Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful comedy, but commentaries could be better
Review: You can't go wrong with Fawlty Towers, but the directors' commentaries are almost unlistenable. It's not that the directors don't have interesting things to say - they do. However, the way they recorded the commentaries is distracting. You hear every heavy breath and clearing of throat, and there is no mix of the normal audio track with the commentary. WHY?
Rating: 
Summary: A MUST HAVE for any John Cleese fan!!!
Review: I'll keep this short because this box set can be described with just one word......AWESOME!!! If you like British humor and love John Cleese, then get this set, you WILL NOT regret it! Now if they would only release another CLASSIC British comedy series on DVD. Can you guess what I'm referring to? None other than, "The Young Ones"!!! My life would be complete if they did a box set of that show. Dare to dream.......
Rating:
Summary: A Classic farce finally comes to DVD!
Review: For anyone, the 12 episodes of Fawlty Towers -- set in its namesake, a seedy British hotel -- could serve as an expert course on the construction and execution of the perfect farce. John Cleese (of Monty Python) and Connie Booth (who both appear in the show) have created the last word in reference material for this comedy genre. The video and audio quality of the DVD is excellent, and the shows themselves are hilarious and delightful to watch. The supplemental material is rather hit or miss, and sometimes outright strange. For reasons that escape me, the directors' commentary tracks can only be heard completely isolated from the soundtrack of the show. The microphone for the commentary was apparently placed up the nose of director J.H. Davies -- no kidding -- because when he is not speaking -- which is most of the time -- you can hear the wind whistling through his nasal canal, as well as the slightest snort or forced exhalation registering his amusement as watches the material. You can even hear quite clearly as he slurps from a cup of tea. On the whole, when he does speak (and I have only listened to 2 episodes of commentary), his comments are not always of interest. (Comments by director Bob Spiers seem better.) More satisfying are interviews with Cleese and other cast members (though not Connie Booth! [sigh]). A film of the abandoned and gutted building which served as the hotel goes on for five minutes, room to room, and is simply bizarre. There is however, an excellent highlight reel of Fawlty Towers' best encounters between the ficticious staff and guests, and fun out-takes Don't buy for it the extras, but the set is worth every penny for the comic gold of these 12 perfect half-hours of laughter. My personal favorites include "A Touch of Class," in which Basil tries to lure a better class of clientele to the inn, "Basil the Rat," involving the escape of the bellman's unlikely pet during a visit from a Public Health inspector, and "The Kipper and the Corpse," where an guest's untimely demise requires moving the body from room to room. Communication Problems is both a great episode and a particularly nimble demonstration of classic farcical techniques, if you're into that. I would have given it five stars if the supplemental material, particularly the commentary. was as good as the actual show.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant and Hysterical!!
Review: My wife bought the complete set for my birthday and I cannot stop watching them. John Cleese is one of the greatest physical comedians alive and this proves it. The characters are terrific each one is well defined and carefully acted; from top to bottom each actor is brilliant. I cannot remember a better ensemble cast of characters in any modern TV show. Especially John Cleese, who is marvelous as the lead character, Basil Fawlty the bumbling, pretentious hotel owner. The episode featuring "The Germans" is hilarious and can be viewed over and over again without boredom. Included in each tape set are interviews with Mr. Cleese, who fills in behind-the-scene details. These little nuggets are fascinating and add to whole program. Do yourself a favor and laugh. I recommend "Fawlty Towers" to everyone.
Rating:
Summary: Laugh Till You Cry
Review: No matter how many times I watch these video I laugh so hard I want to cry. Believe me you will watch these shows over and over and your sides will ache. Everyone is hillarious; Manuel the Spanish waiter played by Andrew Sachs adds to the merriment. John Cleese and Connie Booth wrote the episodes. John Cleese is a very talented actor which shows in the Fawlty Towers series.
Rating:
Summary: As always, worth every penny...
Review: And now on DVD - a must have, as were the Book, VHS and Laserdisc editions... Now with extra materials: more than an hour of Cleese interview, and 20 mins. of Prunella Scales and Andrew Sachs. (Where is Connie Booth?) And background info on Torquay and the Gleneagles Hotel... Well, maybe it's NOT up to the perfectionist Cleese standard (the young guy with the not-very-Cambridge accent interviewing Andrew Sachs puts his finger in his ear distastefully). To my mind, the major drawback is the Director's Commentary, though interesting, this should have been better produced. Since you can not hear the soundtrack of the program, but only the panting and slurping of the directors, who occasionally comment (you can even hear people in the background being called on their cell-phone), some of the meaning of the comments is lost unless you rewind and change audio channel. But you will find you can live with it, so... buy it! Later addition: I also bought the R2 edition - it has better picture AND the commentary is better produced. Get that in stead if you can play it...
Rating:
Summary: Laughs high and low
Review: This boxed set is to TV comedy what the First Folio of Shakespeare is to dramatic theater. What makes "Fawlty Towers" so great is its simultaneous mastery of both high and low comedy. You get witty references to Brahms and Wittgenstein, soon followed by poked eyes and grabbed bosoms. Basil Fawlty is not only a triumph of comic writing and acting but also one of the most trenchant satires of the British character ever created. (Imagine if Carroll O'Connor had personally written "All in the Family" and you'll get an idea of the scope of Cleese's accomplishment here.) The supporting cast is as nearly as strong as that of "Seinfeld" (very high praise): the terrifying Prunella Scales as Lady Macbeth-in-a-bouffant-wig, the lovely Connie Booth (who you'd never guess was American) as the hidden brains of the outfit, and the superb Andrew Sachs as the world's worst bellhop. "The Germans" is probably the funniest half-hour of television ever filmed but all twelve episodes are gems. According to a fan website, there are at least half a dozen real-life hotels that have named themselves after Fawlty Towers. Like Hamlet or Sherlock Holmes, Basil Fawlty has transcended the status of a literary character and in some way become a living being. There can be no higher tribute.
Rating:
Summary: Simply the best...
Review: This is my favorite series of all time. When I was 13 or so my parents had bought these on video and I would watch it and laugh because of the slapstick element to it and the very funny Manuel. Now at the age of 25 it is nothing short of brilliant. I was very excited to see these coming to DVD because my VHS set is honestly getting worn out. I have watched at least one episode a week for many years now. The acting and writing was perfect. There have been hundreds of comedy based tv shows but almost all of them follow the same outline. This one is a true gem. I recommend this to anybody who wants an honest to good laugh that is very, very smart. Who can forget Basil thrashing his car with a tree branch when it dies on him. Brilliant!
Rating:
Summary: ** My most valued set of movies **
Review: If I had to choose one set of movies to watch for the rest of my life, this would be it! I have honestly watched every episode at least 25 times, probably more. John Cleese has never been more hilarious. He plays this hysterical character who spends much of his time saying things to his guests/customers that we all wish we could say at our jobs. Of course, since I work in the Hotel industry, I can really appreciate all the humor but I really think anyone who works in any kinds of customer service would highly appreciate these videos. My favorite show is the "Communications problems" episode with the wicked obnoxios "classic guest from Hell" I only wish they would have made more than 12 episodes! *This set is worth the money*
Rating:
Summary: oh my...OH MY!!!
Review: Thank You...Thank You!!! This is a dream come true. I grew up with John Cleese's Fawlty Towers and I swear by all things holy and true it doesn't get any better than this! This is pure comedy, raw and genious to say the least. To have the DVD version, is just the next step up!
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