It was a world of silly walks, dead parrots, cross-dressing lumberjacks and Spam with everything. When Monty Python's Flying Circus launched on BBC TV in 1969, it opened a whole new chapter in British comedy. With the acknowledged exception of Spike Milligan, nobody else had ventured into these areas.

Python pushed at the boundaries of what it was possible to do within TV comedy, and when it wound down in 1974, its influence had already become too great for it to become simply a period piece.

The programme spawned not only films and stage-shows, but a variety of interesting later careers among its principal performers. And not only did it make us laugh, it has travelled successfully into some surprising parts of the world.