John Cleese's `Fawlty Towers' Hotel to Get Makeover

John Cleese's `Fawlty Towers' Hotel to Get Makeover

Feb. 7 (Bloomberg) -- ``Fawlty Towers,'' England's most notorious hotel, is about to have a makeover.

The establishment on the south coast that inspired John Cleese to write the comedy about inept manager Basil Fawlty and his chaotic hotel was bought by a local couple last week. They plan a revamp aimed at shaking off links with the 1970s television series, according to property agent Christie & Co.

``They will try to get away from the image,'' Christie spokesman Peter Addyman said in a telephone interview today. The building is called Hotel Gleneagles in real life and ``is renowned in the local area as being the `Fawlty Towers' hotel,'' he said.

The hotel in Torquay was on the market for 1.65 million pounds ($2.9 million) and sold for an undisclosed sum, changing hands for a third time in five years. Cleese and the other Monty Python comedians stayed there in 1971 and Basil was based on former owner Donald Sinclair, who Cleese said was ``the most wonderfully rude man I've ever met,'' according to Christie.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000102&sid=aU8ZzzfowQFE&refer=uk

Funniest. Sitcom. Ever.

Not sure if it's really LBN, but I'll give 'er a mornin' kick anyway.

for LBN - tho i did hesitate before posting. but really, what's wrong with a little fun news from time to time?

if it doesn't qualify for LBN - my apologies to the mods.

Did you see the special on PBS about the show? It was about a one hour documentary about the history of Fawlty Towers.

The guy who planned Manuel was a classically trained actor! He had never done TV, or any broad comedy before that role. I thought that was really interesting.

Keep an eye out for it, if you haven't seen it yet. You'll love it.

The Professor

Boy, that was a great series! I still laugh out loud when I recall the episode with the German tourists staying at the hotel. Cleese's character just couldn't help himself and starts goose-stepping around. It was delightfully silly.

"She laughs like a seal being machine gunned to death."

:rofl:

He loves all of them, but that's his favorite.

there are so many great quotes from that episode. such as:

Basil: Don't mention the war. I mentioned it once, but I think I got away with it. So it's all forgotten now and let's hear no more about it.

German father: "She's upset because you keep mentioning the war!"
Basil: "Well, you started it!"
German father: "We did not!"
Basil: "You most certainly did - you invaded Poland!"

I love that show! :rofl:

is the one where they're trying to hide the dead guy. Every show is a favorite really. It's one of the best comedy series EVER.

They should milk it for all it's worth! Remodel the inside to look exactly like the hotel on the show. Fans will come flocking to the shrine.

or "Farty Towels"

... he's from Barcelona."

no, you hit HIM on the head! Naughty moose!

in Rome. There, it's a sort-of hostel near the rail station.

I recommend it for fellow cheap-screws.

Look it up in Rick Steves' travel books.