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Fawlty Towers
Comments
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            This series for me typifies the difference between British comedy and American "comedy".
Its comedy bordering on Tragedy, or perhaps Farce. Here Basil gives everything but no matter how hard he tries nothing ever works out right for him. Whenever he thinks things are working out they always end up blowing up on him. Everyone can identify with that. American comedies have a big strong protagonist who always rushes in to save the day and the joke is always on someone else.
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Have read some articles about Cleese, and I don’t think he is a very nice person - well up himself - not very good at choosing wives either !!Solidgone said:
I knew Andrew Sachs and he once told me that he did complain to Cleese about how much this part of the scene hurt him during rehearsals. Cleese just said you are getting paid good money. Kind of put me off Cleese as Andrew was an extremely pleasant gentleman.up_the_valley said:"Manuel... you are a waste of space" (knocks Manuel on the head with a spoon)Manuals waiter’s uniform has been donated to the V&A.
I met Eric Idle once - lovely man, very happy to chat about the shows / songs etc that he has done - it was at some charity dinner, and he came and sat on my table when one of the other people sat on my table asked for his autograph - sat chatting for about 20 mins, until the organisers came over and asked him to do some photos - I think he would have happily sat with us for ages5 - 
            
The clue is in the name....Lordflashheart said:
Have read some articles about Cleese, and I don’t think he is a very nice person - well up himself - not very good at choosing wives either !!Solidgone said:
I knew Andrew Sachs and he once told me that he did complain to Cleese about how much this part of the scene hurt him during rehearsals. Cleese just said you are getting paid good money. Kind of put me off Cleese as Andrew was an extremely pleasant gentleman.up_the_valley said:"Manuel... you are a waste of space" (knocks Manuel on the head with a spoon)Manuals waiter’s uniform has been donated to the V&A.
I met Eric Idle once - lovely man, very happy to chat about the shows / songs etc that he has done - it was at some charity dinner, and he came and sat on my table when one of the other people sat on my table asked for his autograph - sat chatting for about 20 mins, until the organisers came over and asked him to do some photos - I think he would have happily sat with us for ages9 - 
            Yes, now, is it possible for me to reserve the BBC2 channel for the duration of this televisual feast? Basil : Why don't you talk properly?
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            Lordflashheart said:No you hit him on the head - bad MoosieLoved that episode.'the moose head is up - it's down again'Major discovering the moose head on the desk while Manuel was practising his English under the desk. 'I speak Engleeesh, I learn it from a boook'.The doctor who tries to making Basil sleep while in the hospital by rolling his head and the minute the doc goes out he opens one eye.3
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A tea cosy for your pepper pot perhaps?cafcfan said:Yes, now, is it possible for me to reserve the BBC2 channel for the duration of this televisual feast? Basil : Why don't you talk properly?3 - 
            Remember the episode he the Major finds out that a psychiatrist is staying at the hotel
and he confronts Basil in horror, "yes and he's dressed up as a guest"
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He was John Cleese favourite character.Lordflashheart said:I took her to see India.....at the Oval - never saw her again
Loved the Major1 - 
            Nice lad, very highly strung
Yes, yes he should be!5 - 
            3
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            We only get salad cream in special occasions, gourmet nights, that sort of thing, but when our chef has a bottle he’s like Robert Curry; he can have the stuff out of the bottle and on your plate in a flash with none on the walls!6
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            Rosewood, Mahogany, Teak?
I beg your pardon?
What would you like your breakfast tray made out of?
I don't really mind
Are you sure? Fine! Well, you go and and have a really good night's sleep then, I'm hoping to get a couple hours later on myself but I'll be up in good time to serve you your breakfast in bed.4 - 
            Just taken me 5 minutes to make sure i've "liked" EVERY post...
Have i mentioned how much i like Fawlty Towers BTW?7 - 
            
If you could remember to sleep with your mouth open then you won’t even need to wake up, we can just drop in pieces of lightly buttered kipper when you’re breathing in the right directioncafcnick1992 said:Rosewood, Mahogany, Teak?
I beg your pardon?
What would you like your breakfast tray made out of?
I don't really mind
Are you sure? Fine! Well, you go and and have a really good night's sleep then, I'm hoping to get a couple hours later on myself but I'll be up in good time to serve you your breakfast in bed.3 - 
            "This: Basil.
This: Basil's wife.
This: smack on the head"2 - 
            "I've had enough! You've tried it on just once too often! Right! Well, don't say I haven't warned you! I've laid it on the line for you time and time again! Right! Well, this is it! I'm going to give you a damn good thrashing!"
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            Mr. Hamilton: Could you make me a Waldorf Salad?Basil: [puzzled] A wal....Mr. Hamilton: Waldorf salad.Basil: Uh, I think we're just out of Waldorfs.2
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About this Waldorf salad of yours...Been having a bit of a tete-a-tete with chef. We're all right on the apples, absolutely no problem with them at all. Now, on the celery front...Perhaps I should explain, we normally get our celery delivered on a Wednesday, along with our cabbages, onions, walnuts, grapes...But this week, the driver...He was putting... He slipped forward and the van door caught his arm and may have fractured it. We'll know tomorrow if they'll have to operate, and to cut a long story short, we don't have any, no.Alex Wright said:Mr. Hamilton: Could you make me a Waldorf Salad?Basil: [puzzled] A wal....Mr. Hamilton: Waldorf salad.Basil: Uh, I think we're just out of Waldorfs
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            Basil to Terry the chef..
" What is a Waldorf anyway,.. a walnut that's gone off"?
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            Am just thinking of what kind of world a person lives in if they didn’t find any of these liners funny?3
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I think it’s called the northSolidgone said:Am just thinking of what kind of world a person lives in if they didn’t find any of these liners funny?3 - 
            Yeah, but, 'Miranda'.0
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            "I know nooottthhhhiiiinnngggg !
I am from Barcelona"2 - 
            I have met people from the north who genuinely think Fawlty Towers is slapstick nonsense.
I also cannot understand how people cannot find the Simpsons (seasons 2-8) funny.1 - 
            
Fawlty Towers was co-written by an American.cantersaddick said:This series for me typifies the difference between British comedy and American "comedy".
Its comedy bordering on Tragedy, or perhaps Farce. Here Basil gives everything but no matter how hard he tries nothing ever works out right for him. Whenever he thinks things are working out they always end up blowing up on him. Everyone can identify with that. American comedies have a big strong protagonist who always rushes in to save the day and the joke is always on someone else.
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            I'm a doctor and I want my sausages!4
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Similarly, one of the best American comedies, Frasier, is more British in its humourChizz said:
Fawlty Towers was co-written by an American.cantersaddick said:This series for me typifies the difference between British comedy and American "comedy".
Its comedy bordering on Tragedy, or perhaps Farce. Here Basil gives everything but no matter how hard he tries nothing ever works out right for him. Whenever he thinks things are working out they always end up blowing up on him. Everyone can identify with that. American comedies have a big strong protagonist who always rushes in to save the day and the joke is always on someone else.
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Curb Your Enthusiasm is another that is closer to Fawlty Towers than it is to Friendsalan dugdale said:
Similarly, one of the best American comedies, Frasier, is more British in its humourChizz said:
Fawlty Towers was co-written by an American.cantersaddick said:This series for me typifies the difference between British comedy and American "comedy".
Its comedy bordering on Tragedy, or perhaps Farce. Here Basil gives everything but no matter how hard he tries nothing ever works out right for him. Whenever he thinks things are working out they always end up blowing up on him. Everyone can identify with that. American comedies have a big strong protagonist who always rushes in to save the day and the joke is always on someone else.
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            Anything else dear, would you like the hotel moved a bit to the left?5
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            Drive safe dear, don't run over any land mines.5
 














