First-Ever Emmy Nomination Honoring the Legendary British Comedy Troupe
New York, NY – July 8, 2010 – The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced today that IFC received two Emmy® Award nominations for its original documentary series Monty Python: Almost the Truth (The Lawyer’s Cut): Outstanding Nonfiction Series and Outstanding Directing for Nonfiction Programming – Bill Jones and Ben Timlett. This marks the first time the iconic troupe has been recognized for their contributions to comedy and entertainment. Bill Jones is the son of troupe member Terry Jones.
"This is a momentous occasion and one we couldn’t be prouder of," said Jennifer Caserta, Executive Vice President & General Manager of IFC. "The Pythons have paved the way for countless comedians and sketch comedy groups. We’re honored to be a part of the project that finally commends their work in comedy – a genre thriving on IFC, from The Whitest Kids U’ Know to Arrested Development and, of course, Flying Circus."
To commemorate the 40th anniversary of the premiere of Monty Python’s groundbreaking television show on the BBC (October 5, 1969), IFC produced Monty Python: Almost the Truth (The Lawyer’s Cut) and premiered the program on-air alongside the classic films Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Monty Python’s Life of Brian and the live concert film Live at the Hollywood Bowl, along with the series that started it all, Monty Python’s Flying Circus. At a special event in NYC hosted by IFC and The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), the comedy troupe was honored with a Special Award from BAFTA to honor their outstanding contribution to film and television.
Monty Python: Almost the Truth (The Lawyer’s Cut) premiered on IFC on October 18, 2009 and ran over six consecutive nights. Featured in the series are all-new interviews and candid commentary from Python creators John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin, archival footage and interviews with the late Graham Chapman, and celebrity fans, including Jimmy Fallon, Eddie Izzard, Lorne Michaels and Dan Ackroyd.
Monty Python’s Flying Circus never received an Emmy nomination. The British comedy series won a BAFTA Award in 1973 for Best Light Entertainment Program. TIME Magazine included the show on its 2007 100 Best TV Shows of All Time and the troupe’s "Dead Parrot" sketch was listed at #1 on Nerve.com’s Fifty Greatest Comedy Sketches of All Time. Monty Python’s Flying Circus airs on IFC on Monday nights at 7:30 pm and Tuesday nights at 11:30 pm, et/pt.
Monty Python: Almost the Truth (The Lawyer’s Cut) is an Eagle Rock Entertainment production in association with IFC and is produced by UK production company Bill & Ben Productions. Executive Produced for IFC by Jennifer Caserta, Harold Gronenthal, George Lentz, Christine Lubrano and Evan Shapiro. Eagle Rock Entertainment Executive Producers are Geoff Kempin and Terry Shand, Supervising Producer is Andrew Winter. Series Producers are Bill Jones and Ben Timlett of Ben and Bill Productions.
About IFC
IFC creates and champions authentic, original content that is "Always On. Slightly Off." Since 1994, IFC has cultivated television programming that challenges the conventions of storytelling. Today, IFC continues to embrace content with an indie perspective. Original series – headlined by brand-defining scripted and sketch comedy – air alongside an extraordinary collection of films and cult TV shows. Long and short-form original content inspired by music, web, gaming, animation, news, and culture is available on multiple platforms. IFC provides viewers access to must-see festivals and events around the country, like the Film Independent’s Spirit Awards and SXSW. IFC.com features exclusive video, podcasts, blogs, news and reviews cultivated and written by industry experts. The network’s On Demand offering, IFC Free, gives fans the opportunity to watch select content from IFC whenever they want. IFC is a subsidiary of Rainbow Media Holdings LLC.