Fawlty Towers

Cantab. · 01-06-2008 3:33am #1

Just been watching some of the old episodes on google video -- hilarious stuff altogether!

Ruu_Old · 01-06-2008 3:38am

"Don't mention the war!" Never get tired of the Waldorf Salad episode. I have the DVDs.

Creature · 01-06-2008 1:38pm

The greatest sitcom ever. If ever there's a DVD box set worth getting, it's that.

Sherifu · 01-06-2008 1:44pm

¿qué?

1huge1 · 01-06-2008 1:59pm

Britains best comedy of all time, and thats quiet a statement considering the amount of high quality comedies they've produced over the years.

Picked up the dvd boxset for about €12 there about 2 years ago with every single episode.

Best moment: mrs richards couldnt hear him because she didnt want to turn up the volume on her hearing aid as it wasted the batteries, He then tried to write it down but she couldn't read it without her glasses, Basil tries to tell her their on her head but she couldn't hear him...

Classic

kerry4sam · 01-06-2008 9:23pm

"ORILLY? ... You ORILLY men? you are big (hideous) ou-rang-u-tang" Classic by Manuel and Basil (on the phone) when the builders were in the hotel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qiYPCb3qNY&feature=related ...

kerry4sam · 01-06-2008 9:26pm

1huge1 wrote: »

...Picked up the dvd boxset for about €12 there about 2 years ago with every single episode.
...

that was lucky

Ruu_Old · 01-06-2008 9:30pm

kerry4sam wrote: »

"ORILLY? ... You ORILLY men? you are big ou-rang-u-tang" Classic by Manuel and Basil (on the phone) when the builders were in the hotel

Don't forget Sybil and her "a half-witted, thick Irish joke" about O'Reilly the builder (David Kelly) comment! :eek:

People would be up in arms these days.

kerry4sam · 01-06-2008 11:15pm

Ruu wrote: »

Don't forget Sybil and her "a half-witted, thick Irish joke" about O'Reilly the builder (David Kelly) comment! :eek: People would be up in arms these days.

Sybil to ORILLY "I have seen more intelligent creatures than you lying on their backs at the bottoms of ponds. I have seen better organized creatures than you running round farmyards with their heads cut off

Now collect your things and get out. I never want to see you or any of your men in my hotel again"

mike65 · 01-06-2008 11:22pm

Hard to pick a favourite but the interaction bewtween Basil and the major was priceless, not to mention the episode with the Australian (?) female guest who Basil gets accidently intimate with.

Mike.

OPENROAD · 01-06-2008 11:28pm

Impossibe to pick a best episode they were all great but the one with Manuel and his rat when the health inspector

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igxDVI4Jva4&feature=related

ArmaniJeanss · 02-06-2008 12:07am

The fire drill (the first 15 minutes of the German episode).

Glad someone else appreciates the Major as well (loved his 'I took her to see India' line*).

*at The Oval

Creature · 02-06-2008 12:27pm

The Major was the best. The episode with the Germans, where he thinks the stuffed Moose head was talking to him

.

Basq · 02-06-2008 12:51pm

Picked up the complete boxset in my local music store for 20 euro last Christmas.. was clearing out old stock and had a voucher.

Ashamed to say it's still in the plastic.. might unwrap it this evening and give it a watch!

brousuka · 02-06-2008 9:55pm

It was and still is hilarious. The only thing is that Cleese is just not as funny in these American films he's being doing ( and making a load of cash out of), probably because I'm expecting the same character type as Basil which I think will never be duplicated by him, or, any other actor. "Clockwise" being nearly the only exception.

kerry4sam · 02-06-2008 10:34pm

brousuka wrote: »

It was and still is hilarious. The only thing is that Cleese is just not as funny in these American films he's being doing ( and making a load of cash out of), probably because I'm expecting the same character type as Basil which I think will never be duplicated by him, or, any other actor. "Clockwise" being nearly the only exception.

I totally agree and was told to watch 'Clockwise' lastnight on RTE and it certainly didn't disappoint me...one of the few (Ratrace another) where i thought he was funny

Degsy · 03-06-2008 10:03am

kerry4sam wrote: »

Sybil to ORILLY "I have seen more intelligent creatures than you lying on their backs at the bottoms of ponds. I have seen better organized creatures than you running round farmyards with their heads cut off Now collect your things and get out. I never want to see you or any of your men in my hotel again"

Ah..which one is man with beard?

Heisenberg. · 03-06-2008 10:12am

This post has been deleted.

Basq · 03-06-2008 10:15am

The Scientist wrote: »

Some boardsie has a classic line from it in their sig...

Well, may I ask what you were expecting to see out of a Torquay hotel bedroom window? Sydney Opera House, perhaps? The Hanging Gardens of Babylon? Herds of wildebeasts roaming majestically through the plains...

Classic..!

Definitely putting on the boxset this evening!

mental07 · 03-06-2008 10:17am

The Scientist wrote: »

Some boardsie has a classic line from it in their sig...

Well, may I ask what you were expecting to see out of a Torquay hotel bedroom window? Sydney Opera House, perhaps? The Hanging Gardens of Babylon? Herds of wildebeasts roaming majestically through the plains...

Love it! That's my favourite episode! I've the box set too, haven't watched in a while though.

ShoulderChip · 06-06-2008 1:00am

basquille wrote: »

Classic..!

Definitely putting on the boxset this evening!

You keep saying this but will you ever get around to it?

Thrill · 06-06-2008 1:09am

I love the "don't mention the war" episode and the one where manuel(sp) has a rat called basil when the inspector comes calling. And the one when the psychiatrists were staying at the hotel.....

There all class. Must get the box set. I've been meaning to get it for a while now.

Basq · 06-06-2008 8:28am

ShoulderChip wrote: »

You keep saying this but will you ever get around to it?

Now that you mention it, I actually watched 5 / 6 of the 1st season last night.

Still as great as I remember.

'The Hotel Inspectors' episode still remains one of my favourites.. hilarious!

Roar · 06-06-2008 10:28am

maunel! there is too much butter on those trays.

que?

there is to much butter on... those... trays..

no no no, no "on those trays".. "uno, dos, tres".

genius

Basq · 06-06-2008 10:33am

This thread needs more clips!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0tNAclytdY

mike65 · 06-06-2008 10:37am

Apologies for this

Wrong on every level

Mike.

Basq · 06-06-2008 10:39am

More quality programming from RTÉ! :rolleyes:

jor el · 06-06-2008 10:58am

SSSSSSSSSSPPPPPPPPPPPPOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONS!!!

1huge1 wrote: »

Best moment: mrs richards couldnt hear him because she didnt want to turn up the volume on her hearing aid as it wasted the batteries, He then tried to write it down but she couldn't read it without her glasses, Basil tries to tell her their on her head but she couldn't hear him...

Classic

I liked the bit where he started miming in front of her, so she thought the hearing aid was broken, then turned it up and Basil screams at her.

Never gets old, never gets not funny.

kerry4sam · 06-06-2008 11:25pm

How To: Manage Your Staff http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ3cmoyiYaM&feature=related

as done in : Fawlty Towers / Watery Fowls / Flat Otters / Warty Towels / Fatty Owls / Flowery Twats / Farty Towels...

You really can't go far wrong now can you

youngblood · 08-02-2023 12:51pm

It seems like it's getting a reboot!

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/feb/07/fawlty-towers-john-cleese-reboot

TheIrishGrover · 08-02-2023 3:51pm

Yeah. Think that's a mistake.

I mean I love Fawlty Towers (In a wanna-claw-your-eyes-out-and-curl-up-into-a-single-point-with-cringe.... way). The same way I always did. It is of its time, but hey. Again. No problems. The "W" word will be bandied about soon and I'm not interested in that conversation either.

No, I think it's a mistake simply because I don't think it will be funny. When was the last genuinely successful renewal of an old show? Especially a comedy show?

I'm not of the mindset "Oh there are no new ideas. Everything's a remake/reboot/sequel". But shows like this had their day. They were fun. They may still be fun. But leave them die. Do we want to see Del and Rodney becoming crypto-bros?

So nah, not interested really.

Blind As A Bat · 08-02-2023 4:10pm

Love Fawlty Towers - don't like the idea of a reboot. Manuel is dead, the Major is dead, Sybil has Alzheimers, Basil is ancient - it would feel sad to me. Anyway Fawlty Towers was all about the chemistry between the actors. It was magical. You can't repeat it.

Shakyfan · 08-02-2023 6:50pm

Is there anyone other than John Cleese and his daughter who actually thinks this is a good idea?

Tony EH · 08-02-2023 6:53pm

This is such a bad idea.

Fr Tod Umptious · 08-02-2023 7:00pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120216072#Comment_120216072

The "W" word will be bandied about soon and I'm not interested in that conversation either.

What "W" word ?

Wog ?

TheIrishGrover · 08-02-2023 7:11pm

Hahahahaha

I must admit, I actually laughed out loud at that, reading it in The Major's voice. Haha

whisky_galore · 08-02-2023 7:18pm

It's like reanimating a corpse.

TV reboots are almost always sh1t, don't bother.

Hellrazer · 08-02-2023 7:24pm

It`ll be sanitized to within an inch of its life. Theres no way will it be as funny as it was / is...Wasnt there talk a few years back of tying to get it banned due to the nature of some jokes in it?

Better off left a memory and not a stupid reboot.

08-02-2023 7:32pm

Needs to be made with an all black cast of gay women

Hellrazer · 08-02-2023 7:41pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120217035#Comment_120217035

That just might be acceptable these days!!!

MrMusician18 · 08-02-2023 7:48pm

Jaysus, I see cantab. opened this thread! Now that's a blast from the past.

Anyway the reboot will likely tarnish the originals legacy tbh.

pixelburp · 08-02-2023 7:53pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120216879#Comment_120216879

The Cleese's accountant?

The talk about what can or can't be said is skipping the important part: it won't be funny regardless of content. You shouldn't go back - and for sure after this length of time. When's the last time John Cleese even wrote any comedic script?

At best it'll be a weird anachronistic curio that'll have a couple of old school chuckles. At worst it'll be a tedious sitcom with forced attempts at modern humour and clichés that'll just seem twice as lame cos they were written by an 83 year old.

Quitelife · 08-02-2023 7:53pm

I’d look forward to anything a tenth as good as fawlty towers .

It will be hard for John Cleese to crack jokes in the modern sterile world the PC brigade have created .

08-02-2023 9:07pm

https://youtu.be/DaVTIAmJpOU

This parody came damn close!

trashcan · 09-02-2023 9:52pm

I’d also join the chorus against a reboot. Please, don’t do it John. Would get my vote for the best sit com of all time, but there is now way they can reproduce it. Nothing to do with being “woke” either. As someone said above, it was the particular set of characters that made it, most of whom aren’t around now. Basil without Sybil would lose so much of his character. Not to mention Manuel, Polly, the Major etc.

one of my favourite parts is where he beats up his car 😁. “Right, I’ve laid it on the line for you time and time again, now I’m going to give you a damn good thrashing.” I remember hearing him talking about how they took ages choosing the right branch for him to attack the car with. Just flimsy enough so it couldn’t actually do any real damage, thus making it all the funnier. They spent six weeks writing each episode seemingly, and it showed.

Mad_maxx · 09-02-2023 9:59pm

Deleted

Radio5 · 10-02-2023 9:47am

Not a good idea at all. The key to the original was in the comic timing and physical comedy of the actors (Sybil's walk, her annoying laugh, her body language around Basil, Polly's expressions, as well as all the Basil and Manuel interactions) and a great script. Can that be be reproduced. Few enough actors can do physical comedy without hamming it up. Patricia Routledge (Mrs Bucket) was brilliant at it in Keeping Up Appearances.

magicbastarder · 10-02-2023 9:51am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120217128#Comment_120217128

oh, you can be guaranteed that cleese will use it as an excuse to rail against the way he thinks the world has gone. and it'll be all the more toe-curling as a result.

Alun · 10-02-2023 10:02am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120223044#Comment_120223044

I agree. Cleese has gone deep into the "anti woke" rabbit hole recently so I'd also assume he'd use any new show to push the view that they're all out to get him which wouldn't make for great comedy.

pixelburp · 10-02-2023 10:07am

I see Camilla Cleese is a stand-up; no scriptwriting experience by the look of things and only a handful of nothing roles as an actor. You gotta start somewhere I suppose, but I wonder whether John will be the ideas man - then leave the jokes to his daughter. At least she'll be more unlikely to use a bunch of avocado jokes or whatnot.

pixelburp · 10-02-2023 12:09pm

Out of curiosity, I watched a routine of Camilla Cleese's, via her IMDB profile and ... oof. It was painfully generic stuff. Really uninspired "day in the life" jokes about driving with phones or Alexa. If it was any more generic, I'd have sworn I accidentally watched a stock-footage clip from shutterstock or the like.

I'd not get my hopes up this is going to be anything except slightly painful, milquetoast stuff. And anyone champing that here we go, take that Woke PC Libs, are going to be sorely disappointed I suspect.

Fawlty Towers

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