Quote: jsg @ 15th February 2023, 10:34 AMThat's nice of him.
In the words of Sylvia Plath, cheers mate.
Given the situation, I'd rather see this as Cleese mania than a FT reboot.
The American attempts were not much worse than a lot of the crap the Yanks churn out, but by presenting themselves as the new FT they were arse king for trouble. Payne is totally different, apart from the Manuel character.
'New' doing a lot of heavy lifting there.
Well as I hinted, it might be best to see this as a Cleese project rather than the 'new' Fawlty Towers. The setting and supporting cast are totally different, so it's a bit like Ringo selling his All Starr Band as the 'new' Beatles. If he'd presented it as another project but in a similar vein, people would have reacted differently. But no publicity is bad publicity and all that. Unless you're One Direction.
I suspect he wants to do a Frasier, more spin off than sequel. And I get the impression, looking at the producers involved, it'll feel far more American than British.
Quote: chipolata @ 20th February 2023, 6:05 PMget the impression, looking at the producers involved, it'll feel far more American than British.
Oh dear.
Quote: Stephen Goodlad @ 20th February 2023, 8:08 AM
How pathetic is that? Isn't he the one complaining that everyone's so easily offended these days?
Quote: WasMrApollo @ 21st February 2023, 12:00 AMHow pathetic is that? Isn't he the one complaining that everyone's so easily offended these days?
He's obviously being sarcastic!
Of course he's being sarcastic but it shouldn't have bothered him.
That's the point.
Reading this topic is laughable.
It can't be just me that is confused by all the negative comments about something that doesn't even exist yet.
Quote: Michael Monkhouse @ 20th February 2023, 3:05 PMThe setting and supporting cast are totally different, If he'd presented it as another project but in a similar vein, people would have reacted differently. But no publicity is bad publicity and all that.
Exactly. If he'd sold it as a Frasier from Friends type spin off set in an incongruous location he and the studio wouldn't have got a tenth of the publicity they've managed to get for it.
If it happens, the initial viewing figures at least should be pretty good now thanks to its hype, and there'll be a lot of big Ad agencies vying for the commercial breaks slots.
I would like to book the time slot for this tele-visual feast.
Quote: Alfred J Kipper @ 25th February 2023, 10:44 AMExactly. If he'd sold it as a Frasier from Friends type spin off set in an incongruous location he and the studio wouldn't have got a tenth of the publicity they've managed to get for it.
Or Frasier as a Cheers spin off?
John Cleese has said that Sybil dies at the start of the new series.
He also revealed the first joke.
"The new one starts with Sybil's death and Basil's daughter getting a text message from her father saying, 'Sybil did'. She texts back, 'Sybil did what?'. Basil is about to deliver the eulogy and says what an absolutely wonderful woman Sybil was. And then the camera pans around and you see that behind his back he has his fingers crossed."
On the plot of the new series, Cleese said "Basil goes to see his daughter because it was all part of a naughty affair that he once had with a guest at the hotel. My daughter will probably be a hotelier who's running this small hotel. It's going to be a sort of slightly posh boutique hotel in the Caribbean with a multicultural staff because that's the world of hotels.
And there'll be no one in except Basil."
Connie Booth's input will be sorely missed by the sound of it.
.
I'm reforming the Beatles. John and George have died, but Paul is available. Sadly, he will not be participating. Neither will Ringo. We'll be playing Spice Girls songs. It IS the Beatles though.
