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John Cleese Plans A “Fawlty Towers” Revival

bitbydeath

Member
George Costanza Flirting GIF by MOODMAN

British comedian John Cleese will write and star in a revival of his classic 1970s comedy “Fawlty Towers” at Castle Rock Television.
The new series will explore how Cleese’s cynical, over-the-top and misanthropic Basil navigates the modern world. The show also explores the relationship between Basil and a daughter he has just discovered he had, as the two tempt fate and team up to run a boutique hotel.
Cleese’s real-life daughter Camilla will co-star in the project which hails from executive producers Matthew George, Rob Reiner, Michele Reiner and Derrick Rossi. Speaking of the project, Cleese says:
“What I like about Matt is that, unlike many producers, he really ‘gets’ the creative process. When we first met, he offered an excellent first idea, and then Matt, my daughter Camilla, and I had one of the best creative sessions I can remember. By dessert we had an overall concept so good that, a few days later, it won the approval of Rob and Michele Reiner. Camilla and I look forward enormously to expanding it into a series.”
 

jshackles

Gentlemen, we can rebuild it. We have the capability to make the world's first enhanced store. Steam will be that store. Better than it was before.
Dude is 83 years old. I love the original but most of these modern "revivals" just ruin things.
 

jshackles

Gentlemen, we can rebuild it. We have the capability to make the world's first enhanced store. Steam will be that store. Better than it was before.
Cleese fucking hates the woke morons that have ruined comedy though, hopefully age hasn't affected his mind too much
I hope you're right. I'm more worried about the energy the character has than the woke stuff though - like Cleese was 36 when the show originally aired, and he brought a TON of energy to the character. It's what made him so endearing. I just cannot for the life of me imagine an 83 having anywhere near the same level of energy.

The joke behind his character was that he was young but acted like a curmudgeonly old man. Now, his character is going to be a curmudgeonly old man.
 

kruis

Exposing the sinister cartel of retailers who allow companies to pay for advertising space.
I don't think Basil Fawlty would be able to function well in a 21st century boutique hotel catering to empty-headed woke imbeciles. Could be fun if John Cleese is able channel his hate for these people through his Basil Fawlty creation.

What I loved about Fawlty Towers was the English humor. But John Cleese's daughter Camilla is American and so are all the other people mentioned. So that boutique hotel is not going to be somewhere on the British isles, but in the US. Not sure if that's the best idea.
 
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DKehoe

Member
Fawlty Towers was only one season because he didn't want the quality to decline. I guess he changed his mind.
 

DKehoe

Member
It was two seasons. The first aired in 1975 and the second in 1979
Ah yeh my mistake. For some reason I thought it was just the one.

Although that's interesting the two seasons were a few years apart. I guess Cleese's Python success gave him the room to not be forced into a second season right away.
 

Kadve

Member
Although that's interesting the two seasons were a few years apart. I guess Cleese's Python success gave him the room to not be forced into a second season right away.
Cleese was just that much of a perfectionist. The original 1974 series took a few years to produce too.
 
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IDKFA

I am Become Bilbo Baggins
Ah yeh my mistake. For some reason I thought it was just the one.

Although that's interesting the two seasons were a few years apart. I guess Cleese's Python success gave him the room to not be forced into a second season right away.

Lots of people think it was one season, probably because each series only has a handful of episodes.

Regarding the delay in season 2, I have no idea why it came so late. I'd like to know, but never really thought about it until now.
 

DKehoe

Member
Lots of people think it was one season, probably because each series only has a handful of episodes.

Regarding the delay in season 2, I have no idea why it came so late. I'd like to know, but never really thought about it until now.
Because I grew up after it had originally aired I was just used to catching repeats here and there on TV and since it didn't have distinct seasons, like Blackadder did for example, and I knew it had only been a short run I suppose I just assumed it was just the one season.

As for the delay, I guess like Kadve Kadve said Cleese was a perfectionist about it and only wanted to make it when he felt he had the right material for it. Life of Brian came out in 79 so I guess he might have also been doing a lot of work on that.
 

nightmare-slain

Gold Member
Honestly? I'm excited for this.

Cleese is an old rich wrinkly ballsack of a cunt these days and I'm sure he'd agree with me on that. Despite being an asshole he is one of the greatest comedy legends and can do whatever the fuck he likes. People crying about how this will ruin the original show? How on earth does that work? You can just ignore this new one.

No doubt it'll be him ranting about woke/cancel culture. I want him to go all out making fun of it. Seeing Twitter rage at it will be glorious. The dude is probably going to be dead soon so might as well go out with a bang lol.
 
Never been into John Cleese and Monty Pyton, but I guess it's way too before my time. Some people find enjoyment in a sketch where a fat man vomits all over the place, I myself find it nasty even for comedy.
 
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