[TV] Fawlty Towers reboot.

[Lyndhurst 14]

Another show I really loved, Frasier, was threatening to make a come back, although I think thankfully they have now thought better of it.

There's a reason you don't mess about with something that was very successful - you are extremely unlikely to ever re-create that magic that made it so good.

Frasier was a spin off of Cheers, but they made the decision to set the show in Seattle rather than Boston and to not use any of the other characters from Cheers - and it worked.

In some ways this seems a bit like Frasier, a spin off rather than a reboot so it may work on that level. I'll probably give it a watch when it appears on TV

 

[keaton]

Another show I really loved, Frasier, was threatening to make a come back, although I think thankfully they have now thought better of it.

There's a reason you don't mess about with something that was very successful - you are extremely unlikely to ever re-create that magic that made it so good.

Frasier was a spin off of Cheers, but they made the decision to set the show in Seattle rather than Boston and to not use any of the other characters from Cheers - and it worked.

In some ways this seems a bit like Frasier, a spin off rather than a reboot so it may work on that level. I'll probably give it a watch when it appears on TV

I think Frasier is still going ahead, and with your namesake in the cast

 

[SAC]

Another show I really loved, Frasier, was threatening to make a come back, although I think thankfully they have now thought better of it.

There's a reason you don't mess about with something that was very successful - you are extremely unlikely to ever re-create that magic that made it so good.

Frasier was a spin off of Cheers, but they made the decision to set the show in Seattle rather than Boston and to not use any of the other characters from Cheers - and it worked.

In some ways this seems a bit like Frasier, a spin off rather than a reboot so it may work on that level. I'll probably give it a watch when it appears on TV

Still being made and has Dave from Only Fools and Horses in it

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

I hope the Major is in it

 

[Stato]

Go Set A Watchman

 

[Live by the sea]

Well great, but this sort of situation doesn't feel like a fertile ground for great comedy to me. More like a thinly disguised, culture war style rant.

It’s a comedy show not a culture war !!!!

 

[Live by the sea]

This is one of the issues , we do have different cultures in this country and there are lots of stereotypical differences between the cultures , playing on this often makes for good comedy .

As long as everyone is included in the comedy , what’s the problem .

Comedy writers know where to draw the line, ie what is funny and what is racist .

Assuming certain cultures maybe lazy, good with money or have no humour or have big genetalia or use insense ( spelt wrong ) in their corner shops is all part of the stereotype.

 

[herecomesaregular]

This is one of the issues , we do have different cultures in this country and there are lots of stereotypical differences between the cultures , playing on this often makes for good comedy .

As long as everyone is included in the comedy , what’s the problem .

Comedy writers know where to draw the line, ie what is funny and what is racist .

Assuming certain cultures maybe lazy, good with money or have no humour or have big genetalia or use insense ( spelt wrong ) in their corner shops is all part of the stereotype.

If you thought Little Britain was funny then that's enough for me.

 

[Live by the sea]

The funniest comedians are the ones that aren’t afraid to highlight culture differences in an amusing and clever way without resorting to being nasty . Joan rivers was very good at this .

 

[WATFORD zero]

Why the bold?

There are many folk scared to say or do anything for fear of being castigated.

Sadly I am unable to provide you with names and addresses.

That's dreadful. At least those folk are lucky they don't move in anti-woke, anti-cancel culture circles, or they would be getting called snowflakes and being told that they need to man up. Imagine being so scared and fearful to say or do anything

 

[Is it PotG?]

That's dreadful. At least those folk are lucky they don't move in anti-woke, anti-cancel culture circles, or they would be getting called snowflakes and being told that they need to man up. Imagine being so scared and fearful to say or do anything

I think those in fear of being castigated live under the spell of bullies, and I suggest that intimidates many into feeling that their views may cause issues.

 

[Stato]

Like trans issues and all the grief JK Rowling has received . None of it necessary or needed . I personally don’t know anyone that doesn’t agree with Rowling on the trans issue .

Unless you know hardly anybody under 30, I suspect that this isn't true.

One of the funniest comedy’s in the last 10-20 years is Come fly with me & little Britain . Very funny because it parodied the differences between different cultures . It wasn’t nasty or attempting to stir up hatred against any particular culture it just played on the stereotypes . That’s why it was so funny because the stereotypes were recognised by the viewers .

Loved 'Rock Profiles' and the early 'Little Britain' stuff, but by the second TV series it was just catch phrases being delivered in slightly different scenarios. It ended up relying more and more heavily on shock tactics and outrageous costumes and lost the intriguing weirdness of things like the scottish hotelier and the pirate memory game customer. 'Come Fly With Me' was more of the same uninspired funny voices doing lazy catch phrases.

I've nothing against comedy pushing boundaries. Little Britain didn't push boundaries. It became an unedifying Andrew Dice Clay like affair where it's original intent and subtlety had been swamped by a mass audience shouting 'SAY THE THING YOU SAY! Ha Ha Ha - He said the thing he says!' Contrary to what you claim, it was nasty in places and certainly punched down. The Ting Tong sketches in particular were horrible.

On the main issue: John Cleese hasn't written any comedy of note this millenium. 1997's 'Fierce Creatures' was pretty ropey. His last decent project, 'A Fish Called Wanda' was 35 years ago! Connie Booth won't be co-writing or acting. The actors that played Manuel, Terry, The Major, Miss Tibbs & Miss Gatsby are all dead and Prunella Scales has sadly retired due to Alzheimer's. That just leaves Basil.

So, it won't be Fawlty Towers. It will be a Basil Fawlty spin off. I might have been interested in that had John Cleese decided to do it back in the eighties. Now? Co-written by his decidedly average stand-up daughter? After so many years of saying that any return would be anti-climax? No thanks - it just seems like the exploitation for commercial gain of a universally loved artistic pinnacle. As I posted earlier: 'Go Set A Watchman'.

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

Sounds like a right snowflake to me, needs to man up.

 

[AlbionBro]

When was the last comedy you enjoyed made? I find comments like these really odd because I still find plenty of good comedy to enjoy.

Although I will admit that the whole, taking the piss out of minorities and stereotypes thing never really did it for me.

I don't find much modern comedy funny, I was wondering what comedy do you find funny now?

 

[Eeyore]

I hope the Major is in it

Having been dead over 30 years that would be some coup.

I think it would work. if the script was adapted to one that portrayed Basil as the eternal fool in a society that moved on. Cleese is definitely the sort of person who could carry this off.

 

[jcdenton08]

Quite a lot of the old Fawlty Towers isn't funny any more, because it isn't funny any more. Times change.

Anyway Cleese is now just a fat old gammon who wants to use FT as a vehicle for his whiney old man bollocks.

Fawlty Towers is still absolutely hilarious. Brilliant comedy writing, performances and timeless.

Edit: I appreciate you’re doing a comedy “bit” and don’t really believe what you’re saying - hence the use of “gammon” and an insult to the man’s weight and age. My issue is if ironic dislike becomes the norm, there is no scope for ambition.

There’s enough dishonesty on social media as it is.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Not sure where Cheese will find inspiration for such a character these days.

Given the crap he talks these days I dread to think.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

 

[MattBackHome]

It's obviously going to be utter shite innit. Cleese hasn't done anything remotely funny since Graham Chapmans funeral.

 

[jcdenton08]

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