Monty Python
Monty Python were a British comedy troupe, famous for the television program Monty Python's Flying Circus and the films Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Monty Python's Life of Brian and Monty Python's The Meaning of Life.
For the anniversary TV special, Python Night: 30 Years of Monty Python, Trey Parker and Matt Stone made a short South Park homage to Monty Python with the "Dead Friend Sketch", a parody of Monty Python's "Dead Parrot Sketch". The cartoon also featured Terry Gilliam at the end.
In June and July 2014 the Pythons had their reunion show (Monty Python Live: One Down, Five to Go) at the O2 Arena in London, it was originally planned as a one-off but tickets sold out within 43 seconds so due to demand they added 9 more shows all at the O2 Arena. The show featured as said in a press release included "some of Monty Python's greatest hits, with modern, topical, Pythonesque twists". Python Terry Jones revealed that the idea for this show came from a suggestion by Matt Stone and Trey Parker. Terry said “The South Park people brought us together, Matt Stone and Trey Parker." followed by “They approached us and suggested we should get together and do something together. That’s what triggered the interest in the show.” Michael Palin stated that the show on July 20th was going to be the final time the troupe would perform together and before the final show Idle said "It is a world event and that’s really quite exciting. It means we’re actually going to say goodbye publicly on one show. Nobody ever has the chance to do that. The Beatles didn’t get a last good night." The show was screened worldwide to over 2000 cinemas.
Parker and Stone have cited Gilliam as an influence on the South Park animation style.
Monty Python alum Eric Idle provided the voice of Doctor Vosknocker in South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut.
References
In the episode, "Timmy 2000", Phil Collins talks and acts like one of the "Gumbies" from Monty Python's Flying Circus.
In the episode, "Best Friends Forever", an off-screen character says "Open the gates!" when Kenny is in heaven, in the same fashion as King Arthur in Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
In the episode, "Go God Go XII", the three Atheist groups in the future (Allied Atheist Alliance, United Atheist Alliance, Unified Atheist League) are a reference to the Judean socialist resistance groups in Monty Python's Life of Brian (The Judean People's Front, the People's Front of Judea, and the Judean Popular People's Front).
In the episode, "The Last of the Meheecans", the scene with Butters standing outside a house, naked, in Mexico is a reference to the He's not the Messiah scene in Monty Python's The Life of Brian.