MONTY PYTHON'S FLYING CIRCUS: GRAHAM CHAPMAN'S PERSONAL BEST

This release is part of a series that showcases each member of England's renowned comedy troupe. Graham Chapman passed away in 1989, so it fell to the other Pythons to put his collection together. The result is the best disc of the bunch. Not only do you get great sketches like "Silly Walks," "The Argument Clinic" and "Dead Parrot," but great insight and stories from his colleagues. Python aficionados will, of course, recognize that Chapman isn't a prominent player in any of the above-mentioned skits, but he apparently was the main architect of these brilliant pieces. As Michael Palin explains, "We might have thought of a parrot, but it I'm sure it was Graham who thought it should be a Norwegian blue parrot." Perhaps it was introducing twists like that that propelled Python to genius-level comedy. Graham Chapman's Personal Best is fun to watch and study, though fans of animation might want to check out Python animator Terry Gilliam's equally fine collection. (P.F. Wilson) Grade: A