad start for season four

    One of the worst episodes of the first three seasons was "The Cycling Tour," a dud primarily written by Palin & Jones. It was an episode-long story which fell flat, and lacked the zaniness of the usual MPFC show. So why, WHY would they make the same mistake again with this boring story about the Montgolfier brothers?

    First, the show is obviously missing the presence of John Cleese, and without him, there is no Cleese/Chapman material in the show. Second, the Pythons rely on what would later be an SNL staple: repeating the same jokes until they become tiresome. There are a couple of moments which provoke a chuckle, but that's about it. What appears to be the only Eric Idle script is one of his typical droning monlogues, this time in faux-Norwegian, which also has about one laugh in three minutes. Terry Gilliam is also woefully underused.

    One bright spot is the arrival of Bonzo Dog Band's Neil Innes, with whom the boys had worked on a previous show. His only contribution here is a girl-group song about George III, but he would return in later episodes...culminating in his appearance as Sir Robin's Minstrel in "Holy Grail."

    The Emmys Air on Sunday, Sep 14

    The Emmys Air on Sunday, Sep 14
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    Related interests

    Will Ferrell in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
    Comedy

    Storyline

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    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      First episode not to feature John Cleese, who chose not to return for the fourth and final series. Several episodes this season do, however, give him a writing credit as they use material he worked on before leaving the group.
    • Goofs
      Joseph-Michel Montgolfier states that Louis XIV of France died in 1717. In reality, Louis XIV of France died in 1715.
    • Quotes

      Announcer: Next week on "The Golden Age of Ballooning", we examine the work of Girlsher and Coxwell, the English balloonists who ascended to a height of seven miles in 1862 without washing. There is also a book called "The Golden Age of Ballooning" published by the BBC to coincide with the series. It's in an attractive hand-tooled binding, is priced £5 and failure to buy it will make you liable to a £50 fine or three months' imprisonment. There's also a record of someone reading the book of "The Golden Age of Ballooning", a crochet-work bedspread with the words "The Golden Age of Ballooning" on it, available from the BBC, price £18 or five months' imprisonment, and there are matching toilet-seat covers and courtesy mats with illustrations of many of the balloons mentioned. Also available is a life-size model frog which croaks the words "The Golden Age of Ballooning" and an attractive bakelite case for storing motorway construction plans in, made in the shape of a balloon. And now, another chance to see a repeat of this morning's re-run of last night's second showing of episode two of the award-winning series "The Golden Age of Ballooning".

    • Soundtracks
      George III
      Written by Neil Innes

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 31, 1974 (United Kingdom)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Language
      • English
    • Filming locations
      • Studio TC8, BBC Television Centre, Wood Lane, Shepherd's Bush, London, England, UK(Studio)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 29m
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Stereo
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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