FAWLTY TOWERS [1975 / 1979 / 2019] [The Complete Collection] [Blu-ray] [UK Release] You’ll Have To Forgive Him, He’s From Barcelona!
The classic BBC comedy comes to Blu-ray for the first time, starring John Cleese, Prunella Scales, Andrew Sachs and Connie Booth.
Basil Fawlty is a much put-upon, hard-working hotel manager whose life is plagued by dead guests, hotel inspectors and riff-raff. Of course his biggest headache is his ‘little nest of vipers’ – his nagging wife Sibyl Fawlty. Together they run their hotel, Fawlty Towers, with a little help from the unflappable Polly Sherman, and Manuel, the trainee waiter from Barcelona with marginally more intelligence than a monkey.
Every episode of the BAFTA-winning sitcom is in high definition for the first time ever.
FILM FACT: Awards and Nominations: 1976 BAFTA Awards: Win: BAFTA TV Award for Best Situation Comedy for John Howard Davies. Nominated: BAFTA TV Award for Best Light Entertainment Performance for John Cleese. 1976 Broadcasting Press Guild Awards: Win: Best Comedy. 1980 BAFTA Awards: Win: BAFTA TV Award for Best Situation Comedy for Bob Spiers and Douglas Argent. Win: BAFTA TV Award for Best Light Entertainment Performance for John Cleese. Nominated: BAFTA TV Award for Best Light Entertainment Performance for Andrew Sachs. 2009 Online Film & Television Association: Win: OFTA TV Hall of Fame: Fawlty Towers Television Programme.
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Image Resolution: 1080p
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1
Audio: English: 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio
English: 2.0 DTS-HD Audio Description
Subtitles: English
Running Time: 370 minutes
Region: All Regions
Number of discs: 3
Studio: BBC Studios Ltd.
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Andrew’s Blu-ray Review: The first episode of ‘FAWLTY TOWERS’ aired on 19th September, 1975. Audiences were keen to see what John Cleese would do after the BBC Monty Python series, but at first the situation comedy received some less than enthusiastic reviews. However the strength of the writing and casting with John Cleese as hotelier Basil Fawlty ensured the series was a great success.
‘FAWLTY TOWERS’ was written by John Cleese with his wife at the time Connie Booth. The shows were intricately plotted farces, and no dialogue was written until the plot had been finalised. The ensemble cast included Prunella Scales as Sybil Fawlty, and Andrew Sachs as the well-meaning but incompetent Spanish waiter Manuel. Connie Booth provided an important element of sanity and calm as Polly Sherman the chambermaid. The character of Basil Fawlty, and was based on a real hotelier John Cleese and the Monty Python team had encountered while filming in Torquay.
Of course with this classic BBC television series, it gave us such wonderful iconic sarcastic barbed comments and here are the classic statements that Basil Fawlty would say:
“A SATISFIED CUSTOMER, WE SHOULD HAVE HIM STUFFED!”
“YOU’LL HAVE TO FORGIVE HIM, HE’S FROM BARCELLONA!”
“RIGHT, THAT DOES IT; I’M GOING TO GIVE YOU A DAMN GOOD THRASHING!”
“DON’T MENTION THE WAR! I MENTIONED IT ONCE, BUT I THINK I GOT AWAY WITH IT ALRIGHT”
“RIGHT, WELL I’LL GO AND HAVE A LIE DOWN, THEN. NO I WON’T; I’LL GO AND HIT SOME GUESTS!”
Check in with the hotel manager Basil Fawlty [John Cleese], who runs the Torquay hotel “Fawlty Towers” who is the sharp-tongued, short-tempered hotel manager plagued by dead guests, hotel inspectors and with the help of his domineering wife, Sybil Fawlty [Prunella Scales], plus with the help of the chambermaid Polly Sherman [Connie Booth] and Spanish waiter Manuel [Andrew Sachs].
Basil Fawlty is the owner and operator of Fawlty Towers, a nice hotel with plush rooms, great service, and tons of insane moments. Basil Fawlty has a keen business sense, but that often falls to the side when his short temper and forked tongue take over, which happens more often than he cares to admit, to be sure. Ok, to be honest Basil Fawlty has no business sense at all and definitely has no business being a hotel manager, but the temper and smart mouth were the truth, as witnessed by anyone who has seen him at work. Basil Fawlty often winds up in some real messes, thanks to mishaps by his staff, outlandish clients, or his own poor decisions, which means his wife Sybil Fawlty is right on his case, with plenty to say about it. But Basil Fawlty keeps moving ahead and takes out his frustrations on his trainee waiter Manuel from Barcelona, who speaks little English and is even worse when it comes to his duties. Basil Fawlty does have the help of the chambermaid Polly Sherman on the staff however, which makes things a little easier. Can Basil Fawlty manage to keep his guests happy, his wife in check, and hold onto what little sanity he has left?
It is such a pleasure to see some classic BBC television shows being brought out on the Blu-ray format, such as the hilarious ‘FAWLTY TOWERS.’ This is one of the most humorous BBC television series I’ve ever seen and ‘FAWLTY TOWERS’ has always won me over from the start when I viewed the first episode. One of the main reasons the BBC television series works extremely well is the presence of John Cleese, who shines throughout the material and brings out all of the potential humour from every last word, gesture, and facial expression. In other words, John Cleese was definitive and ideal choice for the role of Basil Fawlty and his co-stars also shine throughout the 12 episodes, as all are totally natural and effective within their particular characters. Only 12 half hour episodes were ever made and remains as popular today as it has ever been with the BBC television series still enjoys endless repeats on television, which is quite a feat considering there were on 12 episodes made. Its magic formula is a winning combination of fantastic writing, comedy timing and flamboyant characterisation. At the end of the second series, and at the height of the show’s popularity, John Cleese shocked the nation when he declined to continue with the sitcom; when it was at its creative height, leaving a wonderful and distinct legacy and John Cleese wanted to go out on a high and for the public wanting more.
And that is why there are only 12 episodes of ‘FAWLTY TOWERS’ in existence and here is a brief synopsis of each of the 12 episodes of ‘FAWLTY TOWERS’ and they are as follows:
DISC 1:
A TOUCH OF CLASS [1975] [1080p] [1.37:1 [30:21] Basil Fawlty is in a campaign to improve the class of his clientele at Fawlty Towers and his efforts have spectacular results – in the short term. Basil Fawlty is delighted when Lord Melbury [Michael Gwynn] a member of the aristocracy chooses to stay at the Fawlty Towers hotel, and Basil Fawlty feels at last a guest with class, and much better than the rough diamond Sybil Fawlty is fawning over. What Basil Fawlty does not know, however, is that the man is not a Lord but a confidence trickster who attempts to steal his collection of rare coins. As Basil Fawlty's desperation to keep such an “upstanding” guest happy, Basil Fawlty becomes increasingly tolerant towards the man's behaviour, but ends up being taken to the cleaners by the first seemingly upper-crust customer to check in, only to have the guest finally arrested in a police raid on the hotel.
Cast: John Cleese, Prunella Scales, Andrew Sachs, Connie Booth, Michael Gwynn, Robin Ellis, Ballard Berkeley, Martin Wyldeck, David Simeon, Terence Conoley, Lionel Wheeler, Ian Elliot (uncredited), Gilly Flower (uncredited), Julie Mellon (uncredited), Pat Milner (uncredited), Oscar Peck (uncredited), Annet Peters (uncredited), Dennis Plenty (uncredited), Gary Rich (uncredited), Renee Roberts (uncredited), Claire Russell (uncredited), Pat Symons (uncredited) and David Waterman (uncredited)
Director: John Howard Davies (uncredited)
Producer: John Howard Davies
Screenplay: John Cleese and Connie Booth
Composer: Dennis Wilson
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THE BUILDERS [1975] [1080p] [1.37:1] [28:15] Basil Fawlty [John Cleese] and his wife Sybil Fawlty [Prunella Scales] decide to spend the weekend away from the hotel, and Basil Fawlty arranges for Mr. O'Reily [David Kelly] to do some repairs while he's gone. With both Basil Fawlty and Sybil Fawlty out for the afternoon, they leave the maid Polly Sherman [Connie Booth] in charge, who decides to have a nap, leaving the English-challenged Manuel in charge. When Basil Fawlty returns, he finds a solid wall where once stood doors to the dining room and still no door to the kitchen per his work order. Sybil Fawlty takes an “I-told-you-so attitude” and insists Basil Fawlty hire a qualified builder to fix the mess. The next morning, Sybil Fawlty returns find the renovations have been completed by Mr. O'Reilly, apparently with no problems. Stubbs arrives and is initially impressed with the job done. However, when Mr. Stubbs further questions Basil Fawlty about the work, he learns that Mr. O'Reilly had used a wooden lintel for the door to the kitchen instead of a concrete one or an RSJ – as the door is on a load-bearing wall, the supporting wall could give way at any moment and cause the entire building to collapse. As Mr. Stubbs goes to telephone his company to commence emergency repair work, Sybil Fawlty finds Basil Fawlty marching down the driveway with the garden gnome in his arms. Basil Fawlty calls back to Sybil Fawlty that he is "going to see Mr. O'Reilly" before adding that he thinks he "might go to Canada" under his breath.
Cast: John Cleese, Prunella Scales, Andrew Sachs, Connie Booth, Ballard Berkeley, David Kelly, Gilly Flower, Renee Roberts, James Appleby, George Lee, Michael Cronin, Michael Halsey, Barney Dorman, Pat Gorman (uncredited) and Judy Rodgers (uncredited)
Director: John Howard Davies (uncredited)
Producer: John Howard Davies
Screenplay: John Cleese and Connie Booth
Composer: Dennis Wilson
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THE WEDDING PARTY [1975] [1080p] [1.37:1] [33:18] Basil Fawlty [John Cleese] puritanical streak comes out when a young couple he suspects of not being married tries to book a double room. Basil Fawlty's ready to give them rooms on separate floors until Sybil Fawlty [Prunella Scales] steps in. It turns out that the couple know Polly Sherman [Connie Booth] but when he sees her coming out of their room - she was trying on a dress her friend had brought her for the wedding they would be attending – Basil Fawlty begins to think everyone has gone mad. All that's left is for another guest, Mrs. Peignoir [Yvonne Gilan], to get tipsy and make a pass at him. For Manuel [Andrew Sachs], it's his birthday and a night of celebrating takes its toll. Throughout ‘THE WEDDING PARTY,’ Basil Fawlty's embarrassment is heightened by the amorous attention paid to him by Mrs. Peignoir, the French antiques dealer. Basil Fawlty is constantly trying to play the prim and proper Englishman but Mrs. Peignoir's continual flirting with him makes keeping up that persona more difficult that he would hope. Basil Fawlty's tendency to find more evidence of sleazy goings-on when there is really a perfectly normal explanation leads to another… As usual, Basil Fawlty has misread the situation and will have some explaining to do about his seemingly strange behaviour!
Cast: John Cleese, Prunella Scales, Andrew Sachs, Connie Booth, Ballard Berkeley, Yvonne Gilan, Conrad Phillips, Diana King, Trevor Adams, April Walker, Gilly Flower, Renee Roberts, Jay Neill, Mark Allington (uncredited), Kathleen Heath (uncredited) and John Wilder (uncredited)
Director: John Howard Davies (uncredited)
Producer: John Howard Davies
Screenplay: John Cleese and Connie Booth
Composer: Dennis Wilson
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THE HOTEL INSPECTOR [1975] [1080p] [1.37:1] [28:46] Basil Fawlty [John Cleese] is at his obsequious best when he decides that one of the guests, Mr. Hutchinson [Bernard Cribbins], is a hotel inspector. Why else would the man be asking for the rental of a television and a myriad of other out of the ordinary services? Basil Fawlty is fawning all over him while he is at his rude best with the remaining guests, including Mr. Walt [James Cossins] who has his own reasons for staying at the Fawlty Towers hotel and Mr. Walt reveals he is actually an outboard motors salesman and consoles Basil. Thinking he is in the clear, Basil thanks Walt for staying at Fawlty Towers and then runs to the kitchen with Manuel, who stops Mr. Hutchinson from leaving just long enough so that Basil Fawlty can "say adios," and Basil Fawlty then slaps pies on Mr. Hutchinson's face and crotch, while Manuel [Andrew Sachs] pours cream into his briefcase. Mr. Hutchinson is marched to the door and forcibly ejected from the hotel by vengeful Basil Fawlty, who kisses Manuel on the head for his help. Returning to the reception desk, Basil Fawlty welcomes John [Geoffrey Morris], Brian [Peter Brett] and Chris [Lewis Alexander] — three smartly-dressed businessmen, who have just witnessed the bouncing of Mr. Hutchinson who is forcibly ejected from Fawlty Towers. Basil Fawlty screams in terror when it becomes clear that they are the actual hotel inspectors.
Cast: John Cleese, Prunella Scales, Andrew Sachs, Connie Booth, Bernard Cribbins, James Cossins, Ballard Berkeley, Gilly Flower, Renee Roberts, Geoffrey Morris, Peter Brett and Lewis Alexander (uncredited)
Director: John Howard Davies (uncredited)
Producer: John Howard Davies
Screenplay: John Cleese and Connie Booth
Composer: Dennis Wilson
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GOURMET NIGHT [1975] [1080p] [1.37:1] [28:46] The Fawlty’s are very pleased with their new chef, Kurt [Steve Plytas] who was recommended to them by their friend André [André Maranne] who runs a nice restaurant in town. All in all, Kurt's working out quite well and they decide to have a gourmet evening on Thursdays to try and promote, in Basil Fawlty's eye at any rate, a better class of clientèle. Kurt gets along well with everyone and seems to have a particular interest in Manuel [Andrew Sachs]. When the big day finally arrives, they find themselves with only four guests booked for the dining room – which Sybil Fawlty [Prunella Scales] puts down to Basil Fawlty's advert in the local paper saying “no riff-raff” and there seems to be something about Kurt that André forgot to mention. Basil is horrified to find Kurt has passed out and vomited, so there is now no chef. However, André, who was aware of Kurt's alcoholism, is on hand to help. However, as André's restaurant has a restricted availability, the “gourmet” menu ends up with only three possible dishes for Basil Fawlty's guests to choose from – all consisting of various forms of duck: duck with orange, duck with cherries, or "duck surprise" (duck without oranges or cherries). When Colonel Hall [Allan Cuthbertson] asks what happens if they don't like duck, Basil Fawlty responds "If you don't like duck... then you're rather stuck!" Basil Fawlty's attempts to obtain the food are complicated. The first duck is ruined when Basil accidentally drops the tray and Manuel's foot gets lodged in it, so Sybil Fawlty calls André asking for another. The second attempt is hampered by Basil Fawlty's car, which finally breaks down on his way back with the food; the scene ends with Basil Fawlty screaming at the "vicious bastard" of a car and giving the vehicle fair warning, followed by a "damn good thrashing" with a tree branch. The staff try to stall for time while waiting for Basil to return with the duck: Manuel struggles through some flamenco tunes on his guitar, Polly sings "I Cain't Say No", off key, from the musical Oklahoma!, and Sybil drunkenly recounts an anecdote about "Uncle Ted and his crate of brown ale." The guests are obviously unappreciative. Basil Fawlty manages to get back to the hotel on foot and the guests are finally presented with the "duck" which they have so eagerly awaited, only to discover that, due to a mix-up in Andre's kitchen, it has turned into a Bombe Surprise when Basil Fawlty removes the cloche and is so surprised that he searches through the trifle with his hands to see if there is a hidden duck. When asked to explain this, Basil Fawlty deadpans, "Duck's off, sorry."
Cast: John Cleese, Prunella Scales, Andrew Sachs, Connie Booth, André Maranne, Steve Plytas, Allan Cuthbertson, Ann Way, Richard Caldicot, Betty Huntley-Wright, Ballard Berkeley, Gilly Flower, Renee Roberts, Jeffrey Segal, Elizabeth Benson, Tony Page, Michael Dalton (uncredited) and Steve Kelly (uncredited)
Director: John Howard Davies (uncredited)
Producer: John Howard Davies
Screenplay: John Cleese and Connie Booth
Composer: Dennis Wilson
* * * * *
THE GERMANS [1975] [1080p] [1.37:1] [31:13] With Sybil Fawlty [Prunella Scales] in hospital for a few days to have an operation for an ingrown toenail, Basil Fawlty [John Cleese] is left on his own at the hotel to cope with a group of German tourists and the need for the regular semi-annual fire drill. Basil Fawlty's not having much success with either. The guests confuse the burglar alarm with the fire alarm and when Manuel [Andrew Sachs] does start a fire in the kitchen, no one pays attention. Basil Fawlty suffers a rather severe blow to the head while trying to hang the moose head, including many calls from Sybil Fawlty reminding him to do so. At one point, he leaves the head on the hotel counter to get a hammer, during which Manuel practices his English from behind the counter; a confused Major Gowen [Ballard Berkeley] who thinks the moose head is talking. Eventually, Basil Fawlty severe blow to the head leading him to insult his German guests by making constant references to the war. Basil Fawlty wakes up in hospital after a concussion, and Sybil Fawlty attests to Dr. Finn [Louis Mahoney] that Basil Fawlty cannot cope with the hotel alone. Basil Fawlty sneaks out and returns to Fawlty Towers in time to greet the German guests. Despite being told to not bring up "the war" Basil Fawlty takes an immediate disliking to them due to his own hatred, and purposely begins insulting them, calling out Nazi Germany and frequently name-checking Adolf Hitler and others. Polly Sherman [Connie Booth] discreetly calls the hospital to warn them about Basil Fawlty's behaviour. As one of the Germans breaks down into tears, Basil Fawlty starts into war jokes and mocks Hitler's goose-stepping. Dr. Finn arrives, prompting Basil Fawlty to try to escape, Manuel giving chase. However, Basil Fawlty hits the wall where he hung the moose head, which falls, knocks Basil Fawlty out again, and lands on Manuel's head. As the Germans look on in disbelief, the Major Gowen comes out and thinks the moose is speaking to him again. The Germans ask aloud how the British could have won the war.
Cast: John Cleese, Prunella Scales, Andrew Sachs, Connie Booth, Ballard Berkeley, Claire Davenport, Gilly Flower, Renee Roberts, Brenda Cowling, Louis Mahoney, John Lawrence, Iris Fry, Willy Bowman, Nick Kane, Lisa Bergmayr, Dan Gillan, Barbara Bermel (uncredited), Martine Holland (uncredited), Diana Holt (uncredited), Thelma Horrocks (uncredited), Steve Kelly (uncredited), Della McCrae (uncredited), Mike Mungarvan (uncredited), Ronald Musgrove (uncredited) and Derek Suthern (uncredited)
Director: John Howard Davies (uncredited)
Producer: John Howard Davies
Screenplay: John Cleese and Connie Booth
Composer: Dennis Wilson
* * * * *
DISC 2:
COMMUNICATION PROBLEMS [1975] [1080p] [1.37:1] [31:23] When Mrs. Alice Richards [Joan Sanderson], a demanding woman who is hard of hearing, checks into the hotel, Basil Fawlty [John Cleese], Sybil Fawlty [Prunella Scales] and Polly Sherman [Connie Booth] find themselves with a very difficult customer. Meanwhile, Basil Fawlty bets on a horse that is sure to win, however he must not let Sybil Fawlty find out. Basil Fawlty's horse wins, and he has Manuel [Andrew Sachs] go to collect the £75 winnings and turns those over to Polly Sherman to give to Basil Fawlty later. Mrs. Alice Richards comes to complain to Sybil Fawlty that £85 has gone missing out of her room, and claims to have seen Polly Sherman counting it, when Polly Sherman was actually counting Basil Fawlty's winnings. Polly Sherman feigns that she had bet on a horse, raising Sybil Fawlty's attention. Basil Fawlty quickly gives the money to the Major Gowen [Ballard Berkeley] for safekeeping. Basil Fawlty later counts his winnings in the office, but Sybil catches him. Polly Sherman again asserts those are her winnings and Basil Fawlty was putting it into the safe. Just then, the Major Gowen walks by, having recalled that Basil Fawlty gave him the money for safekeeping yesterday, and that Basil Fawlty had won it on a horse. Basil Fawlty inadvertently drops Mrs. Alice Richards' vase, and Sybil Fawlty takes the £75 the vase cost to give back to Mrs. Alice Richards and once again Basil Fawlty had beaten the odds on keeping his gee gee’s winnings.
Cast: John Cleese, Prunella Scales, Andrew Sachs, Connie Booth, Joan Sanderson, Ballard Berkeley, Brian Hall, Gilly Flower, Renee Roberts, Robert Lankesheer, Johnny Shannon, Bill Bradley, George Lee, Mervyn Pascoe, Peter Caton (uncredited), Gary Dean (uncredited), David Melbourne (uncredited) and Jane Watts (uncredited)
Director: Bob Spiers
Producer: Douglas Argent
Screenplay: John Cleese and Connie Booth
Composer: Dennis Wilson
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THE PSYCHIATRIST [1979] [1080p] [1.37:1] [36:16] When two doctors register for rooms at the hotel Fawlty Towers, Basil Fawlty [John Cleese] is delighted. Soon thereafter, Basil Fawlty discovers that one is a psychiatrist. Basil Fawlty is terrified of what the psychiatrist might think of him. The doctor has no interest in analysing Basil Fawlty; he merely wants to enjoy his stay at the hotel. Meanwhile, a handsome young playboy Mr. Johnson [Nicky Henson] has checked into one of the "single" rooms, and Basil Fawlty is determined to prove that the man has a lady visitor. Another visitor to the hotel is an attractive young single Australian woman Raylene Miles [Luan Peters]. Basil Fawlty manages to make a fool of himself while trying to avoid what he believes to be the psychiatrist's scrutiny. And the visiting psychiatrists find Basil Fawlty’s increasingly manic behaviour both fascinating and alarming.
Cast: John Cleese, Prunella Scales, Andrew Sachs, Connie Booth, Nicky Henson, Basil Henson, Elspet Gray, Ballard Berkeley, Brian Hall, Luan Peters, Aimée Delamain, Gilly Flower, Renee Roberts, Imogen Bickford-Smith, Mercedes Burleigh (uncredited), Kevin Hudson (uncredited) and Derek Suthern (uncredited)
Director: Bob Spiers
Producer: Douglas Argent
Screenplay: John Cleese and Connie Booth
Composer: Dennis Wilson
* * * * *
WALDORF SALAD [1979] [1080p] [1.37:1] [32:02] An American couple Mr. Harry Hamilton [Bruce Boa] and Mrs. Hamilton [Claire Nielson] arrives at the hotel late at night expecting to be served with a hot dinner. But with the chef Terry [Brian Hall] is off for the night with Polly Sherman [Connie Booth] and Manuel [Andrew Sachs], Basil Fawlty [John Cleese] is forced to make the dinner himself. Things get even more complicated when the two Americans begin ordering meals that Basil Fawlty has never heard of and total mayhem pursues, especially on the part of Basil Fawlty, where not telling the truth gets Basil Fawlty into serious trouble.
Cast: John Cleese, Prunella Scales, Andrew Sachs, Connie Booth, Bruce Boa, Claire Nielson, Norman Bird, Stella Tanner, Terence Conoley, June Ellis, Brian Hall, Anthony Dawes, Ballard Berkeley, Gilly Flower, Renee Roberts, Beatrice Shaw, Dorothy Frere, Mark Kirby (uncredited) and Elaine Payne (uncredited)
Director: Bob Spiers
Producer: Douglas Argent
Screenplay: John Cleese and Connie Booth
Composer: Dennis Wilson
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THE KIPPER AND THE CORPSE [1979] [1080p] [1.37:1] [31:33] One of the hotel's guests dies in his sleep but Basil Fawlty [John Cleese] doesn't really notice and just goes about his business, delivering the man's breakfast to his room and then complaining that he was rude and didn't thank him. Polly Sherman [Connie Booth] soon realizes he is dead and Sybil Fawlty [Prunella Scales] asks another guest, Dr. Price [Geoffrey Palmer], to attend to the situation. Basil Fawlty thinks the out of date kippers were the cause, but hotel guest has been dead most of the night. Pandemonium sets in when they try to remove the body without any of the guests knowing what has happened. It doesn't quite go as planned and mayhem pursues into a pure hilarious British farce.
Cast: John Cleese, Prunella Scales, Andrew Sachs, Connie Booth, Geoffrey Palmer, Mavis Pugh, Richard Davies, Elizabeth Benson, Ballard Berkeley, Gilly Flower, Renee Roberts, Brian Hall, Derek Royle, Robert McBain, Pamela Buchner, Raymond Mason, Charles McKeown, Len Marten, Harry Fielder (uncredited), Jeff Howard (uncredited), Audrey Kirby (uncredited), Julie La Rousse (uncredited), Richie Sandrock (uncredited), Joe Santo (uncredited), Maureen Stevens (uncredited), Garth Watkins (uncredited), Tina Winter (uncredited) and Reg Woods (uncredited)
Director: Bob Spiers
Producer: Douglas Argent
Screenplay: John Cleese and Connie Booth
Composer: Dennis Wilson
* * * * *
THE ANNIVERSARY [1979] [1080p] [1.37:1] [29:06] Outraged that Basil Fawlty [John Cleese] has forgotten their 15th wedding anniversary; Sybil Fawlty [Prunella Scales] leaves the hotel in anger. But little does Sybil Fawlty knows that Basil Fawlty has indeed remembered their wedding anniversary and has invited some of their close friends to celebrate. How will Basil Fawlty explain Sybil Fawlty's absence?
Cast: John Cleese, Prunella Scales, Andrew Sachs, Connie Booth, Ken Campbell, Una Stubbs, Robert Arnold, Pat Keen, Roger Hume, Denyse Alexander, Christine Shaw, Ballard Berkeley, Gilly Flower, Renee Roberts and Brian Hall
Director: Bob Spiers
Producer: Douglas Argent
Screenplay: John Cleese and Connie Booth
Composer: Dennis Wilson
* * * * *
BASIL THE RAT [1979] [1080p] [1.37:1] [33:43] Basil Fawlty [John Cleese] panics, yet again, when the food and health inspector Mr. Carnegie [John Quarmby] pays his semi-annual visit and has a long list of complaints about the level of cleanliness in the kitchen and gives them 24 hours to clean up or he will shut them down. Sybil Fawlty [Prunella Scales] sets about tidying up the place but when Basil Fawlty visits the room of Manuel [Andrew Sachs] and finds that he has been keeping a pet rat thinking it was a hamster. When the inspector returns the next day, pandemonium reigns as the rat has now escaped and the Major Gowen [Ballard Berkeley] is trying to hunt it down with his shotgun.
Cast: John Cleese, Prunella Scales, Andrew Sachs, Connie Booth, John Quarmby, Ballard Berkeley, Brian Hall, Gilly Flower, Renee Roberts, David Neville, Sabina Franklyn, James Taylor, Melody Lang, Stuart Sherwin, Suzanne Church (uncredited) and Peter Jessup (uncredited)
Director: Bob Spiers
Producer: Douglas Argent
Screenplay: John Cleese and Connie Booth
Composer: Dennis Wilson
* * * * *
Blu-ray Image Quality – These three brilliant BBC Blu-ray discs are presented with a really lovely and ultimate1080p image and of course are also presented with the usual broadcast standard 1.37:1 aspect ratio. Here each episode looks terrific and much better than when originally viewed on the television when each episode was broadcast via the BBC at the time. The source materials have held up very well, which of course is very important. The colours look really excellent, despite the age of the original video recordings, and haven’t much faded, and at the same time flesh tones seem very natural. I had no real complaints to make with the contrast either, as black levels were very well balanced. Of course do not expect 100% perfection here, especially for the age of the original video recordings, but you can expect solid, better than broadcast quality on these wonderful episodes. So the BBC definitely gets a five star rating from me, foe their sterling work in preserving this classic British comedy classic.
Blu-ray Audio Quality – These three brilliant BBC Blu-ray discs are given a very nice 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio experience, especially sourced from the original recorded material of that period. The dialogue is the central focus of the mix and comes across as rich, clean, and crisp, with minimal age defects to report. The sound effects and music won’t make your ears stand up and pay attention, but the basics are covered here very natural. As I mentioned, the audio here won’t win any awards, but as far as the material goes, I have no complaints with this audio presentation.
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Blu-ray Special Features and Extras:
Audio Commentary with John Cleese: John Cleese starts talking about the first episode and talks about the hotels outside sign where they wanted to change the letters to create different anagrams, and also loves the composed music by Dennis Wilson and thinks it is a masterpiece. John Cleese starts to explains how the scenario came about for the ‘FAWLTY TOWERS’ series when they stayed at the Hotel Gleneagles and experienced the nasty manager Donald Sinclair. John Cleese talks about how they wanted Sybil Fawlty to be, but when Prunella Scales wanted to interpretive her characters personality both John Cleese and Connie Booth was very happy with her performance. As you view the series and hear John Cleese’s comments, you hear mostly what you will have read in my special features reviews. John Cleese talks about Connie Booth and first saw her on stage performing with the American actor Bert Lahr and we are informed that Connie Booth is now married John Lahr [Son of Bert Lahr] who is a well know Theatre Critic and writes articles for the New Yorker publication and they are very good friends of John Cleese, on top of all that, John Cleese talks about the main characters we get to see thoughout the 12 episodes and we hear how they became to be asked to appear in ‘FAWLTY TOWERS,’ especially with the experience and approval of director and producer John Howard Davies, and the first pilot ends, John Cleese feels it all worked out very well. As we start the next episode, John Cleese mentions a Spanish lady who would come into to help Andrew Sachs perfect his Spanish accent. John Cleese talks about Prunella Scales and praises her performance as Sybil Fawlty, especially when getting exasperated with Basil Fawlty when he gets things badly wrong and John Cleese comments on Prunella Scales herself, and says is a very nice and kind lady and is so pleased Prunella Scales agreed to appear in the series. John Cleese informs us that the typical average comedy sitcom is 65 pages long, but with ‘FAWLTY TOWERS’ it was usually 135 pages, and with the recording of one episode, they could edit it with 200 cuts and sometimes they could edit 400 cuts. John Cleese lets us into a little secret on how Prunella Scsles perfected her hilarious laughter and came about because Connie Booth when laughing would sound like Sybil Fawlty and of course John Cleese says the laughter is like machine gunning a seal. When you view the episode with Bernard Cribbins and Jimmy Cousins, John Cleese comments on both of them and how wonderful they are both and reckons they are both the best comedy actors in England, and especially Bernard Cribbins, because he has brilliant and perfect comedy timing and never misses a beat, and never misses his cue and is full of energy for his age. When we get to the episode entitled ‘THE GOURMET’ John Cleese mentions that they did a lot of outside filming and also mentions that all the filming for the first six episodes was all filmed in a week, especially before they even got into the studio. So all in all, this was a very interesting audio commentary by John Cleese and was also very informative and tells a lot of anecdotes that I have not mentioned in my review of this particular audio commentary and I definitely highly recommend you hear John Cleese’s audio commentary as he tells some really hilarious comments about the first six episodes which again I was not able to do with this review of this particular audio commentary.
Audio Commentary with John Howard Davies: Here John Howard Davies introduces himself and informs us that he loves the composed music by the very talented Dennis Wilson and of course also informs us that he was the director and producer of certain episodes of ‘FAWLTY TOWERS.’ John Howard Davies mentions how tall John Cleese was, especially against the scenery, and also why they specifically chose the Wooburn Grange Country Club in Buckinghamshire to film the outside shots and he also mentions what a terrible nasty smell they experienced inside the building. John Howard Davies mentions about how the character of Basil Fawlty came about, especially with the experience with the nasty belligerent manager of the Hotel Gleneagles, and was also so pleased he was able to get all the actors for the first series, as they all played their characters so very well. We find out that John Howard Davies asked John Lloyd [Television Producer], he of the famous BBC television series ‘QI’ was asked to produce the 1979 Fawlty Towers Long Playing Mono BBC Records [U.K.]; and was a great success and made £100,000 sterling and John Howard Davies asked if he could some proceeds from the sales and eventually got a cheque for £25.00 sterling and framed the cheque, because John Howard Davies wrote some words to go on the back of the Long Playing sleeve. John Howard Davies also comments that he was amazed how John Cleese was able to learn all his lines, especially as three quarter of the time he is on the screen, and he also praises Connie Booth, as she was really good at structure when it came to the scripts. John Howard Davies explains the difficult logistics of shooting all of the outside filming and to be able to slot them in at the right time when a certain studio scene finishes, especially being able to record one episode in one go without any mistakes, and says it was not easy. People have asked John Howard Davies why the series was called ‘FAWLTY TOWERS’ and informs us that he has no idea. John Howard Davies also informs us that each episode was extremely cheap to make, especially how much the actors were paid, but the most expensive costs to the series was the actual studio set. When we get to the ‘GOURMET NIGHT’ episode and the scene where Basil Fawlty thrashes the car because it will not start, well John Howard Davies informs us how this scenario came to fruition, because he informs us that the actor Robert Newton, who appeared in the film ‘Oliver Twist’ [1948] and use to visit the studio after beating his Bentley car because it would not start, because he flooded the engine and on top of all that he was drunk and use to beat the car every morning with a rhinoceros hard whip and of course we now wonder how John Cleese came up with the idea of beating his Morris Austin 1100 Mk.II four-door saloon and John Howard Davies also informs us that it was a total atrocious car as its top speed was 28 mph. As we come the end of this particular audio commentary with John Howard Davies, unfortunately it was not a very good one and was slightly dull and there were far too many silent gaps and sometimes his voice was so quiet you had a job to hear what he was saying when certain scenes had loud noises or the actors were talking very loud, lso he kept saying that he did not remember directing a particular episode or scenes. So all in all, this was very hit and miss and totally up to you whether you are keen to endure well over 3 hours of this particular audio commentary and right at the end of the last episode, because he did not time it right, his voice was suddenly faded out.
Audio Commentary with John Cleese: Here for the second time we get another audio commentary from John Cleese, where he mentions it is the start of the second series that was in 1979 and was also the year John Clees and Connie Booth got divorced, but they still worked as a team to produce the scripts for the second series. We of course start with the hilarious episode with the actress Joan Sanderson who plays the deaf hotel guest and John Cleese refers to this episode as pure British comedy farce, and says that Joan Sanderson was one of the nicest lady John had ever met. The character came about when John Cleese and Connie Booth stayed at a hotel in Monaco, and Connie Booth happened to talk to a tour guide and asked what sort of characters they had to deal with and it is mainly women like Mrs. Richardson they had to deal with, especially complaining about everything so they get the price reduced. When John Cleese enters the kitchen and the chef if there, who is Brian Hall who John Cleese thought was a really lovely guy, who when not acting was a London cab driver, but by the end of the second series sadly passed away with cancer and John says he really misses him and when the funeral was held, the taxi driver fraternity all turned out to wish him goodbye. When the next episode starts, the actor Nicky Henson enters the scene and John Cleese says that he was his oldest actor friend and appeared with John in the BBC TV series ‘The Frost Report’ in 1996. When Basil Fawlty finds out that one of the hotel guest is a Psychiatrist, you see him get hyper and frantic, and John Cleese says that it shows how insecure he is and of course once again true British comedy farce appears, especially when Basil Fawlty thinks he is being asked about his sex life and again starts to try and dig himself out of a hole because of the total confusion. But as this episode ends, John Cleese informs us that it was 35 minutes long and in those days the BBC did not mind an episode that is normally 30 minutes long to go over by another 5 minutes, whereas today an episode has to finish in 30 minutes. When we get to the episode with the American hotel guest and his English wife, John Cleese really enjoyed watching this episode that he had not seen in over 30 years and at certain points in the episode John Cleese really laughs out loud uncontrollably when Basil Fawlty gets into more trouble because the American husband stands up against Basil Fawlty and puts him in his place, complaining it is the worst hotel he has ever stayed in, especially as he has stayed in different hotels around the world, and on top of all that John Cleese, again laughs out loud when the other hotel guests complain about their shoddy treatment in the hotel and how Basil Fawlty is the rudest man they have ever encountered, and also when Basil Fawlty walks out of the hotel, as Sybil Fawlty has basically sacked him. Next up is the episode with the dead body, which again turns out to be another classic British comedy farce, and John Cleese loves this type of comedy when it comes to disposing of a dead body and the complicated set up that ensures to the very end of the episode, and John Cleese says we have wonderful British comedy actors and the quality of the acting made this particular episode so good. When we get to the next episode, John Cleese comments about the sign outside the hotel, saying that the anagram says “FLOWERY TWATS” and employs all twelve letters of Fawlty Towers and feels that it was the best anagram out of the whole series and the actual episode was entitled ‘THE ANNIVERSARY.’ The only thing with this particular John Cleese audio commentary of the second series is not a patch on the first six episodes, because a lot of the time John Cleese keeps laughing out loud uncontrollably and over the top, especially scenes he appears in as Basil Fawlty when it gets into total embarrassing scenarios. With the last episode, John Cleese informs us that he loved this episode and especially the anagram on the hotel sign saying “FARTY TOWELS” which has one letter missing. But also with all the total confusion that ensure in this episode that was entitled ‘BASIL THE RAT,’ and again John Cleese praises all of the actors who were the regulars throughout the two series and would not of been a success because they were all very professional actors and also praises the actors that appeared in the last episode, But again what really irritated me was the uncontrollable laughter from John Cleese that was really over the top throughout the second series and especially with this last episode.
Audio Commentary with Bob Spiers: Here Bob Spiers introduces himself and informs us that he directed all of the second series of ‘FAWLTY TOWERS’ and keeps going into boring pointless technical details of what he would of observed in the gallery in directing the cameras and anything else he had to make sure the episode ran smoothly, especially as there would usually be well over 400 shots per episode and something that would be only of interest to technical nerds. Again Bob Spiers keeps going on about boring technical jargon and stating the obvious what we are viewing at the same time, especially with the doggy scenery and what cameras were in what position. But Bob Spiers also points out the most important and unsung hero of ‘FAWLTY TOWERS’ and that was the vision mixer and he is the actual guy who actually gets to press the button and because of the frantic camera changes got blood from his fingers because he had to keep his eye on the ball and was always under a great deal of pressure. Unfortunately, I had to endure hearing Bob Spiers throughout the whole of these six episodes, that has to be the most boring and monotonous rambling audio commentary and especially again with all the useless ghastly technical jargon that most viewers of this Blu-ray Collection will not be at all interested in, especially going on about how the scene had to be framed in a certain way and another scene was difficult to shoot, and obviously he might be good at being a director of all of the last six episodes of ‘FAWLTY TOWERS,’ but as to doing this audio commentary, he has got to be the worst one I have ever had to endure and he should of never been allowed to do this audio commentary, as he is just so bad at it, and that is why the first audio commentary by John Cleese was so informative and really superb, as well as very funny anecdotes on the first series, but unfortunately the second audio commentary of John Cleese was not so good and it would have been so much better if the audio commentary by Bob Spiers had been left on the cutting room floor and it is beyond me how the BBC executives allowed Bob Spiers anywhere near a microphone, as obviously they never got round to hearing this totally boring Bob Spiers audio commentary, and again I am sure if they had listened to his audio commentary it would not have been given the green light or approval to be added to this Blu-ray Collection, as again it has to be the most atrocious and utterly boring audio commentary I have ever had to endure and definitely should be awarded the top Raspberry Award for something that is without doubt the powers at the BBC should again never ever have been allowed anywhere near the recording booth.
Special Feature: 2009 Interviews: Here we get to view three separate interviews with the main participants of the BBC television series ‘FAWLTY TOWERS’ that was originally released on the 2009 DVD release of ‘FAWLTY TOWERS’ and they are as follows:
Interview with John Cleese [2009] [1080p] [1.78:1] [50:12] Here we start off with John Cleese and his massive full interview and is as follows: Birth of Fawlty Towers: Here up first is John Cleese [Writer & Basil Fawlty] and explains that after he finished with the BBC television series Monty Python he was keen to do another project for the BBC in collaboration with Connie Booth who were both married at the time, and John Cleese was invited out to lunch by a lovely man named James "Jimmy" Gilbert [Scottish Television Producer/Director] who was involved at the time with ‘The Frost Report’ [1966 and 1967] and explained the project he wanted to pursue and James "Jimmy" Gilbert suggested that John Cleese should go back home and put something together with Connie Booth and when they were ready to contact him back. So together with John Cleese and Connie Booth and suddenly out of the blue, John Cleese suggested that why don’t they set the story around the Gleneagles Hotel in Torquay in Devon they stayed in 1970 along with the rest of the Monty Python troupe where they encountered the eccentric belligerent hotel owner/manager Donald Sinclair, who was totally stuffy and snobbish, and Donald Sinclair treated guests as though they were a hindrance to his running of the hotel and a waitress who worked for him stated "it was as if he didn't want the guests to be there" and of course Donald Sinclair was the inspiration for John Cleese's character Basil Fawlty. So eventually John Cleese contacted James "Jimmy" Gilbert and explained the story outline for a 30 minute pilot and told them to go ahead with the screenplay. Inspiration for Basil Fawlty: Here John Cleese goes into great detail into how rude Donald Sinclair was; in thinking he knew how to run a hotel really well, but especially if no guests were staying at the hotel, and especially if he did not have to communicate with the guests in the hotel, especially asking questions to Donald Sinclair, then that was fine with him. At one time John Cleese asked the manager to phone for a taxi and was so offended and indignant in putting himself out to phone for a taxi, also the manager was only 5 feet tall and had a serious complex, because his wife was as tall as John Cleese and of course Donald Sinclair was hen pecked by his wife, and so John Cleese decided to reverse the rolls, where Basil Fawlty was tall and Sybil Fawlty was of course much smaller, but of course Basil Fawlty was hen pecked by his wife. Also another mad situation that John Cleese encountered at the hotel, where Eric Idle had left his briefcase by the front door and after a while Eric Idle went to the desk where Donald Sinclair was to asked where his briefcase was and the manager informed him that the briefcase was behind the white wall, some distance from the hotel, and asked why it was there and Eric Idle was informed that he had serious staff problem that he had sacked and thought a disgruntled sacked staff had left a bomb in the briefcase. Recording Sessions: John Cleese informs us that when they recorded ‘THE BUILDERS’ episode, and was very puzzled there was no laughter coming from the audience, and eventually John Cleese found out that a large delegation from the Icelandic Television were in the audience, and were keen to see a recording of one of the ‘FAWLTY TOWERS’ episode, but of course most of them did not understand the English language, even though they were keen to see one of the latest BBC comedy television programme. Fast Paced Farce: John Cleese felt working with Andrew Sachs were able to produce comedy gold, and compared what they did with the classic geniuses of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keeton, and with the audience watching the recording are all falling about laughing, will be picked up by the audience watching the TV episodes at home, which John Cleese felt would happen, especially as the microphone would pick up everything that is heard, especially from the actors, acting out their comedy routine and on top of all that, all the actors had to keep the pace up. Physical Comedy: John Cleese feels when you have a particular scene for instance in the episode ‘THE GOURME’, where Basil Fawlty could not remember a guests name and was getting more embarrassed, feels that is also comedy gold and on top of all that, it made Basil Fawlty even more self-conscious, as the actor had to create a twitch and was making the scene real cringe worthy and again Basil Fawlty was getting more and more embarrassed. At this point the interview abruptly finish, despite this, it was still worth viewing.
Next up we have Connie Booth [Writer & Polly Sherman] who talks about The Inspiration for Basil Fawlty and felt quite captivated by the manage Basil Fawlty of the BBC television series ‘FAWLTY TOWERS’ which again informs us that it was inspired by the nasty manager Donald Sinclair of the Gleneagles Hotel in Torquay in Devon and especially referring the time Donald Sinclair and his criticism of Terry Gilliam's "too American" table etiquette and moving his cutlery to inform Terry Gilliam that he must eat like the British. So initially Connie Booth was very keen to collaborate with John Cleese to come up with a screenplay for the pilot episode. Next Connie Booth explains what it was like to work with John Cleese, especially as they were married at the time and was very keen to work with him, but of course it was not always straight forward, as Connie Booth would put her pennies worth in when Connie Booth felt a scene was not funny enough, but then John Cleese would point out that for a particulate scene, it was best to do it another way, as it would be better for a British audience, especially as Connie Booth was originally from America, where comedy is so much different in style, but despite this, both would compromise in the end and on top of all that Connie Booth thought John Cleese was very funny and they worked well together. Wedded Writing Team: Connie Booth talks about the aspect of the writing team, and of course being married to John Cleese at the time helped a great deal. Polly The Maid: Connie Booth felt Polly The Maid who was the centre of all the chaos happening around the hotel, and also the total madness as well, but with Polly The Maid you definitely had a steady hand. Basil: Connie Booth feels Basil Fawlty is a fascinating character, and of course the character could not be played by any other male comedy actor than John Cleese, and it helped, especially how tall he was, and especially with all of Basil Fawlty’s uptight personality, with the added bonus of a very Alice Wonderland character.
Next up we have Most Famous Waiter Ever: Here we have Andrew Sachs [Manuel] and wondered why ‘FAWLTY TOWERS’ was so successful, especially the following decades when the series ended. We find out especially that it took over three months to record the BBC television series, and while working in a play on the London Stage, John Cleese contacted Andrew Sachs about appearing as a Spanish waiter and the added bonus is that John Cleese had worked with Andrew Sachs before, so they both knew how each other worked together, and it was a unique opportunity, as Andrew Sachs had never appeared in a comedy series of 12 episodes and was so pleased to accept the part, and of course at the time did not know whether the series would be a great success, like it is today. Also Andrew Sachs was slightly reluctant to play the part of a Spanish waiter, because he felt he could not do a Spanish accent, so asked John Cleese if he could be a German waiter, but John Cleese pointed out that it would not work very well, especially when it came to the the episode ‘THE GERMANS’ and being the character of a Spnaish waiter would work so much better, as we get to see. Recipe for Success: Andrew Sachs felt it was a brilliant script, and while making the first six episodes, had a really good feeling about the first six episodes, but could not compare it against any other comedy series, as ‘FAWLTY TOWERS’ was totally unique, and one day Andrew Sachs asked one of the cameraman, who had done a lot of comedy series, and asked his take on ‘FAWLTY TOWERS’ and whether it was going well, and he replied back that it was really good and of course Andrew Sachs felt very assured of what they were doing was great, and of course Andrew Sachs felt much more relaxed about the first six episodes, and of course Manuel the waiter became famous around the world. The Fawlty Cast: Andrew Sachs felt that there was a lot of hours of energy put into the series, especially with brilliant comedy timing, and it was a real privilege to work with John Cleese, and felt they worked well together and especially as John Cleese was very strong and could easily pick up Andrew Sachs, but on top of all that, Andrew Sachs felt everyone else worked as a brilliant team together and also felt everyone was like a family and were also all very professional with their characters. But also very importantly, John Cleese was very open to suggestions from the other actors. Worldwide Fame: Of course outside the television series, Andrew Sachs would have to appear as Manuel the waiter in other children television programmes, who requested to meet him, but at other times it got very boring having to do his character in other television programmes as Manuel the waiter and not as Andrew Sachs. Also other times, Andrew Sachs had to appear at big business conferences as Manuel the waiter, especially disrupting the proceedings. Andrew Sachs also appeared at a business conference in Madrid in Spain, and the delegates loved Andrew Sachs as Manuel the waiter.
Next up is A Marriage Made in Hell: Here Prunella Scales [Sybil Fawlty] talks about Sybil Fawlty’s character, especially where she was brought up in business, especially at a boarding house in Eastbourne, where she grew up, and thinks she met Basil Fawlty when he had just been demobbed after doing his National Service, and met Sybil in a bar and started talking about life in general, and Sybil fell for him at the time because he was posh and found him quite attractive and eventually Basil Fawlty fell for Sybil, which helped because she knew the business in running a hotel, and married quickly, but of course later on seriously repented on what Sybil had done. On Set: Working on the first series at the time you do not know whether it is funny, also can I make this quick change, what’s the next line, oh lord, are we going to do a re-take, and again you are not thinking at the time whether it is fun or not, as you just had to do a professional job and done well. But Prunella Scales looks back on the whole series with great affection, and enjoyment, as well as a lovely job and made many enduring friends. Faultless Fawlty: Prunella Scales thought it was brilliant script, and sometimes it wnet into the realms of slapstick comedy and was beautifully executed, and of course all the best comedy is based on pain, and pratfalls are moments one treasures, in other words it is physical comedy is a form of comedy focused on manipulation of the body for a humorous effect. It can include slapstick, clowning, mime, physical stunts, or making funny faces. Physical comedy originated as part of the Commedia dell'arte.
Next up is Producing Fawlty Towers: Here John Howard Davies [Producer/Director] talks about the first episode, where they would show it to the audience, the camera crew, sound crew, scene shifters and other assortment of people to find out if it had all worked out, and of course he was reassured when people ended up rolling about laughing out loud and that way they gained confidence to cart on with the whole of the first series. Despite it was a very draining experience, it was still a lot of excitement doing each episode and you would always be guaranteed a good night’s sleep after each episode. Fawlty’s Fat Script: John Howard Davies had no problem with the length of the script, which were much longer than the normal situation comedy and of course it helped that it was transmitted on BBC2, as that BBC channel had an open time frame because it was such good comedy. Manuel Goes Up In Flames: John Howard Davies talks about the fire episode where Manuel is set on fire, and unfortunately Andrew Sachs got burnt really badly and was in a lot of considerable pain, and was very brave about it, and eventually with the recording of that episode all went well, despite the danger and there was no health and safety regulations around at the time, and after the recording of the episode John Howard Davies was very concerned and asked Andrew Sachs if he was alright and replied that the setting him on fire really hurt, but at least it got a good laugh. Basil: John Howard Davies says that we in the United Kingdom have a kind of British tradition, the best comics are usually villains, but that doesn’t apply to Basil Fawlty, because he is a vulnerable character and at the same time endearing, and replicates our inner emotions, but also gets very angry, but also is very frightened of Sybil, so either way he cannot win, but also a hiding to nothing from the start, but is also a very intriguing complex character. Funniest Sitcom Ever: John Howard Davies says the reason ‘FAWLTY TOWERS’ maked people laugh and directing the series made him laugh from the beginning to the finale episode and whenever he read any of the scripts in bed at night, he would fall out of bed laughing and even laughed with the last episode rehearsals, and especially with the final recording.
Next up is Bernard Cribbins – Mr. Hutchinson and The Hotel Inspector: In the early 1980s, Bernard Cribbins was working in Texas at the Houston Opera House, doing the show “My Fair Lady” and was playing the part of Alfred P. Doolittle and happened to be walking towards the stage and as he passed a room, heard gales of laughter, and Bernard Cribbins was curious and asked what they were watching and this Texan informed him that they were watching an episode of ‘FAWLTY TOWERS’ that Bernard Cribbins appeared in and was quite chuffed and one that he enjoyed appearing in. When they did the rehearsal for that episode, Bernard Cribbins asked John Cleese not be so violent when hitting him, as John Cleese was quite powerful, but despite being slightly hurt, it was a very enjoyable experience.
Next up is Geoffrey Palmer – Dr. Price and The Kipper: In the episode Geoffrey Palmer appeared, felt John Cleese was never exasperating or lose his temper, and not be totally in control, but saw in John Cleese a total perfectionist, but not in a bad way, which Geoffrey Palmer found very exhilarating and wonderful at the same time, and that John Cleese knew what was right, and how it should be put together, especially when it comes to comedy. What Geoffrey Palmer liked about John Cleese, is that he was very supportive of the fellow actors.
Next up is Sabina Franklyn – Quentina and Basil & The Rat: Sabina Franklyn felt ‘FAWLTY TOWERS’ was very anarchist and broke a lot of rules, and of course there was nothing like it on television at the time, and that is why it was totally unique, and especially John Cleese’s character basil Fawlty, especially being so awful and very rude, and sort of a anti-hero and made it very refreshing and very funny and went into such farce comedy, whereas as most comedy sitcoms at the time were all run of the mill type scenarios, and of course John Cleese dared to be totally different when it came to comedy.
Next up is Nicky Henson – Mr. Johnson and The Psychiatrist: Here Nicky Henson explains with his episode he appeared in, that before he appeared, John Cleese telephoned him and explained he had a problem, especially for casting for a character, and explained about a situation where Basil Fawlty is very rude to a hotel guest, and escribing that character as a monkey, and can only do it to an actor he knows, and cannot complete the episode and that particular scene in the hotel lobby, and John Cleese offered to send Nicky Henson the script, as he felt he would be so ideal for that character, and of course Nicky Henson read the script and informed John Cleese he would be honoured to play that hotel guest. When the time for Nicky Henson to appear in that episode, but before that they had five days of rehearsals, and when they had the final run through before the next day’s recording of that episode, but unfortunately with the run through rehearsals, Nicky Henson informed John Cleese that he kept falling about laughing and felt he could not do the actually day of recording that episode, but John Cleese reassured Nicky Henson that he will be alright, as there will be an audience and you will feel fear in your eyes, and of course it all workout as predicted.
Next up is the final part of this special feature and is David Kelly – O’Reilly and The Builders: David Kelly felt ‘FAWLTY TOWERS’ was the most extra Back to homepage
