"Monty Python's Flying Circus, Series 4"

Director/Producer: Ian MacNaughton

Broadcast on BBC1





Filmed after the completion of "Holy Grail," the fourth series (whose title was shortened to just "Monty Python") constituted just six episodes. John Cleese had already expressed his desire to move on to solo projects ("Fawlty Towers" would premiere on the BBC in September 1975), and so he does not appear, although he received a writing credit for his contributions with Graham Chapman.



Series Highlights



Episode 40

,

The Making of

Lawsuit

Python and ABC (in conjunction with the BBC and Time-Life, the show's distributor) ultimately reached a settlement, which awarded the Pythons full rights to all 45 TV episodes. The fourth series was eventually sold to PBS in the States, "naughty bits" intact.



A footnote: The ABC edit was nominated for a 1976 Emmy Award for Outstanding Special - Comedy-Variety or Music.

