"Contrary to what the politicians and religious leaders would like us to believe, the world won't be made safer by creating barriers between people." -Michael Palin

"And one of them turned to me, ... and said, 'Oh my God! Eric Idle!'" -Michael Palin

"At least one way of measuring the freedom of any society is the amount of comedy that is permitted, and clearly a healthy society permits more satirical comment than a repressive, so that if comedy is to function in some way as a safety release then it must obviously deal with these taboo areas. This is part of the responsibility we accord our licensed jesters, that nothing be excused the searching light of comedy. If anything can survive the probe of humour it is clearly of value, and conversely all groups who claim immunity from laughter are claiming special privileges which should not be granted." -Eric Idle

"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will make me go in a corner and cry by myself for hours." -Eric Idle

"Every age sort of has its own history. History is really the stories that we retell to ourselves to make them relevant to every age. So we put our own values and our own spin on it." -Terry Jones

"Some people are passionate about aisles, others about window seats." -Terry Jones

"There's something about watching an animal that puts you in contact with where we came from and what we're still a part of." -John Cleese

"The one thing I remember about Christmas was that my father used to take me out in a boat about ten miles offshore on Christmas Day, and I used to have to swim back. Extraordinary. It was a ritual. Mind you, that wasn't the hard part. The difficult bit was getting out of the sack." -John Cleese

"I just like the fact I can make a film which might give comfort to some people who think they are the only crazy person in the world and suddenly they see there are two crazy people in the world." -Terry Gilliam

"I like taking [movie stars] and letting them be something very different, ... Actors love it because it's an escape from having to be that character that the public wants them to be. I don't direct them so much as provide extra space to play in. Studios get very nervous about this. They want to hand out the same Big Mac each time, but I want to turn the Big Mac inside out." -Terry Gilliam

"I do not really look back with regret on any feelings or problems I have had in the past. I think I am more able to accept problems as being part of the rough and tumble of life. There are bound to be ups and downs. In retrospect, when you've gotten past a tough period, it makes the good things that much better." -Graham Chapman

"There is no cannibalism in the British navy, absolutely none, and when I say none, I mean there is a certain amount." -Graham Chapman