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 Page 8
Kippers, Rats and Benzedrine Puff Adders
Is there such a thing as the perfect sitcom? For many people, Fawlty Towers fits the bill. Its success and influence on the national consciousness from only 12 episodes is such that it has become axiomatic for some that no comedy should run for more than two series.
Andrew Martin, BBC, 19th September 2017Blackadder tops list of shows people would like to return
Blackadder, Only Fools And Horses, Spitting Image and Fawlty Towers have come out top of a poll that asked people which classic TV shows they'd like to return.
British Comedy Guide, 15th June 2017Japan turns to Basil Fawlty in race for Olympic English
Teachers in Fukuoka Prefecture have been using Fawlty Towers and Red Dwarf to get students used to hearing spoken English. It raises the prospect of a generation of Japanese students sounding like Basil, Sybil or even Manuel.
Matt Pickles, BBC, 29th March 2017Fawlty Towers named comedians' favourite sitcom
A survey of comedians has revealed that Fawlty Towers is their favourite sitcom, and Alan Partridge meeting his superfan is their favourite scene. "Don't tell him Pike" was picked as the favourite one-liner.
British Comedy Guide, 4th January 2017Fawlty's funny but class doesn't raise a laugh any more
Today's hit sitcoms are about sex, rent, relationships and children - not middle-aged men and thwarted ambitions.
Catherine Shoard, The Guardian, 13th December 2016Did the German Fawlty Towers ever mention the war?
As we celebrated the 41st anniversary this past week of Fawlty Towers, I thought it would fun to take a look back at how the greatest situation comedy of all-time made the leap to German broadcaster RTL. The first ever non-English adaptation of the John Cleese/Connie Booth bit of brilliance occurred in 2001 with a pilot set on the German island of Sylt in the North Sea, in a fictitious hotel called Zum letzen Kliff, which translates as "To the Last Cliff".
Bill Young, Tellyspotting, 24th September 2016The best of British sitcom idiots
Following on from the last post about idiots in sitcoms, and some ensuing twittering, perhaps it's only fair we pay tribute to the best of British sitcom idiots. Lots of candidates, for sure, but here are, for my money, the most dimwitted of nincompoops who should be recognised for outstanding services to idiocy.
James Cary, Sitcom Geek, 31st August 2016Pictures: Australian Fawlty Towers stage show
Basil's back and he gave a Fawlt-less performance as the cult British comedy took to the stage for the first time in Sydney.
The Sun, 20th August 2016BBC comedy classics go on display
Much-loved British comedians and sitcom stars are being celebrated in a new exhibition. Comedy faces from Frankie Howerd to Ricky Gervais are on display at the Compton Verney art gallery in Warwickshire from 9 July. BBC Faces of Comedy is showing 100 pictures ranging from the 1950s to the present day. Leading comics have curated the exhibition - including Have I Got News For You panellist Paul Merton and the star of Citizen Khan, Adil Ray. Here they talk about some of their favourite comedy moments.
Paul Merton and Adil Ray, BBC News, 10th July 2016America: where British sitcoms go to die
It is the holy grail for British writers - having your sitcom remade for America. But can Raised By Wolves succeed where Fawlty Towers flopped?
Andrew Collins, The Guardian, 22nd June 2016