Fawlty Towers

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Flack
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Fawlty Towers

Post by Flack »

Fawlty Towers was a television show that aired on the BBC in the late 70s. The show focuses on a small English hotel owned by Basil Fawlty (John Cleese) and his wife Sybil, with assistance from chambermaid Polly and the limited English-speaking Manuel. According to Wikipedia, in 2019 it was named "the greatest ever British TV sitcom" by a panel of comedy experts.

For anyone looking for a quick show to hop in and out of, Fawlty Towers consists of two seasons, each with six episodes for a total of twelve. You can find copies in varying quality all over the net, but the latest release is a loaded blu-ray set that contains all twelve episodes with separate commentary tracks from the original director and John Cleese.

Most of the episodes involve some wacky situation that takes place within the hotel. In one, Basil mistakes two different guests (both of whom prove to be difficult to deal with) as hotel inspectors. In another episode, the kitchen chef gets drunk and passes out on the night four important guests are invited to dinner. The comedy mostly comes from the show's characters -- the nitpicky Sybil, the calm and collected Polly, the never-ending mix-ups with Manuel, and the hapless Basil Fawlty in the middle of it all, who constantly makes everything worse.

The show constantly balances physical comedy, over the top plots, and Cleese's quick British wit.

It appears that all twelve episodes are available on YouTube. Instead of posting those, here's a collection of funny clips from the show. If you like these, you should check out the show. There are only 12 30-minute episodes.

"I failed a savings throw and now I am back."