Fawlty Towers. Image shows from L to R: Manuel (Andrew Sachs), Basil Fawlty (John Cleese), Sybil Fawlty (Prunella Scales), Polly (Connie Booth). Copyright: BBC
Fawlty Towers

Fawlty Towers

  • TV sitcom
  • BBC Two
  • 1975 - 1979
  • 12 episodes (2 series)

Comedy about a hotel and its owner, a man of infinite rudeness with a rabid dislike of almost all guests. Stars John Cleese, Prunella Scales, Andrew Sachs, Connie Booth, Ballard Berkeley and more.

Press clippings

"We're going back to silly": what's the next turn for British comedy in era of nostalgia?

It's no joke for new shows as classic favourites live on while investment in sitcoms and sketches falters.

Alexandra Topping, The Guardian, 16th February 2024

Gen Z watches Fawlty Towers for first time - and really doesn't understand the humour

"I just didn't find it funny, not one bit."

Darcey Barrett, The Bristol Post, 12th February 2024

Classic UK TV sitcoms transfer to stage - and thrill the superfans

Fawlty Towers, The Fast Show, Only Fools And Horses ... the vogue for screen-to-stage shows taps into our need for nostalgia.

Rachel Aroesti, The Observer, 11th February 2024

Don't mention the war ... and the rest: the trouble with bringing back Fawlty Towers

Stage revivals of the 70s sitcom and The Fast Show have enough nostalgia value to delight fans. Less certain is what will happen to their more problematic material.

Brian Logan, The Guardian, 5th February 2024

Fawlty Towers to premiere on West End stage

John Cleese has adapted Fawlty Towers as a West End stage show. It'll premiere at London's Apollo Theatre in May.

British Comedy Guide, 2nd February 2024

'Great sitcoms are missing from our TV screens and our lives - we need them in these times'

Even if "we're all doomed" under the Tories, as Dad's Army's Pte Frazer would say, shows like George And Mildred, Are You Being Served?, Robin's Nest and Three's Company still make us laugh.

Siobhan McNally, The Mirror, 24th January 2024

Basil Fawlty could have driven me to prison!

Floor manager Tony Guya has been reflecting upon some of the hair-raising details of filming Fawlty Towers.

British Comedy Guide, 13th January 2024

Timothy West recalls the double act that made his wife Prunella Scales a star

When I told Pru that I'd soon be attempting to write something about Sybil and Fawlty Towers, she issued me with one simple instruction. "You will do a good job, won't you, darling? Everybody loves Sybil."

Daily Mail, 10th September 2023

British comedy's US disasters

As media continues to become more globally inclusive (largely thanks to the rise of streaming services) the idea of remaking anything to fit another culture is gradually becoming more of an outdated concept. But in the past, American TV producers have repeatedly tried and failed to remake many beloved British sitcoms with terrible consequences.

Jazzy Janey, The Comedy Blog, 2nd September 2023

UK vs US comedy: A lesson in quality over quantity

It essentially comes down to the fact that UK comedy shows often run for just a few seasons, packed to the rafters with quality and hidden moments that only reveal themselves after several viewings. By contrast, US comedy shows often go on for several seasons, mostly overstaying their welcome and having audiences become tired of their tropes and characters.

Thomas Leatham, Far Out, 1st August 2023