Fawlty Towers - Complete DVD Box Set

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Despite only consisting of 12 episodes, Fawlty Towers has become one of the best-loved British sitcoms since its first appearance in 1975. Its frighteningly simple premise of a hotel manager trying to avoid catastrophe gave Monty Python star John Cleese plenty of room to invent some of comedy’s most iconic moments.

Cleese famously came up with the character of Basil Fawlty after a disastrous stay at the Gleneagles Hotel in Torquay with his then wife Connie Booth, who plays the waitress Polly in the series. The episodes frequently find Basil at odds with his staff and guests and often trying to cover up some horrendous faux pas before getting his comeuppance, usually from his long-suffering wife Sybil (Prunella Scales). Of course, a mention has to go to Andrew Sachs as the frequently bullied waiter Manuel whose poor grasp of English leads to many of the misunderstandings that drive Basil to distraction.  

Classic episodes include The Germans, in which German guests arrive at the hotel and Basil orders that his staff “don’t mention the war” which of course he frequently does until he starts goose-stepping through the lobby, and The Kipper and the Corpse in which Basil must hide a dead body from the rest of his guests - pure farce at its best. And who can forget Gourmet Night and Basil’s futile attack on his broken down Austin.

With few characters and one location, Cleese created a perfect storm of comedy and one that still influences writers and performers today. Although it’s a relatively short series, this box set is packed with extras that give a complete overview of its production and legacy, including must have commentaries on all the episodes from Cleese himself. As a piece of British comedy history this is the holy grail.

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