Ep 1. Whicker's World

Monty Python's Flying Circus Season 3 Episode 1 titled "Whicker's World" is a hilarious satire of a popular British television program from the 1960s called "Whicker's World". The episode starts with a parody of the show's intro music and the infamous voice-over by Alan Whicker himself, but with a Python-esque twist.

The opening sketch features Eric Idle as the host of "Whicker's World" interviewing a group of eccentric individuals who have chosen alternative lifestyles. The sketches poke fun at alternative living trends of the time, such as nudism and vegetarianism, and the interviewees' bizarre habits and beliefs. The interview ends with Eric Idle's character declaring he's discovered a new "whickerism" - the philosophy of doing absolutely nothing.

The episode then takes a turn towards the absurd with a sketch featuring the infamous "Spanish Inquisition" trio. This time, they're tasked with breaking into a suburban family home in search of heresy. The sketch plays on the idea that the Inquisition is hopelessly outdated and bumbling, as the trio struggles with their equipment and becomes sidetracked by trivial conversations with the family before abruptly and hilariously leaving without finding any heresy.

Next up is a sketch featuring John Cleese as a man named Arthur Name who's made an interesting discovery. However, to reveal the discovery, he requires a prestigious context in which to reveal it. Thus, he promptly goes through a litany of absurd names he claims have given him the necessary weight to reveal the discovery, even though the names are all made up. Cleese's exaggerated performance in this sketch is a standout, as he practically rants his way through a list of increasingly ridiculous names.

Following that, Michael Palin and Terry Jones perform a silly song about a lumberjack's trade. The song's whimsical lyrics with its chorus "He's a lumberjack, and he's okay" became a meme before the internet even existed and is still well remembered by audiences to this day.

The episode then turns towards absurdist social commentary with a sketch featuring two men in a pub discussing politics while one of them eats a piece of cake. The nonsensical discussion becomes increasingly heated as they argue over which party they support and their respective mottoes. The climax of the sketch sees one of the men yelling, "I came here for an argument!" before being charged a fee by the other man for the argument he's just had.

The episode's final sketch is a classic Monty Python set piece that sees a group of men resorting to increasingly absurd and desperate measures to get their drinks at a crowded pub. Pratfalls, surrealist twists, and hilarious sight gags pile up on top of each other, including the famous joke where a man walks into a bar and says, "Is this the right room for an argument?" to which the bartender replies, "I've told you once!" before collapsing into a giggling fit.

In summary, Monty Python's Flying Circus Season 3 Episode 1 "Whicker's World" is a perfect example of the show's irreverence, wit, and absurdity, subverting conventional humor, and television format with its unique voice. From poking fun at alternative lifestyles to absurdist social commentary to classic sketches that are still laughed at today, the episode remains a timeless comedy masterpiece.