Fawlty Towers fury: How TV producers ‘wrote Basil out’
FAWLTY TOWERS writer and star John Cleese revealed that TV show producers tried to phase out his not..
FAWLTY TOWERS writer and star John Cleese revealed that TV show producers tried to phase out his notorious hotelier Basil Fawlty in a proposed adaptation of the once popular show.
At one point, Fawlty Towers was considered one of the finest shows to feature on the BBC. It centred around Basil Fawlty, played by John Cleese, who was known as the worlds worst hotelier due to his penchant for humiliating and enraging guests. This week, the show has come under fire for racial slurs that featured in the episode The Germans, which led to it being “temporarily” removed by UKTVs streaming service. John defended the show and blasted the move as “stupid”, despite backlash from a US and UK movement to eradicate all forms of perceived racism and symbols related to the mistreatment of people of colour. The comedian revealed that this isnt the first time people have tried to censor his popular show in unearthed accounts and stated that US producers planned to scrap his character altogether.
John Cleese and his wife-of-the-time Connie Booth, who played the maid in the popular BBC show, co-wrote Fawlty Towers and submitted the shows pilot back in 1974.
Despite producers doubts about the script, poor viewing figures and media reviews claiming it wasnt funny, the sitcom would become a national success in later years.
John likened the uncertainty to that experienced when Monty Python sketches aired for the first time, which he believed was due to them being ahead of their time.
But by the end of series two in 1979, audiences were hungry for more episodes and longed for another instalment.
Despite the demand for more than the 12 episodes that had already been released, John refused to write more because he feared it wouldnt live up to expectation.