"Fawlty Towers" must be the funniest programming ever put on television. I include in that the comedy shows of old, the modern sitcoms and the various series over the years. This BBC production is called a mini-series, and it was produced just two years - and those, four years apart. The initial season was 1975 with six episodes. It proved so popular, and John Cleese and Connie Booth had enough material, that it returned for another season of six episodes in 1979. Not only did it go against the grain of ongoing shows wearing out (diminishing in quality), "Fawlty Towers" was even better the second time around. Each episode seemed to be a little funnier than the one before it.
I rate comedy by a few factors. Uppermost is how much it makes one laugh. Not just me, but others as well. And not just once, but on repeated viewings. Then, is its broad audience appeal. It must be clean (not toilet humor or foul language). Witty, clever lines appeal to more mature audiences; slapstick appeals to all ages but is especially catching for younger audiences; and hilarious antics reach across the board. Add to these smaller things such as tongue- in-cheek comments, off-hand jabs, aside glances, double takes, and various comedy nuances. Finally is its longevity and timelessness. Regardless of when it was made, or where, the humor is not dated. It's just as funny to succeeding audiences over time.
Since the advent of TV in the mid-20th century, there have been hundreds of comedy shows, mini-series, and what today are called sitcoms. Few TV comedy programs today fit the above criteria that make for great, lasting comedies. Few of them today will sustain the laughter some old shows generated. "I Love Lucy" of 1951-1957 often had people rolling with laughter. Reruns of it today still are very funny. The Carol Burnett Show of 1967-1978 had some of the most outlandishly funny and clever skits ever done on TV. The reruns of those still get much laughter.
But, since I first saw "Fawlty Towers" after it came out in the 1970s, I haven't seen any comedy that can top it. So, once a year or so, I trot out my DVD set of the complete series and watch it again. John Cleese's Basil Fawlty is the perfect antidote for the blues or lethargy that may set in at times. The egocentric, stuffed shirt, proud, prudish and bombastic Basil is a surefire cure for the doldrums.
My DVD set Includes some bonus materials on the background for the series. Cleese and Connie Booth (who plays Polly in the series) got the material for the show while staying at a hotel in Torquay on the English Channel. That was while they were working on "Monty Python's Flying Circus." Apparently, the innkeeper was a boorish character who tended to turn customers away. So, they modeled Basil on him. All the members of the cast contribute to the success and humor of the series. But this is a Cleese show all the way. I enjoy great humor, and "Warty Fowls" (one of the many derivatives of the title shown with the opening credits of succeeding shows) is my favorite TV comedy of all time.
I rate comedy by a few factors. Uppermost is how much it makes one laugh. Not just me, but others as well. And not just once, but on repeated viewings. Then, is its broad audience appeal. It must be clean (not toilet humor or foul language). Witty, clever lines appeal to more mature audiences; slapstick appeals to all ages but is especially catching for younger audiences; and hilarious antics reach across the board. Add to these smaller things such as tongue- in-cheek comments, off-hand jabs, aside glances, double takes, and various comedy nuances. Finally is its longevity and timelessness. Regardless of when it was made, or where, the humor is not dated. It's just as funny to succeeding audiences over time.
Since the advent of TV in the mid-20th century, there have been hundreds of comedy shows, mini-series, and what today are called sitcoms. Few TV comedy programs today fit the above criteria that make for great, lasting comedies. Few of them today will sustain the laughter some old shows generated. "I Love Lucy" of 1951-1957 often had people rolling with laughter. Reruns of it today still are very funny. The Carol Burnett Show of 1967-1978 had some of the most outlandishly funny and clever skits ever done on TV. The reruns of those still get much laughter.
But, since I first saw "Fawlty Towers" after it came out in the 1970s, I haven't seen any comedy that can top it. So, once a year or so, I trot out my DVD set of the complete series and watch it again. John Cleese's Basil Fawlty is the perfect antidote for the blues or lethargy that may set in at times. The egocentric, stuffed shirt, proud, prudish and bombastic Basil is a surefire cure for the doldrums.
My DVD set Includes some bonus materials on the background for the series. Cleese and Connie Booth (who plays Polly in the series) got the material for the show while staying at a hotel in Torquay on the English Channel. That was while they were working on "Monty Python's Flying Circus." Apparently, the innkeeper was a boorish character who tended to turn customers away. So, they modeled Basil on him. All the members of the cast contribute to the success and humor of the series. But this is a Cleese show all the way. I enjoy great humor, and "Warty Fowls" (one of the many derivatives of the title shown with the opening credits of succeeding shows) is my favorite TV comedy of all time.