Quote: Lee Henman @ August 18 2009, 10:15 PM BSTIt is most definitely showing its age. Fawlty Towers is a very old-fashioned British farce - which without the amazing John Cleese would have been forgotten about and buried years ago.
It may be showing its age a tiny bit, but then isn't everything?
Quote: John M @ September 15 2009, 12:24 PM BSTIt may be showing its age a tiny bit, but then isn't everything?
I'm looking pretty good.
Quote: Timbo @ September 15 2009, 12:29 PM BSTI'm looking pretty good.
Not if that's you in your avatar !
Quote: Badge @ September 12 2009, 2:44 AM BSTYou might as well say Michaelangelo's stuff is just painting or Mozart's is just music. In which case, I'm happy to agree that Fawlty Towers is just farce.
Come on Badge, if Michaelangelo only painted stick men and Mozart only scored insurance ad jingles you might be on to something, but these people were exemplars of experimentation and variety in their own fields and eras.
Fawlty Towers sets the bar at ankle height and then vaults majestically over it. It's incandescently, brilliantly done, but it's still farce.
If farce isn't the bastard, asylum-seeking poor relation of sitcom then why isn't Benny Hill more popular on here? His tit-leering double-entendre-stuffed songs were second to none.
Quote: Godot Taxis @ September 16 2009, 12:23 AM BSTCome on Badge, if Michaelangelo only painted stick men and Mozart only scored insurance ad jingles you might be on to something, but these people were exemplars of experimentation and variety in their own fields and eras.
Fawlty Towers sets the bar at ankle height and then vaults majestically over it. It's incandescently, brilliantly done, but it's still farce.
If farce isn't the bastard, asylum-seeking poor relation of sitcom then why isn't Benny Hill more popular on here? His tit-leering double-entendre-stuffed songs were second to none.
I like Benny Hill.
I suppose some people must prefer their farce to be about more than just tits. 
Quote: Tim Walker @ September 12 2009, 2:51 PM BST(His Manuel-directed reference to 'The Admirable Crichton' - an obscure but actually very good film about a butler saving the day when a bunch of toffs become marooned on a desert island - is really funny if you get the obscure reference.)
Much better know as a stage play by J.M. Barrie, and a reference that 100% of audience members would have got when the show was broadcast. Which is of course, why it's there.
Quote: Aaron @ September 12 2009, 12:28 PM BSTEither you mis-typed that, or have never seen him interviewed. He's always chuckling along.
Okay, if he laughs at his own jokes then he goes up in my estimation. I still don't like or rate him.
I watched the "Dead guest" episode tonight. I remembered how funny a sitcom can be. A lesson for us all.
I listened to that. That Northern lad sounded really sexy and knowledgeable.
Here's Rory McGrath coming out of the closet and committing the herecy of admitting his dislike for Fawlty Towers. (Fast forward to about 2 mins) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=db6fxbEgKD8&feature=related
Bet John Cleese slagged off something Rory McGrath did (bit 3rd rate in comparison really). Fawlty Towers does look decidely creaky though.
Quote: Lee Henman @ October 20 2009, 2:19 PM BSTHere's Rory McGrath coming out of the closet and committing the herecy of admitting his dislike for Fawlty Towers. (Fast forward to about 2 mins) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=db6fxbEgKD8&feature=related
'Matt Munro says Beethoven is crap !'
Quote: Lee Henman @ October 20 2009, 2:19 PM BSTHere's Rory McGrath coming out of the closet and committing the herecy of admitting his dislike for Fawlty Towers. (Fast forward to about 2 mins) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=db6fxbEgKD8&feature=related
I only got around to watching that series a few weeks ago - couldn't believe what I was seeing. The blasphemer.
I still can't believe this thread exists. In my view Fawlty Towers is the greatest sitcom ever made and I can't see how anyone could think otherwise. It's like saying oxygen is over-rated!
The does seem to be a bit of a Fawlty backlash on at the moment. The Times had a go at the show last week.
