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The creators of South Park received permission to sample copyrighted Monty Python work, which they turned into a cartoon short honoring the comedy troupe's 30th anniversary.

Since a 1976 federal court case ruling against ABC and the BBC, Monty Python has maintained creative ownership of its sketches. The group's surviving members (John Cleese, Michael Palin, Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam and Eric Idle) heavily police the alteration of its routines, including simple editing cuts for TV use.

But with Comedy Central's permission, "South Park" creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker spun Monty Python's well-known "Dead Parrot" skit into a short starring the South Park characters Kenny, Stan, Kyle and Cartman. The spoof was part of a special called "It's the Monty Python Story", which included classic Python routines, interviews and newly written skits performed by Cleese, Palin, Jones and Gilliam.

"South Park" deal negotiator Martin Lewis, a former Python producer, presented the idea to ex-Python Terry Jones, who OK'd it, telling Lewis, "'South Park' is a good, fun show in the same anarchic spirit of Monty Python."'

Jones also approved of the finished product, entitled "The Dead Friend Sketch," starring Cartman as John Cleese, Kyle as Michael Palin and Kenny as the parrot.

Parker and Stone later commented in a statement that "We would kill ourselves for [the Pythons]... We hope this small piece of animation will suffice."