Trivia

Its highly plausible, though not officially confirmed, that the television mini-series Jesus von Nazareth (1977), and the later 1979 extended version, inspired Monty Python to later create this movie. Both have a similar plot, some of the same sets were re-used, and in particular the scene with John the Baptist declaring he's not the Messiah, is obviously part inspiration for the later "he's a very naughty boy". In fact, this movie was shot on the same sets as the mini-series and with the same extras. Terry Jones recalled that some said to him, "Well, Franco Zeffirelli wouldn't have shot it like that, you know." See more