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Monty Python legend/old man yelling out cloud John Cleese recently appeared on BBC One’s Morning Live to promote the stage revival of Fawlty Towers that’s currently playing in London. Cleese doesn’t act in the play, but he scripted the adaptation, hence why it’s billed as “John Cleese’s Fawlty Towers” (an unforgivable act of Connie Booth erasure).

Cleese also took the opportunity to discuss the production of the original series, specifically how it was as stressful and chaotic as Basil Fawlty’s hotel. “There wasn’t time to hang around — we had two hours to record that show,” Cleese recalled. “We started at 8 and finished at 10, and if it wasn’t in the can, there wasn’t an ending to the show.”

Cleese also claimed that the hurried schedule frequently led him to worry that episodes wouldn’t be completed: “Whenever there was a break,...

The first preview for the West End adaptation of “Fawlty Towers — The Play,” based on the legendary British comedy series created by and starring John Cleese and Connie Booth, hits the boards later this week. The show is an amalgamation of three of the 12 episodes of the zany resort-set series, one of which is the most famous: “The Germans.”

Most remember that episode for the catchphrase “don’t mention the war,” the talking moose, and Cleese goosestepping around his humble Torquay hotel lobby. But it also included its share of envelope-pushing material. Indeed, the character The Major – an old senile drunk played by Ballard Berkeley – tells a rambling story about his time in India in which someone got their racial slurs confused. The scene includes the use of the N-word, as well as a derogatory term for Indians.

In 2020, UKTV removed it, but later reinstated it after Cleese called the move “stupid.

The Fawlty Towers revival continues apace.

Not content with rebooting the TV series with Rob Reiner, John Cleese has now penned a stage adaptation of three episodes of the 40-year-old BBC series, which is widely considered one of the best British shows of all time.

Fawlty Towers: The Play is based on three episodes: “The Hotel Inspectors,” “The Germans” and “Communication Problems,” and will merge the three into one. One of the episodes, “The Germans,” has caused a stir in recent years as a character repeatedly uses the N-word in reference to members of the West Indies cricket team. It was briefly taken down from UKTV’s streaming service four years ago before being reinstated.

Cleese said he has “assembled a top-class group of comedy actors” and written “one huge finale” to the play.

It was originally staged in Australia but is now coming to London’s West End Apollo Theatre,...

John Cleese has urged the “mainstream press” to “check out” the allegations of innappropriate behavior against Dan Wootton, his future Gb News colleague.

In a tweet yesterday, the Fawlty Towers creator said the media’s failure to investigate the story will be “final proof of their complete corruption.” Cleese will soon start hosting a Gb News show, which he has previously joked will be for the “much neglected demographic” of viewers “who are completely out of touch.”

“If they [the mainstream press] give this the ‘Boris’s phone’ treatment, it is final proof of their complete corruption,” added Cleese on Twitter, as he retweeted an account promoting the investigation into Wootton.

In an article in The Byline Times earlier this week, Wootton, who hosts Gb News’ Dan Wootton Tonight and writes a column for the MailOnline, was accused of posing as a fictitious showbiz agent called Martin Branning and offering thousands of pounds...

John Cleese couldn’t help but view the recent coronation of British monarch King Charles III as a satire worthy of one of his classic Monty Python sketches.

In an interview with Gb News, the legendary British comedian — who also famously dressed down a certain British noble named King Arthur in 1975’s Monty Python and the Holy Grail — admitted he “lost it” after starting to watch the historic televised event with his wife. “I couldn’t stop laughing,” he shared, barely able to contain himself through his harsh-yet-candid recollection. “All these people in these silly costumes, all taking things so seriously. I thought it was a [Monty] Python sketch.”

Cleese further clarified that he “wasn’t laughing at the people because they were playing their parts really well” but had one note for the “marvelous” Archbishop of Canterbury, who had to make several adjustments while bestowing the crown on the new monarch’s head.

BBC Comedy Director Jon Petrie has said his team would be “happy to talk” with John Cleese about the upcoming Fawlty Towers revival, as he unveiled the next generation of “very British” shows.

Cleese has already said that the surprise revival, which he is making with daughter Camilla Cleese and Rob Reiner’s Castle Rock Entertainment, will not appear on the BBC because the UK broadcaster would not give him sufficient editorial freedom.

But addressing a BBC Comedy Showcase Tuesday, Petrie described BBC original Fawlty Towers as a “legendary show” and said he would be open to discussions.

“We found out about [the Fawlty Towers revival] when everyone else did,” he added. “I don’t know if it would work for us and we’ve not spoken to John Cleese but it’s obviously a legendary show and we would be happy to talk to John if he wanted to talk about it.

Jason Clarke, Scott Eastwood and Chaske Spencer will star in the sequel to “Wind River.” Entitled “Wind River: The Next Chapter,” the film will be directed by Emmy nominee and BAFTA award winner Kari Skogland. Patrick Massett and John Zinman have penned the screenplay. As previously announced, Martin Sensmeier will star and reprise his role as Chip Hanson. The original film also starred Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen, neither of whom has been attached.

According to the official description, the sequel involves the investigation into a series of ritualistic murders on the Wind River reservation. To solve the case, the FBI enlists Chip Hanson, a newly minted tracker for the U.S. Fish & Game, who becomes embroiled in a desperate and dangerous fight between the authorities, a vigilante, and the reservation. Production is currently underway in Calgary.

Castle Rock Entertainment, which relaunched its film division in October 2021 with a $175 million film fund,...

Jason Clarke (Winning Time), Scott Eastwood (The Outpost) and Chaske Spencer (The English) have signed on to star alongside Martin Sensmeier in Wind River: The Next Chapter — Castle Rock Entertainment’s sequel to the acclaimed 2017 crime drama Wind River, which is currently in production in Calgary.

Related Story John Boyega To Star In Sci-Fi ‘The Freshening’ For ‘Birds Of Prey’ Director Cathy Yan; FilmNation, Ali Wong & Adam McKay Producing Related Story Jason Clarke To Lead New Apple TV+ Drama Series 'The Last Frontier' Related Story 'Fawlty Towers' Reboot In The Works With John Cleese, Camilla Cleese & Rob Reiner's Castle Rock Entertainment

The original film written and directed by Oscar-nominated Yellowstone Universe architect Taylor Sheridan watched as the veteran hunter Corey Lambert (Jeremy Renner) helped rookie FBI agent Jane Banner (Elizabeth Olsen) to investigate the murder of a young woman on the Wyoming Native American reservation of Wind River.

Kari Skogland directs from a screenplay by Patrick Massett and John Zinman.

Production is underway in Calgary, Canada, on Wind River: The Next Chapter, Castle Rock’s sequel to the 2017 crime drama which has added Jason Clarke, Scott Eastwood and Chaske Spencer to the cast.

The story returns to the Wyoming reservation where a new tracker for the US government becomes embroiled in a fight between the authorities, a vigilante and the reservation against the backdrop of a series of unsolved murders.

Kari Skogland directs from a screenplay by Patrick Massett and John Zinman. Martin Sensmeier stars and reprises his...

Classic sitcom Fawlty Towers is set to be rebooted by John Cleese and his daughter, Camilla Cleese.

The Monty Python’s Flying Circus actor, who starred in the original series as irascible hotel owner Basil Fawlty, is making the new series in collaboration with Spinal Tap filmmaker Rob Reiner.

Both Cleese and his daughter will write and star in the revival, which is currently in development.

According to Deadline, the series will “explore how Cleese’s over-the-top, cynical and misanthropic Basil Fawlty navigates the modern world”.

“John Cleese is a comedy legend. Just the idea of working with him makes me laugh,” Reiner said.

As well as Reiner, Michele Reiner, Derrick Rossi, and Matthew George will all serve as executive producers.

Speaking to the outlet, John Cleese praised George’s “understanding of the ‘creative process’” and claimed that their initial meeting had yielded “one of the best creative sessions I...

Paul Whitehouse was asked if he had any advice for John Cleese following the news that the Monty Python star was reviving his hit Seventies sitcom, Fawlty Towers.

Earlier this month, Cleese announced that he and his daughter Camilla Cleese would be writing and starring in the reboot.

Fellow veteran comedic actor Whitehouse was asked about the revival by Andrew Marr on his eponymous Lbc talk show on Tuesday (21 February).

“You think I'm going to give Cleese advice? Don’t do it, John! Get someone younger in!” Whitehouse joked.

Marr then asked the Harry and Paul star about the state of comedy and the acceptability of jokes made years ago.

“Things you could say last year, you have to reevaluate now and you have to tread very carefully,” the 64-year-old replied.

“There’s a zeal about it – of addressing, perhaps, issues that have gone unaddressed in the past,” Whitehouse said,...

Paul Whitehouse was asked if he had any advice for John Cleese following the news that the Monty Python star was reviving his hit Seventies sitcom, Fawlty Towers.

Earlier this month, Cleese announced that he and his daughter Camilla Cleese would be writing and starring in the reboot.

Fellow veteran comedic actor Whitehouse was asked about the revival by Andrew Marr on his eponymous Lbc talk show on Tuesday (21 February).

“You think I'm going to give Cleese advice? Don’t do it, John! Get someone younger in!” Whitehouse joked.

Marr then asked the Harry and Paul star about the state of comedy and the acceptability of jokes made years ago.

“Things you could say last year, you have to reevaluate now and you have to tread very carefully,” the 64-year-old replied.

“There’s a zeal about it – of addressing, perhaps, issues that have gone unaddressed in the past,” Whitehouse said,...

John Cleese has issued an “apology” for rebootingFawlty Towers with his daughter, Camilla Cleese.

It was recently announced that the Monty Python’s Flying Circus actor – who starred in the original series as hotel owner Basil Fawlty – is making the reboot in collaboration with Spinal Tap filmmaker Rob Reiner.

Cleese, 83, and Camilla, 39, will write and star in the revival, which is currently in development.

The actor told fans that the forthcoming series – which follows Basil discovering he has a secret daughter and struggling to navigate the modern world – won’t be an “anti-woke nightmare”. He also ruled out BBC hosting the series.

News of the reboot divided fans of the original series, with many critics urging that Fawlty Towers should be left alone.

Cleese responded to the criticism with a sarcastic apology posted to Twitter on Monday (20 February).

“I must apologise,” he wrote. “I had no idea that the idea...

John Cleese has issued an “apology” for rebootingFawlty Towers with his daughter, Camilla Cleese.

It was recently announced that the Monty Python’s Flying Circus actor – who starred in the original series as hotel owner Basil Fawlty – is making the reboot in collaboration with Spinal Tap filmmaker Rob Reiner.

Cleese, 83, and Camilla, 39, will write and star in the revival, which is currently in development.

The actor told fans that the forthcoming series – which follows Basil discovering he has a secret daughter and struggling to navigate the modern world – won’t be an “anti-woke nightmare”. He also ruled out BBC hosting the series.

News of the reboot divided fans of the original series, with many critics urging that Fawlty Towers should be left alone.

Cleese responded to the criticism with a sarcastic apology posted to Twitter on Monday (20 February).

“I must apologise,” he wrote. “I had no idea that the idea...

Fawlty Towers co-creator and actor, Connie Booth has said she didn’t know the show was getting a reboot.

The former actor – who played Polly in the show – claims she found out about the news the same way as anyone else, by reading it “in the papers”.

Last week, John Cleese announced he would be rebooting the classic sitcom with his daughter, Camilla Cleese.

The Monty Python’s Flying Circus actor, who starred in the original series as hotel owner Basil Fawlty, is currently working on the new series in collaboration with Spinal Tap filmmaker Rob Reiner.

Both Cleese and his daughter will write and star in the revival, which is currently in development.

The original series starred Connie Booth – Cleese’s then-wife who co-created the series – along with Prunella Scales as Basil’s wife Sybil and the late Andrew Sachs as hotel employee Manuel.

The new series will not...

Yes, it’s finally happened. Fawlty Towers is getting a reboot.

For decades, the very idea seemed unthinkable. Running for 12 episodes (two series of six episodes apiece) in 1975 and 1979, John Cleese and Connie Booth’s Torquay-set comedy was a paragon of restraint. From the writing through to the performances, it was bottled lightning. Each episode was a classic. And then, after 1979, it was gone. No more. Decades later, the series would still be widely celebrated for this “quit while you’re ahead” philosophy. Ricky Gervais, for instance, has often compared the decision to endThe Office after two series to the precedent set by Cleese. To some extent, Fawlty Towers came to embody the UK’s entire attitude towards TV, establishing one of its golden rules: less is more.

And yet, on Tuesday, it was announced that Cleese would be returning to the character of Basil Fawlty, in a new series created alongside his daughter,...

John Cleese has said his surprise revival of Fawlty Towers won’t be returning to its original home on the BBC because the UK broadcaster would not give him sufficient editorial freedom.

The 83-year-old British comedy icon said the revived series, which is in the works at Rob Reiner’s Castle Rock Entertainment, would find a new home as he writes scripts with his daughter Camilla Cleese.

Related Story ‘Fawlty Towers’ Reboot In The Works With John Cleese, Camilla Cleese & Rob Reiner’s Castle Rock Entertainment Related Story Volodymyr Zelensky Surprises BBC Ukraine Journalist With Hug During Historic UK Visit Related Story Former Ymu Business Exec Joins Rebranded Digital Content Indie Cowshed Collective

Asked if he wanted to work with the BBC, he said: “No, because you wouldn’t get the freedom.”

He told Gb News, the right-leaning British news channel, that the series will take the central character of...

John Cleese is rebooting his classic BBC sitcom Fawlty Towers, it was announced this week.

The British actor and writer, who starred in the original series as hotel owner Basil Fawlty, is collaborating on the new show with Spinal Tap filmmaker Rob Reiner.

He will write and star in the revival, which is currently in development, along with his daughter, Camilla Cleese.

The Fawlty Towers reboot will reportedly explore “how Cleese’s over-the-top, cynical and misanthropic Basil Fawlty navigates the modern world”.

Cleese claimed that an initial meeting about the series had yielded “one of the best creative sessions I can remember”.

So what happened to the main four castmembers of Fawlty Towers?

John Cleese

After Fawlty Towers finished, Cleese, who played bedraggled hotelier Basil Fawlty, went on to enjoy a successful film career.

Highlights include 1981’s Time Bandits, directed by fellow Monty Python star Terry Gilliam, and the screwball...

Basil Fawlty is coming back, folks! Quite resoundingly disproving the commonly made claim that it “couldn’t be made in this day and age”, the legendary British comedy series Fawlty Towers is gearing up for a contemporary reboot that’s set to chronicle the continuing misadventures of everybody’s favourite miserly misanthrope.

Despite only running for two series and 12 episodes, Fawlty Towers has endured for over 40 years as the quintessential British sit-com. Now, John Cleese’s Castle Rock Entertainment. Cleese, whose daughter Camilla Cleese will be starring alongside him as Basil’s long-lost daughter in the revival, will also be on writing duties for the show.

Although plot details are largely being kept under wraps for Fawlty’s return, we do know that the show will explore how Basil functions in the rapidly-changing modern world as he sets about opening and running a new boutique hotel with his estranged child.

A new duo is moving into Fawlty Towers.

Original series creator and star John Cleese and his daughter Camilla Cleese are developing a revival of the classic British comedy, which they will write and star in, our sister site Variety reports.

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Fawlty Towers, which aired two six-episode seasons on the BBC in the 1970s, featured John Cleese as Basil Fawlty, the owner of the show’s titular hotel,...

Pack your bags, friends, because we’re traveling to the seaside town of Torquay on the English Riviera for a Fawlty Towers reboot! The British television sitcom is returning with John Cleese as Basil Fawlty, and he’s bringing friends and family along for the ride. In addition to reprising his iconic role as the cynical proprietor of the hotel Fawlty Towers, Cleese is writing and starring in the series alongside his daughter Camilla Cleese.

The Fawlty Towers reboot hails from Rob Reiner’s Castle Rock Entertainment and focuses on Basil Fawlty as he navigates the modern world. Further plot details remain a mystery. However, we know the show explores Basil’s relationship with his estranged daughter as the pair attempt to buck fate and run a boutique hotel as a team. Reiner, Michele Reiner, Derrick Rossi, and Matthew George executive produce.

Cleese spoke about George’s “understanding of the...

John Cleese and Rob Reiner are teaming up for one very special revival of the 1970s classic comedy Fawlty Towers. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Cleese will write and star in the show alongside his real-life daughter Camilla Cleese with Matthew George, Rob Reiner, Michele Reiner, and Derrick Rossi attached as executive producers for Castle Rock Television, which is developing the project. (Credit: ©BBC / Courtesy: Everett Collection) The British comedy ran from 1975 to 1979 and featured Cleese in the role of hotel owner Basil Fawlty, a man whose incompetence, short fuse, and arrogance help breed the kind of chaos that guarantees accidents and trouble. In this updated version, Cleese’s Basil will navigate a more modern world. Specific plot details are being kept mum for now, but according to THR the show will explore the relationship between Basil and a daughter that he only just discovered he had. Together, the pair...

One of the most acclaimed comedy series of all time is returning to TV more than four decades later. “Fawlty Towers,” the beloved British sitcom starring John Cleese, is getting a revival, with the “Monty Python” star set to return.

The show is being developed at Castle Rock Entertainment, with Matthew George, Rob Reiner, Michele Reiner, and Derrick Rossi executive producing for the studio. Cleese will write and star in the revival with his daughter, Camilla Cleese.

“What I like about Matt is that, unlike many producers, he really ‘gets’ the creative process,” Cleese said in a statement announcing the project. “When we first met, he offered an excellent first idea, and then Matt, my daughter Camilla, and I had one of the best creative sessions I can remember. By dessert we had an overall concept so good that, a few days later, it won the approval of Rob and Michele Reiner.

“Basil!”

John Cleese is set to revive his classic 1970s comedy Fawlty Towers.

In a shock move that will likely divide fans of the original, Cleese will write and star in the show alongside his daughter Camilla Cleese. Matthew George (Wind River, A Private War), Rob Reiner, Michele Reiner and Derrick Rossi are executive producing the series for Castle Rock Television, which is developing the project.

The new Fawlty Towers is set to explore how Cleese’s cynical, over-the-top and misanthropic Basil Fawlty navigates the modern world. With plot details largely under wraps, the series will explore the relationship between Basil and a daughter he has just discovered he had, as the two tempt fate and team up to run a boutique hotel.

“What I like about Matt is that, unlike many producers, he really ‘gets’ the creative process,” said Cleese, most recently known as a vocal campaigner against “cancel culture.

Classic British sitcom “Fawlty Towers” is being revived at Castle Rock Entertainment with original series writer and star John Cleese and his daughter Camilla Cleese set to write and star.

Matthew George, Rob Reiner, Michele Reiner and Derrick Rossi are executive producing the series for Castle Rock Television, which is developing the project.

“Fawlty Towers,” written by John Cleese and Connie Booth, originally ran in two seasons of six episodes each that were broadcast on the BBC in 1975 and 1979. The series followed the unfortunate exploits of Basil Fawlty (John Cleese) as he struggled to keep his hotel and marriage afloat. The series currently airs on BBC2 and is also available to stream on BritBox.

The show was ranked first by the British Film Institute in their 100 Greatest British Television Programs list in 2000, and in 2019, Radio Times named it the greatest ever British TV sitcom based on a panel of comedy experts.

Basil Fawlty is back. A reboot of John Cleese’s British comedy sensation Fawlty Towers is in the works and Rob Reiner’s Castle Rock Entertainment is developing.

More than 40 years after the second and final season drew to a close, Monty Python star Cleese is set to write and star alongside daughter Camilla Cleese, in news that will bring joy to a generation of British comedy fans.

The new series will explore how Cleese’s over-the-top, cynical and misanthropic Basil Fawlty navigates the modern world. Plot details are largely being kept under wraps but the development will bring the story forward to explore Basil’s relationship with a daughter he has just discovered he had, as the pair tempt fate and team up to run a boutique hotel.

The Cleeses have joined with Reiner’s Castle Rock on the development, with Reiner, Michele Reiner, Derrick Rossi and Matthew George exec producing.

Comedy legend and daughter will write, star in modern-day series.

John Cleese is returning as the misanthropic hotel owner Basil Fawlty from the classic 1970s British comedy series Fawlty Towers and has teamed up with Castle Rock Entertainment and his daughter Camilla Cleese to revive the show.

Cleese and his daughter will write and star in the series, which follows Fawlty as he navigates the contemporary world. Plot details remain largely under wraps although the producers did say the series will explore the relationship between Fawlty and the daughter he never knew he had as they attempt to run a boutique hotel.

In today’s TV News Roundup, Apple TV Plus released a teaser for “Foundation,” and Starz released a trailer for “P-Valley.”

Dates

Netflix has announced that the first half of the fifth and final season of “Lucifer” will premiere on the streamer on Aug. 21. The series picks up with the former Lord of Hell continuing to help the LAPD under higher stakes than ever. Tom Kapinos, Ildy Modrovich, Len Wiseman, Jonathan Littman, Jerry Bruckheimer and Joe Henderson serve as executive producers.

Showtime has announced that Season 5 of “The Circus” will premiere on Aug. 16 at 8 p.m. Co-hosts John Heilemann, Alex Wagner and Mark McKinnon will take viewers into the Trump and Biden campaigns as the election season unfolds over the fall. The series is produced by Left/Right. Heilemann, McKinnon, Wagner, Banks Tarver, Ken Druckerman, Ted Bourne, Tom Johnson and Siobhan Walshe serve as executive producers. Watch a new trailer for the season below.