Fawlty Towers

[Bill Ryan]

Dear Friends, inspired by happyuk's wonderful post here, I thought members might appreciate an offer of all 12 episodes of Fawlty Towers for a free download. The links below expire in 7 days' time.

For anyone who may not know what this is about (who if so, surely couldn't be British ), Fawlty Towers was a TV sitcom, principally starring Monty Python's John Cleese but also a small clutch of other marvelously-scripted characters, that was aired on the BBC in two series in 1975 and 1979.

Many, many people (including yours truly) to this day, 4 decades later, regard this as the funniest, cleverest, and most inspired work of comedy genius ever to be created anywhere.

There were only ever 12 episodes, half an hour each. The entire thing, from start to finish, lasted only just a little over 6 hours. There are many Brits who have watched them all literally hundreds of times over. Some of it does really make one fall off one's chair with uncontrollable laughter — no matter how many times one's seen it.

1. Series one: (1975)
   https://we.tl/t-gsZYU2SSUn
2. Series two: (1979)
   https://we.tl/t-WDVnlThcWM

[thepainterdoug]

Fantastic Bill I was mentioning to my son the other day, the episode, dont mention the war.

I have seen them all over and over
this show was and is a true world treasure.

thanks!!

[Brigantia]

Oh yes, a favourite classic and they really don't make them like that anymore.

I met a German once who told me that it is really popular in Germany, he absolutely loved the 'don't mention the war' episode and even knew the best lines off by heart. I remember him quoting, "You started it!" - "No we didn't, you invaded Poland!" and he couldn't stop laughing.

[Mark (Star Mariner)]

Possibly the funniest thing about Fawlty Towers is it's based on a real Torquay Hotel, the Gleneagles, and Basil Fawlty on a real individual, the owner, David Sinclair. The Pythons were staying in the Gleneagles whilst filming nearby for the Flying Circus. John Cleese created his famous character on the mannerisms and eccentricities of Sinclair. Some of the plot lines too were based on real events in the hotel.

[Brigantia]

One of the funny things is that the letters of the hotel sign changed for every episode; you can even buy these stickers of some of the best, good comedy endures.

[thepainterdoug]

amazing timing with this tweet from John Cleese /

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John Cleese
@JohnCleese
I was looking forward to talking to students at the Cambridge Union this Friday, but I hear that someone there has been blacklisted for doing an
impersonation of Hitler

I regret that I did the same on a Monty Python show, so I am blacklisting myself before someone else does
3:39 AM · Nov 10, 2021·Twitter Web App

[avid]

This has cheered me up no end, such daft and ludicrously happy memories, what a wondrous day 😻😻

[ExomatrixTV]

BBC airs ‘banned’ Fawlty Towers episode with ‘inappropriate’ Nazi scene

• Don't Mention the War! (HD & EXTENDED) | Fawlty Towers | BBC Comedy Greats

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=RyPj21jBl_0

• Fawlty Towers 'The Germans' episode removed from air due to 'racial slurs'

[Mercedes]

I remember watching Monty Python with my eldest brother, I was quite young (and dumb) and some of the jokes I did not get, he would then have to explain to me what it was about, fond memories.

[Bill Ryan]

Posted by Bill Ryan (here)
Dear Friends, inspired by happyuk's wonderful post here, I thought members might appreciate an offer of all 12 episodes of Fawlty Towers for a free download. The links below expire in 7 days' time.

For anyone who may not know what this is about (who if so, surely couldn't be British ), Fawlty Towers was a TV sitcom, principally starring Monty Python's John Cleese but also a small clutch of other marvelously-scripted characters, that was aired on the BBC in two series in 1975 and 1979.

Many, many people (including yours truly) to this day, 4 decades later, regard this as the funniest, cleverest, and most inspired work of comedy genius ever to be created anywhere.

There were only ever 12 episodes, half an hour each. The entire thing, from start to finish, lasted only just a little over 6 hours. There are many Brits who have watched them all literally hundreds of times over. Some of it does really make one fall off one's chair with uncontrollable laughter — no matter how many times one's seen it.

1. Series one: (1975)
   https://we.tl/t-gsZYU2SSUn
2. Series two: (1979)
   https://we.tl/t-WDVnlThcWM

Alternative download links here. The two above are in AVI format, and some folks may not be able to play those easily. (Though the VLC media player, also a free download, will always play anything.)

These are in MP4 format. The files are slightly larger, hence the subdivision.

1. Series one, episodes 1,2,3
   https://we.tl/t-plPkEl7Vr2
2. Series one, episodes 4,5,6
   https://we.tl/t-2974nVGMki
3. Series two, episodes 1,2,3
   https://we.tl/t-LoOSAwusyB
4. Series two, episodes 4,5,6
   https://we.tl/t-9oBhbCvCYA

[Open Minded Dude]

Posted by Brigantia (here)
Oh yes, a favourite classic and they really don't make them like that anymore.

I met a German once who told me that it is really popular in Germany, he absolutely loved the 'don't mention the war' episode and even knew the best lines off by heart. I remember him quoting, "You started it!" - "No we didn't, you invaded Poland!" and he couldn't stop laughing.

I can confirm this. It is popular. I loved FT as much as I loved Monty Python in general. The Montys also loved Germany and they even - hardly known in the english-speaking world - made a German edition of MP Flying Circus only for Germany and Austria back then.

Here's the Bavarian restaurant sketch in German. And yes, Bavaria is really (almost) like this!

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=LdPMSd7xA7U

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=uHs45_EQvO0

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=nNmD_KFqY_U

Cleese is my favourite comedian since I can remember watching comedy in the 80s. He even charts before the great Loriot on #2, who is a a German comedian with a similar kind of humour as Cleese (also making fun of "German-ness" a lot), but different again, more like the reality satire Ricky Gervais style that we can see The Office (who is btw my #3).

Btw, Cleese once said in an interview that the Nazi scene is actually making more fun of the English obsession with WW2 and Hitler than it was making fun of Germans (hence the BBC and other cancel-culture idiots don't get it as they don't have the capacity to know the different levels of good humour and satire).

[Gemma13]

As an Aussie kid living in the country all we got was black and white TV and we loved Fawlty Towers. Watched it again many times as an adult. A classic!

[XGibbo]

I have lurked on this forum since its start and never really posted much at all... although I check in often... This though has moved me to say thank you. Cheers Bill

[Brigantia]

Here's another classic of John Cleese's comedic skill that cracks me up every time - the stoning in Life of Brian.

"Are there any... women here today?

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=FQ5YU_spBw0

[BoR]

I remember the first time I watched this series on videotape. My brother taped all episodes. It was summer vacation and it was late. I was home alone, about 17 years old I think. I couldn’t stop and I bingewatched the whole thing until 3 am. I never laughed this much on EVERY episode of a comedy series!

Thank you Bill for sharing!

[Sunny-side-up]

Yes Bill a Big thx for the vid's
Me and my wife know the series backwards, sideways and standing on our heads, real Brit Humour classic.
True class scripting.

John Cleeze was actually quite scary at times O.0, humour from an anger problem lol
A little more dark humour but this time from another Python, watch out for the Major at the begging

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=1bIOPVgnKUs

[Nitefall]

Fantastic! Thank you VERY MUCH!

[iota]

came looking for you to thank you for sending me this!! what an absolute delight!!

comedic genius ... so many thanks again!

[Donald Ryan]

Came across this recently. . .in keeping with the theme.

[9ideon]

Did the you invaded Poland sentence once during a heated discussion, it's funny to see the many various emotions amongst People present rise from one such sentence, great show!!!