MovieChat Forums > Fawlty Towers (1975) Discussion > One of the few...

One of the few...

posted 9 years ago by SammySoprano
9 replies | jump to latest

British 70's comedies that the four main characters are all still alive. They should do a one off reunion episode.

Anthony Soprano Snr - "You don't gotta love me, but you will respect me"

[–] richardbeirne 9 years ago

A good idea yes but to FULLY make it work I think you'd need the Major, the old ladies and Terry the chef- the original actors all of whom have passed away.

[–] SammySoprano 9 years ago

They could do a one off episode set today (2015), the main four characters still as they are but aged obviously. They could have named the bar after Major.

They could use some contemporary jokes such as having to compete with cheaper hotels of today, Premier Inn, Travel Lodge etc.

Anthony Soprano Snr - "You don't gotta love me, but you will respect me"

[–] richardmdixon 9 years ago

Prunella Scales has dementia

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-30128606

[–] ncdwbmk6 9 years ago

This may be in bad taste, but maybe that could be incorporated into the script, in a Pythonesque manner.
---
You got your mind right, Luke?

[–] benman46 9 years ago

As John Cleese refused outright to do a third season, there is not a hope in hell of a reunion. Thank God for that. If there is one way to sully the name of a classic series is to make a bloody reunion.

[–] 9 years ago

[deleted]

[–] duke-verity 9 years ago

In 1979 John Cleese and (his by then ex-wife) Connie Booth went as far as writing a treatment for a feature film spin-off of Fawlty Towers. It would have seen Basil and Sybil flying to Spain to stay with Manuel's family, and being caught up in a hostage crisis on the passenger plane. Cleese said that the plans for this film fell through because of a chronic funding crisis in the British film industry (which is always in crisis!) at that time. It was shelved, and that was that.

Cleese reprised the role of Basil Fawlty for one brief sketch in the very first episode of the BBC topical comedy series Not the Nine O'Clock News in 1979, because he was friends with the producer John Lloyd (later to produce Blackadder). This was seemingly the last we would ever see of Basil Fawlty, with John Cleese saying goodbye to the character within that pre-credits sketch, and ushering in a new generation of British comedians by launching the new seminal show.

However, Cleese did change his mind in recent years. He was approached to do a new Basil Fawlty sketch with Andrew Sachs for the BBC Royal Variety Show - which I recall was either the 2008 or 2009 show. That sketch saw an elderly Basil in a wheelchair being administered to by an equally elderly Manuel. This is (to date) the final screen appearance for the Fawlty Towers characters. The audience got to see Basil and Manuel together for one last time. It was a small but iconic moment in television history.

[–] Speranza9 8 years ago

Well, I have good news for you all.

Not a reunion per se, but a John Cleese backed stage play is currently enjoying a world premiere run in Sydney.

My wife and I saw it last Sunday and it's fantastic. Cleese has essentially taken three story lines - the hotel inspectors, communication problems and the Germans - and woven them into one 2 hour (interval included) story line.

Of course, none of the original actors are involved, but the actors we saw did a terrific job.

I assume that the stage play will run in the West End if it is a success here, which I am sure it will be.

One interesting thing is that because everybody knows the script there's a pregnant pause before every classic line ("Spppppppooonnnnns", "its this a piece of your brain", "yes you did, you invaded Poland!" to name just three) before eruptions of laughter when the line is delivered.

[–] duke-verity 8 years ago

Yeah, I read reviews of this new production a few days ago in the UK weekend papers. They sent critics all the way to Sydney to review it. Reviews seem generally positive (with a few inevitably sniffy, snobby comments such "A glorified tribute show"). Audiences seem to love it.

I wish the new cast every success with it. I also wish I could afford to fly to Australia just to see this show. How I envy you lucky theatre goers in Australia right now!