About a week ago, my husband and I started watching a limited documentary series from 2009 about Monty Python called Monty Python Almost the Truth: The Lawyer’s Cut.  My husband, my kids, and I are huge Monty Python fans.  As we spread this documentary over the whole week, watching it 20 minutes of it at a time (which is the amount of time it takes for exhaustion to take over and sleep to arrive), I found more nuggets of wisdom beyond just the comic relief that we so desperately needed.

The documentary covers how the six members of Monty Python met, struggles with the BBC and with finding money to make their first movies.  However, the comedy group also discussed what it was like to collaborate with each other and the ins and outs of the creative process.  Although these six men were friends, they did not always get along.  Creative and personal tensions actually fueled some of the comic genius.  For example, when John Cleese left the BBC show, the remaining members only lasted one more season, partly because the creative disagreements between Cleese and Terry Jones sharpened the wit of them all.  I also found the discussion of how they worked separately, then in writing teams, then all together interesting.  They weren’t afraid of telling each other if something wasn’t working.  They tried to play up to each person’s strengths, and relied on each other to speak the truth.  I found it all fascinating.

Anyway, I highly recommend this series which can be found on Netflix.  We all need some humor in the coming days.  You will also get the side benefit of watching and listening to this group discuss collaboration, creativity, and problem solving.  Note:  Language and some nudity is found in this documentary.