Monty Python might forever be associated with the Seventies, but the comedy troupe have just proved themselves very contemporary indeed by launching their own YouTube channel.

The lauded performers posted a selection of their comic clips, including the brazenly blasphemous Always Look on the Bright Side of Life from Life of Brian and Dark Knight from Holy Grail, with an typically cheeky message to fans explaining their motivation.

“For 3 years you YouTubers have been ripping us off, taking tens of thousands of our videos and putting them on YouTube. Now the tables are turned. It's time for us to take matters into our own hands.

"We know who you are, we know where you live and we could come after you in ways too horrible to tell. But being the extraordinarily nice chaps we are, we've figured a better way to get our own back: We've launched our own Monty Python channel on YouTube.

The surviving Pythons - John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin - then promise: “No more of those crap quality videos you've been posting. We're giving you the real thing - HQ videos delivered straight from our vault.

“What's more, we're taking our most viewed clips and uploading brand new HQ versions. And what's even more, we're letting you see absolutely everything for free. So there!”

In true Python style, they then eschew manners to get straight to the point.

“But we want something in return.

“None of your drivelling, mindless comments. Instead, we want you to click on the links, buy our movies & TV shows and soften our pain and disgust at being ripped off all these years.”

Despite the ticking off, fans are flocking to the channel to register their approval and even, it would seem, follow the Pythons’ instructions.

Having watched Birth from Meaning of Life, filmed before sixth member Graham Chapman died in 1989, one fan declared: “This is classic, it will never go out. Good comedy makes you laugh at the time, but great comedy makes you laugh whenever you think of it afterwards, like when you're at work, and people look at you wondering what you're laughing at. Oh I so need the box sets...”

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