Fawlty Towers

[Dayvo]

Yes exactly. (But @cougie uk There was a brief flurry of controvery over Nicholas Lyndhurst being in it, which seems odd given his star role in perhaps the UK's most succesful sitcom ever.)

Remember him in The Prince and The Pauper as a kid, then lastly in New Tricks.
He’ll ALWAYS be known as Dave, aka Rodney.

 

[Dogtrousers]

I'm probably in a small minority but I never liked it.

Edit: Having read the whole thread it would appear that at least it's a minority bigger than one.

 

[tom73]

Sadly John Cleese has turned into an angry old man shouting at passing cars. He spends his days on GB News etc moaning about woke and cancel culture to a tiny minority. I can only see this as his desperate attempt to moan to a larger audience under the guise of a hotel manger so he can be rude about people he doesn't like in real life.

He's just been signed up as a presenter to do just that full time.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

No was my vote.

Much like old girlfriends/boyfriends - best left in the past. Rose tints and all that...

It was brilliantly funny at the time albeit with some now very out-dated humour.

 

[Tail End Charlie]

No to a remake for me. The original was just so good. My son loved it whilst he was growing up, it appeals to all ages and has so many levels.

 

[MichaelW2]

Instead of doing a Dr Frankenstein on a long dead tv legend , why not refresh some of the old corpses that are long forgotten. On The Buses, Are You Being Served, Bottle Boys, Some Mothers do ave'em. Just bring them up to date, with single driver operations, online sales, deliveroo, neurodivergent diagnosis.

 

[Paulus]

Having loved the original series, I have the suspicion that the new venture will fail miserably.
It was of it's time, and should probably stay there.
Having listened to John Cleese recently, he sounds like a confused old codger banging on about things he doesn't want to understand.
Maybe he has a tax bill to pay.

 

[newfhouse]

View: https://twitter.com/politicoforyou/status/1623587213828141057?s=61&t=_Paksfdxu5TiEngAuSTIEA

 

[PeteXXX]

Rumoured to be set in the Caribbean...

 

[steveindenmark]

The original series was brilliant. Things are so PC now I do not think it would work and that would diminish the original.

"You started it".. No you did. You invaded Poland".

 

[Dogtrousers]

Instead of doing a Dr Frankenstein on a long dead tv legend , why not refresh some of the old corpses that are long forgotten. On The Buses, Are You Being Served, Bottle Boys, Some Mothers do ave'em. Just bring them up to date, with single driver operations, online sales, deliveroo, neurodivergent diagnosis.

Head off to this old thread to get some ideas on which corpse it would be best to exhume.
https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/cyclechat-investigates-dreadful-sitcoms.262597/

 

[MichaelW2]

Head off to this old thread to get some ideas on which corpse it would be best to exhume.
https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/cyclechat-investigates-dreadful-sitcoms.262597/

So is a good sitcom dependent in any way on the "sit", or is it all in the "com", the script, acting, directing.
Is there any "sit" that can never be good comedy?

 

[matticus]

Is there any "sit" that can never be good comedy?

SO: some people live in a house with Mrs Brown. Sounds great, right?

 

[cougie uk]

Fawlty Towers has long been shown as a great example of going out on top.

Just the 12 episodes (I think?) - no long descent into poor quality.

Bringing it back decades later - no good can come of it. It'll just take the shine off the original series.

 

[Electric_Andy]

Remembering it now, yes most of the comedy was centred around stereotyping others. I would think any new episodes would only appeal to DM readers and/or those who grew up in a time when xenophobia etc was fashionable. Also Cleese was a very physical comedy actor and I don't think he could pull it off now. So I've amended my view on whether I'd watch it or not; yes I would out of interest but would not get my hopes up