John Cleese Working On A Revival Of ‘Fawlty Towers’
It has been off the air for 44 years, but John Cleese is apparently working on a revival of his classic sitcom ‘Fawlty Towers’ it has been revealed.
For those of you who have been living under a rock, the original ‘Fawlty Towers’ starred Cleese as Basil Fawlty, the extremely short-fused owner of a hotel, alongside his acerbic wife Sybil (Prunella Scales), with help from their employees, the very put-upon waiter Manuel (Andrew Sachs), the often exasperated waitress and general assistant Polly (Connie Booth).
This new iteration comes from Cleese, alongside his daughter Camilla Cleese, with both writing and starring in the show. The series would “explore how Cleese’s over-the-top, cynical and misanthropic Basil Fawlty navigates the modern world” according to reports. Although there aren’t many plot details yet, it is said to focus on Basil’s new relationship with a daughter he never knew he had, as the pair attempt to team up to run a boutique hotel together.
The father/daughter duo are working alongside Rob Reiner and his Castle Rock Entertainment, with Michele Reiner, Derrick Rossi and Matthew George also exec producing. Cleese said the meeting with Castle Rock, who are currently also working on a sequel to ‘This Is Spinal Tap’, was “one of the best creative sessions I can remember.”
“John Cleese is a comedy legend,” adds Reiner, himself the legendary director of films such as ‘This Is Spinal Tap’, ‘The Princess Bride’, and ‘When Harry Met Sally…’ “Just the idea of working with him makes me laugh.”
The original ‘Fawlty Towers’ ran for two seasons and is often hailed as one of the best sitcoms of all time. Is revisiting it a good idea? Only time will tell, although at least it is Cleese doing it himself.
There is no broadcast attached to the ‘Fawlty Towers’ revival, so it is currently classed as “in development, but we’ll let you know when we hear more.
