Coming up with a name for something can be incredibly difficult. It needs to be catchy, easy to remember and explanatory (if possible). So how did the Monty Python lads end up with, well, “Monty Python”, which defies the aforementioned guidelines? Well, it was just one of many options, including “The Toad Elevating Moment” and “Owl Stretching Time”.
Roger Cormier over at Mental Floss has put together a list of interesting facts regarding everyone’s favourite British comedy troupe. Admittedly, not all of them are amazingly noteworthy, but there are a couple that might surprise you.
For example, “Monty Python” wasn’t the first choice for the name of the show, which aired its first episode half a century ago. Each potential moniker was more absurd than the last, as Cormier writes:
… there were plenty of other considerations for the title, including Owl Stretching Time; Bunn, Wackett, Buzzard, Stubble and Boot; Whither Canada?; Ow! It’s Colin Plint; A Horse, a Spoon, and a Bucket; The Toad Elevating Moment; and The Algy Banging Hour. The BBC, in a state of agitation, was keen on “Flying Circus,” and the troupe added “Monty Python.”
The crew also didn’t get a great deal of cash for their work, snagging a mere £160 (about $270 in local coin, adjusted for inflation) for each episode.
Those are just two of 14 facts from Mental Floss — feel free to check out the rest.