Fawlty Towers

A British Sitcom set in a hotel in Torquay managed by Basil and Sybil Fawlty. Featuring waiter Manuel ("Que?" "Is a hamster") from Barcelona. Even though it has only twelve episodes in two seasons, it is still seen as one of the most influencial British Sitcoms of all times. The BBC, on which it was aired, calls it "up to this day [...] a jewel in the BBC's comedy crown".

Background and Setting

The series is set in a hotel in Torquay managed by Basil Fawlty (John Clees) and his wife Sybil (Prunella Scales). The Background to the creation of the series was an unpleasant stay of the Monthy Python cast at an actual hotel in Torquay. Cleese was reportedly inspired by the rudeness of the hotel proprietor and decided to turn his experience into a sitcom when asked by the BBC. Cleese modeled the main character Basil on the said hotel director and made him an embodiment of the frustrated, English would-be snob who shows contempt towards his guests because he deems them inferior and considers their petty demands an interference with smooth running of his business.

Aside from his guests Basil himself and his chaotic staff are constantly preventing the smooth running of the Fawltys' hotel. Because of his chaotic character Basil is incapable of running a hotel and constantly fights with his staff, guests and with his own wife.

Sybil is a idiosyncratic character on her own. She often saves the day for Basil and has the role of a source of reason in her rather insane surrounding. But she herself is often a source of chaos within the series, as Basil often fights with her and as she shows a lack of understanding of her husband and his escapades. The tension between the main characters introduces many comic elements into the series as the opposition between Basil and Sybil provides for disorder.

Cast

Basil Fawlty ..........................................John Cleese

Sybil Fawlty..................................... Prunella Scales

Manuel ..............................................Andrew Sachs

Polly................................................... Connie Booth

Major Gowen ...................................Ballard Berkeley

Miss Tibbs............................................ Gilly Flower

Miss Gatsby ......................................Renee Roberts

Producers

John Howard Davies, Douglas Argent

Programming History

12 30-minute episodes

BBC1:

19 September 1975-24 October 1975 19 February 1979-26 March 1979

Further Reading

Cleese, John, and Connie Booth. The Complete Fawlty Towers. London: Methuen, 1988.

Skynner, Robin A. C., and John Cleese. Families and How To Survive Them. London: Methuen, 1983.

Wilmut, Roger. From Fringe To Flying Circus. London: Methuen, 1980.

Sources:

[http://www.museum.tv/eotv/fawltytowers.htm

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