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05 Dec 05 - 01:38 PM (#1620508) Subject: BS: Fawlty Towers From: Wesley S Last night I saw a nice retrospective of the British TV series Fawlty Towers. Most of the actors and producers ect were there to talk about the show. It's hard to believe that there were only 12 episodes filmed. I wish it had gone on a LOT longer. But John Cleese was quoted as saying that after 12 episodes they figured it had gone on long enough. They had done what they wanted to do with the idea. To this day I still mimic Sybil shouting "BASIL". And when I'm confused {often} I'm liable to say "I speak english very good - I learn it from a boook" |
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05 Dec 05 - 02:59 PM (#1620524) Subject: RE: BS: Fawlty Towers From: Jeanie It's one of my favourites, too. Each episode is so very well crafted, and such an excellent cast - not only the main characters, but all the people who come and go. I particularly like Joan Sanderson as Mrs. Richards (who loses money in a vase). It's amazing to think that these were first shown 30 years ago - they have stood the test of time very well, and I'm so glad that they are being shown to a whole new generation of viewers. The children I teach all know and *love* Fawlty Towers. I suppose different styles of comedy presentation appeal to different people. I never did "get" "Last of the Summer Wine", though it obviously must have a tremendous following. I think what I like so much about Fawlty Towers is its "stagey"-ness. Even though there are outdoor shots, it is very much a staged production and with a cast of people who were principally stage actors who really know their stuff. I never tire of watching them. - jeanie |
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05 Dec 05 - 04:04 PM (#1620564) Subject: RE: BS: Fawlty Towers From: Dead Horse I do apologise. He's from Barcelona. |
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05 Dec 05 - 04:14 PM (#1620575) Subject: RE: BS: Fawlty Towers From: kendall I could listen to John Cleese reading the phone book. Have you all seen "Clockwise" ? |
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05 Dec 05 - 05:27 PM (#1620660) Subject: RE: BS: Fawlty Towers From: van lingle Flowery Twats |
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05 Dec 05 - 05:31 PM (#1620667) Subject: RE: BS: Fawlty Towers From: GUEST "Nobody mention the war. I did once but I think I got away with it." every episode was pure magic on the screen. Jeanie thanks for the explanation re the stagey-ness, i never thought of it at the time but you are spot on, that is what made it so special. |
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05 Dec 05 - 05:41 PM (#1620675) Subject: RE: BS: Fawlty Towers From: Charley Noble Oh, I thought this was a thread about the unsuccessful attempt to demolish a 200-foot high grain elevator in South Dakota last week. They blew out its bottom but it just settled down looked a little shorter and leaning at an angle of 20 degrees. Charley Noble |
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05 Dec 05 - 05:46 PM (#1620678) Subject: RE: BS: Fawlty Towers From: Wesley S Que ? |
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05 Dec 05 - 05:53 PM (#1620686) Subject: RE: BS: Fawlty Towers From: Bardford Farty Towels |
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05 Dec 05 - 05:55 PM (#1620687) Subject: RE: BS: Fawlty Towers From: autolycus Interesting point about the stageyness, because two of the most popular tv formats are sitcoms and soaps. They the most stagey formats, so it beats me why we don't get plays on telly; not "dramas", which are all films, cos they have a location manager and best boy 'n' stuff but plays. Plays win out over films because they tend to be far , far less predictable than films. (Yes,yes,yes, I'm sure there are exceptions - I just mean, generally. |
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05 Dec 05 - 05:55 PM (#1620688) Subject: RE: BS: Fawlty Towers From: GUEST,Manuel "She go craaaa-zy!" (waving his hands in the air helplessly) |
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05 Dec 05 - 06:19 PM (#1620707) Subject: RE: BS: Fawlty Towers From: Shanghaiceltic 'Would you care for a rat?' 30 years old, hard to believe. |
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05 Dec 05 - 06:25 PM (#1620711) Subject: RE: BS: Fawlty Towers From: *Laura* Fatty Owls |
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05 Dec 05 - 06:27 PM (#1620714) Subject: RE: BS: Fawlty Towers From: GUEST "If you don't start right now I'm going to get out and give you a good thrashing." |
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05 Dec 05 - 07:41 PM (#1620769) Subject: RE: BS: Fawlty Towers From: kendall ..."How in your wildest dreams could you imagine that a young, beautiful woman like that could be interested in an aging, Brilliantine stick insect like you"? (Sybl to Basil) |
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05 Dec 05 - 08:20 PM (#1620800) Subject: RE: BS: Fawlty Towers From: SINSULL Don't mind him. He's from Barcelona. Hard to believe they could get up an Armada... |
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05 Dec 05 - 10:17 PM (#1620861) Subject: RE: BS: Fawlty Towers From: Ron Davies "It's Brahms Third Racket" We've bought the complete collection on DVD. Couldn't recommend more highly. Priceless--not only all 12 episodes--but just wonderful --and extensive interviews with John Cleese, Prunella Scales and others. In John Cleese's interview he talks about, among many other things, where the ideas for the stories came from. For instance, he asked a former manager at the Savoy: what was your worst problem? Answer: the stiffs. |
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06 Dec 05 - 01:44 AM (#1620936) Subject: RE: BS: Fawlty Towers From: Donuel The episodes were written by starting with the ending and going backwards. |
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06 Dec 05 - 02:16 AM (#1620945) Subject: RE: BS: Fawlty Towers From: Bert What sort of dog is that? He's a little shi-itzu. Yes, but what breed is he? |
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06 Dec 05 - 07:46 AM (#1621054) Subject: RE: BS: Fawlty Towers From: GUEST,smiler Pretentious? Moi? |
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06 Dec 05 - 08:27 AM (#1621074) Subject: RE: BS: Fawlty Towers From: GUEST,Mingulay at work Flowery tarts!! |
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06 Dec 05 - 09:12 AM (#1621103) Subject: RE: BS: Fawlty Towers From: closet-folkie " Basil, if you're going to grope a girl, at least have the gallantry to be in the room with her"--Sybil Has there been a better written sitcom? I doubt it. |
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06 Dec 05 - 10:14 AM (#1621155) Subject: RE: BS: Fawlty Towers From: Clinton Hammond In my estimation it is the single best thing that John Cleese has ever been invloved with |
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06 Dec 05 - 10:21 AM (#1621172) Subject: RE: BS: Fawlty Towers From: closet-folkie "In my estimation it is the single best thing that John Cleese has ever been invloved with" Connie Booth, you mean? |
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06 Dec 05 - 10:42 AM (#1621196) Subject: RE: BS: Fawlty Towers From: Wesley S Connie Booth was conspicious in her absence from the special I saw the other night. I don't recall seeing her in anything else since then. I wonder what she's up to now ? |
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06 Dec 05 - 11:05 AM (#1621214) Subject: RE: BS: Fawlty Towers From: Clinton Hammond " Connie Booth, you mean?" She's the 2nd best thing... LOL Biography for Connie Booth http://imdb.com/name/nm0095665/bio |
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06 Dec 05 - 01:39 PM (#1621317) Subject: RE: BS: Fawlty Towers From: Stu "Is this a piece of your brain?" |
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06 Dec 05 - 02:18 PM (#1621357) Subject: RE: BS: Fawlty Towers From: Clinton Hammond "Have you ever seen my wife make toast?" My wife walked in on me making a sandwich the other day and I happend to be singing "Camptown Ladies" to myself... as she walked up to me I glanced at her and finished the song "I did it myyy way".... She looked at me... shook her head and just walked away.... Heh |
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06 Dec 05 - 03:20 PM (#1621403) Subject: RE: BS: Fawlty Towers From: Chris Green Flay otters. |
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06 Dec 05 - 06:03 PM (#1621508) Subject: RE: BS: Fawlty Towers From: MuddleC -just checking the walls---- |
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07 Dec 05 - 09:24 AM (#1621919) Subject: RE: BS: Fawlty Towers From: GUEST,DB "Just going to insert a garden gnome in O'Riley, dear." |
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07 Dec 05 - 09:45 AM (#1621937) Subject: RE: BS: Fawlty Towers From: alanabit Through gritted teeth to Manuel: "You're a waste of space!" |
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07 Dec 05 - 10:48 AM (#1621967) Subject: RE: BS: Fawlty Towers From: Tracey Dragonsfriend No, not pigs, pigeons... like your English! |
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07 Dec 05 - 02:29 PM (#1622093) Subject: RE: BS: Fawlty Towers From: *Laura* "Coming..... my little piranha fish.. coming!" |
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07 Dec 05 - 04:42 PM (#1622177) Subject: RE: BS: Fawlty Towers From: nager Basil to the Major who is holding a gun and muttering about shooting vermin (Basil think he means Germans) in the lounge room: Ah, not strictly legal any more Major... |
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07 Dec 05 - 06:43 PM (#1622264) Subject: RE: BS: Fawlty Towers From: GUEST,tdl Is pedigree Siberian Hamster! |
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07 Dec 05 - 09:50 PM (#1622386) Subject: RE: BS: Fawlty Towers From: nager Manuel: WHAT!!! You put Basil in the rattouille??? Terry the chef: I haven't made any bleedin' ratatouille!! |
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08 Dec 05 - 08:45 AM (#1622653) Subject: RE: BS: Fawlty Towers From: JennyO "Mr Hamilton: Could you make me a Waldorf Salad? Basil: Oh, ... ah, ... wa? Mr Hamilton: Waldorf Salad? Basil: I think we are just out of Waldorfs." [ |
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08 Dec 05 - 09:26 AM (#1622694) Subject: RE: BS: Fawlty Towers From: *Laura* Mr Hamilton - "Couldn't find the main road! Had to take a little backstreet called the M5" |
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08 Dec 05 - 12:14 PM (#1622858) Subject: RE: BS: Fawlty Towers From: clueless don My enjoyment of Fawlty Towers was limited by the fact that I didn't have anyone to root for. On the one hand, Basil was genuinely put upon from many directions, which might have made me root for him. But he did so many awful things that I couldn't root for him. One of my favorite moments in the show was when a guest was checking in, and Basil made some remark (I forget the details) about what he had to put up with in Manuel. The guest and Manuel then began having an animated coversation in Spanish, much to Basil's chagrin. The message seemed clear: Manuel isn't an idiot, he just doesn't speak the language. Don |
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08 Dec 05 - 01:50 PM (#1622960) Subject: RE: BS: Fawlty Towers From: Don Firth I can sit and howl at episodes of "Fawlty Towers," no matter how many times I've seen them. The show drives my wife nuts, however. Maybe it's a gender thing. . . . She likes "The Red Green Show," though. Strange. Don Firth |
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08 Dec 05 - 02:22 PM (#1622996) Subject: RE: BS: Fawlty Towers From: MuddleC 'No, it is not possible to reserve the BBC2 channel from the commencement of your televisual feast until the moment of the termination of its ending, thank you so much' |
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08 Dec 05 - 02:53 PM (#1623022) Subject: RE: BS: Fawlty Towers From: Jim Dixon Anyone see the American remakes? "Amanda's" (1983) with Bea Arthur as Amanda Cartwright, the Basil Fawlty counterpart. "Payne's" (1999) with John Larroquette as Royal Payne, ditto. Both were shameless copies of the "formula" of the original and both were miserable failures. Memorable Quotes from "Fawlty Towers" at IMDb. |
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09 Dec 05 - 01:20 AM (#1623422) Subject: RE: BS: Fawlty Towers From: Linda Goodman Zebooker My favorite: Basil and Sybil in their twin beds getting ready to go to sleep. Basil trying to read, Sybil on the phone sympathizing with a friend. You could hear Sybil intone over and over "Oh, I know, Oh I KNOW, I know. I KNOW. Yes. .....I know." Meanwhile, steam coming out of Basil's ears- |
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09 Dec 05 - 08:49 AM (#1623478) Subject: RE: BS: Fawlty Towers From: closet-folkie Basil and Sybil in their twin beds getting ready to go to sleep. Basil trying to read, Sybil on the phone sympathizing with a friend. You could hear Sybil intone over and over "Oh, I know, Oh I KNOW, I know. I KNOW. Yes. .....I know." Meanwhile, steam coming out of Basil's ears- "Well, why is she telling you then?"--Basil |
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09 Dec 05 - 09:12 PM (#1624066) Subject: RE: BS: Fawlty Towers From: darkriver Clueless Don -- I once heard Cleese speak about the 3 main characters (Basil, Sybil, & Manuel) and about audience perceptions of them. It seems that the audiences had the most sympathy for Manuel, and the least for Sybil, because Manuel is perceived as being the most powerless, while Sybil as the most powerful. Basil, of course, is in the middle, and probably the most hapless, and therefore the funniest. Cleese also mentioned that an inspiration for his character was the typical Brit stiff-upper-lip, Great-Chain-of-Being middle class male, who yearns for a strong class structure but can't rise out of his own class, and who tries desperately to sublimate an intense rage. That's certainly one of Cleese's specialties--the barely supressed rage of a put-upon male who believes in fair play. These shows had me laughing till my sides ached. Doug |