Idle Colleague is a term used to describe two British comedians, John Cleese and Michael Palin, who were part of the comedy troupe Monty Python. Cleese and Palin are both six and five letter words respectively in a crossword puzzle. They are best known for their work on the sketch comedy show Monty Python's Flying Circus, which aired from 1969 to 1974. The two comedians have also collaborated on several films, including Monty Python and the Holy Grail and Life of Brian.