The Monty Python comedy troupe are currently celebrating the 40th anniversary of the first broadcast of their 1969 BBC TV series Monty Python’s Flying Circus and tonight the surviving members — John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam, and Michael Palin — reunited at the Ziegfeld Theatre in NYC. A video of the event is now online, which you can watch here below — and I suggest you do so! It’s great stuff, seeing the gang together again, talking about their experiences and creating the sketches for the show, basically just answering questions from the audience. Seriously, watch now!

Also, there’s two new clips online from the documentary Monty Python: Almost The Truth: The Lawyers Cut, a 3-disc DVD — due out on DVD and Blu-ray on October 27, 2009 — with new interviews with the fabulous British comedians as well as other celebrities, along with tons of clips from pre-Python material, the original Flying Circus TV series and the films. Watch the two clips here below: one of John Cleese talking about writing the “Cheese Shop”; the other of comedian Steve Coogan (Tropic Thunder) doing “The Undertaker” skit. From October 18-23, IFC will be airing the documentary in six parts, so you can catch it ahead of time (though the DVD will have more material in it).

The Chicago Tribune has a lengthy piece on the documentary that includes some video footage.

Almost The Truth: The Lawyers Cut tells the story of Monty Python through brand new interviews with the Pythons: John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones & Michael Palin and archive material from the late Graham Chapman. A host of others also contribute to putting the Python legacy in context including: Phil Jupitus, Bruce Dickinson, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Russell Brand, Steve Coogan, Stephen Merchant, Dan Aykroyd, Nick Mason, Tim Roth, Simon Pegg, Eddie Izzard and more. The six programmes, each an hour long, combine the interviews with a generous helping of clips from pre-Python material, the original Flying Circus TV series, the films: Monty Python & The Holy Grail, Monty Pythons Life Of Brian & Monty Pythons Meaning Of Life and their classic live performance at the Hollywood Bowl. This is the only official, authorised programme to commemorate Monty Pythons 40th birthday.

Video

[Monty Python Reunion at the Ziegfeld Theatre in NY 10/15/09]

[The writing of “The Cheese Shop” sketch]

[Steve Coogan does “The Undertaker”]