Rating: 
Summary: Possibly the greatest British comedy ever
Review: Fawlty Towers is certainly one of, if not the best, British comedies ever made. Written by John Cleese of Monty Python fame, and his wife at the time, Connie Booth, they tell the story of a hapless innkeeper in Torquay "in the English Riviera." Every denison of Fawlty Towers is a caricature on a British stereotype, and the guests introduce some Americans, Australians, Greeks, etc., which are also suitable caricatures of their respective countries. This series was obviously made before the era of political correctness, and is all the better for it.This series is not a repackaged version of Monty Python. While maintaining the same high energy, it is much more a traditional sitcom. It's been my experience that Monty Python fans think the series is excellent, and that many people who hate Monty Python also like it - it's much more universal. There are notable quotables too numerous to mention, as well as some very funny physical humour. The replay value of the episodes is very high - I've had this set a couple of years and have seen every episode numerous times, but I still can pop in a tape and laugh out loud at the antics. On this version, there are also interviews with John Cleese talking about the origins of the series as well as the inspiration for the specific events and plots of each episode. While informative once, I always skip over them now. It would have been nice to have seen some of the other cast members (especially Booth) in these interviews, but it's not to be. Thus, this set is highly recommended for any fan of the show. If you have never seen it, I recommend waiting for a Fawlty Tower weekend on PBS before purchasing this set - while I think it's hilarious, the humour is probably not for everyone.
Rating:
Summary: A great DVD set for an even better TV show
Review: Fawlty Towers, among those who know about it, is generally considered one of the funniest television shows of all time. Created by and starring John Cleese (of Monty Python fame), each of the twelve episodes is sheer genius in some way or another. The setup is simple: Cleese plays Basil Fawlty, the rather snide owner of a second-rate hotel. Cleese surrounds himself with hilarious characters, including his overbearing (but far more competent) wife and the bumbling but good natured waiter Manuel ("You'll have to excuse him; he's from Barcelona.") Each episode finds Fawlty involved in some scheme, which usually has something to do with abusing customers and hiding things from his wife. The plots build in classic screwball fashion, as the situations get more and more absurd while Cleese digs himself deeper and deeper into a hole. The comedy ranges from incredible dialogue to some perfectly timed slapstick, and all of it's funny. Though I'd seen all of the episodes before many times, the DVD set was a great buy. It's packed with extras, including commentaries by the director of each episode and some really informative, in-depth interviews with John Cleese and other cast members. In fact, while I got the discs just because I wanted copies of the episodes, I've had a ton of fun with the extras. Add in fairly nice packaging (the art on each disc is hilarious) and some other cool things such as cleverly designed menus, and this is one of the better TV collections I've seen. Well worth your money if you've never seen the show but enjoy British comedy, or if you're an old fan and looking for a new way to appreciate this great series.
Rating:
Summary: British Humor at Its BEsttt
Review: Cleese is such a talent. Taken from an actual hotel that he stayed in with a segment on this DVD which talks about the owner whose character kind of shaped this series. The acting and writing are superb, of course led by the central charater of Fawlty and his wife. But accompanying them and making it all one big hilarious synergy of rollicking, sidehurting laughter are the supporting cast, especially the Spanish waiter, bellboy, et al "Manuel." They all combine for great delights to treasure the laughter. The "under the breath" comments of Fawlty about his wife, customers, etc. make it a true classic. I totally agree with one reviewer's desire though: let's have a Fawlty Towers movie! Begin the petition drive!
Rating:
Summary: A Funny BBC Comedy from good ol U.K
Review: Ilove this!It`s funny and watchable and it`s from the best country in the world.
Rating:
Summary: Funny, not Fawlty
Review: If you've never heard of Fawlty Towers, you are truly missing a classic comedy series. Don't let the fact that it's British humor turn you away either. It's not your typical British sitcom. Fawlty Towers was a series of 12 episodes made in the 1970's about a hotel in the little town of Torquay, England (pronounced Torkee). The episodes all revolve around the mishaps and misunderstandings and flat out irrational behavior of the hotel owner Basil Fawlty played by John Cleese of Monty Python fame. Cleese does a wonderful job melding physical comedy, sarcasm, and British wit, but of course he doesn't do this alone. Prunella Scales (former RSC actress) plays Basil's wife Sybil Fawlty while Cleese's wife in real life Connie Booth plays Polly, the hotel maid/receptionist/waitress. Andrew Sachs plays Manuel, the Spanish waiter who does a fabulous job playing opposite Basil Fawlty and aggravating him to the point of frustration. Note that every character at one point in the series explains Manuel's funny behavior with the excuse "He's from Barcelona." There are a few other regular characters such as the Major who is an old, rather senile war veteran and the two ladies who are also old and rather senile. As I said earlier, there are 12 episodes. Each one is very original and I never get tired of watching them. The following is a short summary of each of the episodes. A Touch of Class - Basil places an ad for the hotel to attract upscale clientele. A Lord Melbury makes reservations at the hotel, but he isn't who everyone thinks he is. The Builders - Basil hires O'Reilly, a cheap Irish builder, to rennovate the hotel, but when he and his wife leave for an outing and Polly leaves Manuel in charge, everything goes wrong. The Wedding Party - Basil gets into a series of misunderstandings when a flirty Frenchwoman and a young, sexually playful couple and their parents stay at the hotel. The Hotel Inspectors - Sybil tells Basil there are hotel inspectors in town. He tries second guesses who the inspector is throughout the whole show and in the process is beat up, cries in front of a guest, and is frustrated beyond belief. Gourmet Night - Basil attempts to serve a special gourmet dinner to the town sophisticates. Of course it goes terribly wrong. (watch him beat a car with a branch) The Germans - Sybil is in the hospital with an ingrown toenail. Basil ends up in the hospital as well after a series of accidents, but escapes to the hotel just in time to greet some German guests. Communication Problems - Everyone is frustrated when Mrs. Richards, a woman with a hearing aid she chooses not to turn on, stays at the hotel. The Psychiatrist - Basil freaks out when he learns about two psychiatrists staying at the hotel. Waldorf Salad - An English woman and her husband, an American, stay at the hotel. The cook leaves early and Basil fills in to cook the couple a hot meal. The Kipper and The Corpse - A guest dies in the night and Basil has to get place the body in a discrete place until the coroner arrives. The Anniversary - Basil pretends to forget he and Sybil's anniversary. He plans a surprise party that falls apart when she storms out angry. Basil the Rat - A health inspector give the hotel one day to clean up their act. The hotel staff discover Manuel's pet rat (named Basil) and try to get rid of it. If you like British comedy, this is definitely a classic to own. If you like comedy, this is a treat. The best thing about these episodes is the detail involved in each episode. Every time you see the shows, you see something new. And all details in the episodes relate to each other. For instance in A Touch of Class, pay close attention to the pile of bricks mentioned at the beginning of the episode. You'll see them again. Another little cute fact about the shows is the way the signs change during the title frame. The opening of the show is a scene from outside the hotel and the sign saying Fawlty Towers, but after the first episode, the sign changes to the point that it spells things such as Watery Towels. Yes, the collection is on the expensive side but it is well worth the price and a must see for everyone. I am sure once you see these shows, you will watch them over and over again and love them for the classics they are.
Rating:
Summary: As good as TV comedy gets!
Review: Words cannot even begin to describe what delights are in store for the hapless comedy fan who has not yet seen Fawlty Towers, but I'll try. Basil Fawlty has become a comedy legend since he and his co-stars first graced our screens in the mid 70's. Yes, it's a vintage series and some of the language may not be very PC in this day and age but the result is still hilarious. Take it as you find it and you will be rewarded. There is not enough space to fully describe what delights are in store, but rest assured, you will be investing in a piece of essential comedy history when you buy this. Imagine a hotel owner who dislikes foreigners and has little respect for his guests and your'e just a little way there. The writing, the timing, the characters....everything is utterly perfect! John Cleese and his then wife Connie Booth could think of nowhere else to go after two series, so they called it quits and left on a high. What they didn't realise was the fact that they gave us what is without doubt one of the finest and funniest comedy legends. Americans have a taste for this kind of peculiar British humour, we British also adore it. You are in for a treat! Don't miss.
Rating:
Summary: the original and the best
Review: Join the "model of good hospitality" Basil Fawlty and his batch of cronies for the entire series of the classic FAWLTY TOWERS. A TOUCH OF CLASS - Lord Melbury arrives and Basil (John Cleese) is only too pleased to cash his Lordship's check... THE BUILDERS - The lobby is in dire need of a face-lift and Basil immediately accepts the lowest quote for the job. THE WEDDING PARTY - Basil's prudish nature is outraged by an outbreak of promiscuity at Fawlty Towers. THE HOTEL INSPECTOR - Basil learns that there are hotel inspectors in the area, just after he has been exceptionally rude to a guest. GOURMET NIGHT - The cream of Torquay society is present for a special gourmet night at Fawlty Towers, complete with Polly (Connie Booth) performing sung highlights from "Oklahoma!".... THE GERMANS - While Sybil (Prunella Scales) is in hospital, Basil encounters some German tourists and tells them the "truth" about their fatherland. COMMUNICATION PROBLEMS - Tangling with the intermittently deaf Mrs Richards leads Basil ever closer to a nervous breakdown. THE PSYCHIATRIST - A visiting psychiatrist seems to find Basil rather fascinating. WALDORF SALAD - An American guest demands quality service - something Basil is not too familiar with. THE KIPPER AND THE CORPSE - With a total disregard for Basil's blood pressure, a guest dies in the hotel. THE ANNIVERSARY - Sybil flounces off to the golf course when Basil has apparently forgotten their anniversary. BASIL THE RAT - Manuel (Andrew Sachs) insists that his pet rodent is a Siberian hamster. Basil is convinced it's a rat.
Rating:
Summary: FAWLTY TOWERS DVD Reissue
Review: If you've been living up in a tree, and haven't yet seen the utterly hilarious British sit-com Fawlty Towers, now's your chance.
This all-too-brief series has been dusted off and brought back out with cast member interviews, a short tour of the town it was filmed in, out-takes, and commentary by the directors John Howard Davies and Bob Spiers
John Cleese (of Monty Python) is Basil Fawlty, a hotel owner who barely maintains his very last thread of sanity as attempts to manage a small hotel in Torquay, England.
Basil is continuously at odds with his more practical wife, Sybil (Prunella Scales), and his simple butler Manuel (Andrew Sachs).
Manuel is a waiter from Barcelona who serves as Cleese comic foil, and finds himself on the receiving end of Basil Fawlty's verbal, and horrifying physical abuse regularly throughout the twelve episodes.
The poor man is slapped, kicked, choked, gets his head slammed into a wall, is smacked with a frying pan, has his buttocks speared by a fork, and even has one of his eyes gouged by Basil in front of the guests who are usually attempting to eat a quiet meal while pretending to ignore the carnage going on inches away.
Andrew Sachs was compensated for burns suffered during the filming of the show, and nearly had his front teeth knocked out when Basil smashed him in the face with a spoon. The frying pan attack gave Sachs a headache for two days.
Basil's only real support throughout the show comes from the hotel maid, Polly (played by Connie Booth, a regular on Monty Python's Flying Circus, who with Cleese co-wrote the entire story).
Polly bails him out of danger constantly. By the end of the series it's apparent that she and Manuel are really the ones running everything, as they both attempt to cope with Basil's neurotic outbursts and "sledge hammer wit".
My favorite episode centers around a group of German tourists who have come to stay for the weekend in Toquay, and unwittingly booked rooms at Fawlty Towers. Basil is obsessed with the horrors of World War Two, and won't let the German tourists forget "who won the bloody war anyway".
He marches like a rabid Nazi into the small dining room where they sit horrified. They finally ask him to stop going on and on about Hitler as he take their orders.
"You started it." He cries defensively.
"We did not start it!"
"Yes you did, you invaded Poland!"
Fawlty Towers received rave reviews from the press, and was named the #1 television program of all time by the British Film Institute. It was also hailed as "The best farce ever written in the English language", and "The Sistine Chapel of sitcoms".
As a fan of Monty Python you probably already know about this one. If not, here's the prospect of seeing something that puts any American comedy to shame.
Falwty Towers is available on three DVDs with four episodes on each disc.
Rating:
Summary: Brittish comedy at its best.
Review: Although I do not own this DVD set, I've seen the entire Fawlty Towers show. It is simply amazing. The actors/actresses come together great, all carried by the immensely talented John Cleese. Personally I choose Fawlty Towers over Monty Python. It is ingenious. I watched the entire show within a few weeks, and would have done it in less time had I not other things to do. I've never seen a better television program and doubt there will be another like this. Even if you know nothing about this show nor anything about John Cleese, I suggest you give it a try. Most of you will enjoy the great humor.
Rating:
Summary: BUY THIS
Review: Fawlty Towers is just fantasic. I hadn't had belly laughs like that in a long time. I have read a lot of reviews here that say this isn't funny. All i have to say to that is PEOPLE Booed Jimmy Hendrix off the stage too (that didnt make him any less brilliant either). If you have a sense of humor don't waste time BUY THIS DVD!
| 
