Ratings are Gold for Monty Python

UKTV Gold

The highly-anticipated live broadcast from the O2 of the final ever performance of the Monty Python Live (mostly): One Down Five to Go stage show, proved a ratings smash-hit for UKTV channel Gold last night with over 700,000 individuals tuning in, making it the highest ever rating commission for Gold (live viewing), and staying in Twitter’s trending topics through out the night.

Stephen Hawking and Mike Myers made special appearances in the landmark three hour live broadcast, which included a star-studded backstage programme including Steve Coogan, Brian Cox and Warwick Davies, and presented by Dara O Briain, followed by the Python’s stage show finale.

“Last night was not only a defining moment in the history of Monty Python; it was also a defining moment for Gold. I’m immensely proud that Gold has been able to bring such a momentous occasion to our viewers, live, as it happened. It was a tremendous achievement by everybody involved and it marks the next step in Gold’s evolution.” – Steve North, General Manager for Gold

Gold is following last night’s live broadcast with a special five part series in the autumn, produced by Phil McIntyre Television in association with Python (Monty) Pictures Ltd, which will celebrate the nation’s favourite Monty Python’s Flying Circus sketches and the effect they have had on the comedy world. It will include the very best footage from their TV programmes and insights from some of the biggest names in comedy on the extraordinary influence of the Pythons.

Gold has enjoyed recent success with Porridge: Behind Bars which was up 124% on slot average and viewers have a brand new series of Gold’s first original sitcom, You, Me and Them, starring Anthony Head and Eva Myles, to look forward to early next year.