Fawlty Towers will return to screens more than four decades after the original 12 episodes, with John Cleese returning once again to write the iconic sitcom.
The storyline for the long-awaited reboot is being kept under wraps but it will of course see the return of inept hotel manager Basil Fawlty, played by John, 83.
Fawlty Towers originally garnered a slew of fans when it first hit the big screen in 1975, following the ill-fated exploits of strained Torquay hotelier Basil.
In the original two 12-episode series that ran through 1979, Basil was constantly verbally abused by his wife Sybil, played by Prunella Scales, as they tried to keep their hotel and their marriage afloat.
Basil also had a series of comedic clashes with her bumbling Spanish waiter, Manuel, played by Andrew Sachs. Andrew died in 2016 at the age of 86 after a secret four-year battle with dementia.
He is back again! Fawlty Towers will return to screens more than four decades after the original 12 episodes, with John Cleese returning once again to write the iconic sitcom
Despite the popularity of the original sitcom, three Fawlty Towers remakes in the US have all failed and John was hoping for more success with his new revival, which he will be working on with his daughter Camilla.
As long-time fans of the iconic British sitcom eagerly await the return of Fawlty Towers…everything you need to know about the highly-anticipated reboot.
Monty Python actor John will pen brand new episodes of the former BBC show with his comedian daughter Camilla Cleese, 39.
As well as returning to writing the series, John will also reprise his role as inept hotelier Basil, known for his rude and bossy demeanor when dealing with eccentric guests in absurd situations.
The new series, developed by actor Rob Reiner’s Castle Rock Entertainment, will explore how the cynical and misanthropic snob Basil fares in the modern world, it was announced on Tuesday.
While much of the storyline remains shrouded in mystery, it has been confirmed that the story will follow hotel manager Basil’s relationship with his daughter, whom he only recently discovered is the father.
The show will follow Basil and his daughter, and the hotelier decides to get back into the hospitality industry and open a boutique hotel.
Though the storyline is being kept under wraps, it’s likely that viewers can expect Basil to get angry with the general public again when they visit his new store, and no doubt things will ultimately end in disaster.
Reboot: The storyline for the long-awaited reboot is being kept under wraps but it will of course see the return of inept hotel manager Basil Fawlty, played by John, 83
Filmmaker Rob Reiner, his wife and actress Michele Reiner, director and producer Matthew George and Derrick Rossi will serve as executive producers on the series.
Speaking of the reboot, John said he’s looking forward to working with Camilla to expand her new ideas into a series.
He said, “What I like about Matt is that unlike a lot of producers, he really ‘gets’ the creative process.
“When we first met he offered an excellent initial idea and then Matt, my daughter Camilla and I had one of the best creative sessions I can remember.
“Up until dessert, we had such a good overall concept that Rob and Michele Reiner approved it a few days later.
Family affair: Monty Python actor John is set to pen brand new episodes of the former BBC program with his comedian daughter Camilla, 39 (pictured August 2018)
“Camilla and I are really excited to make this a series.”
Producer Matthew said meeting John and Camilla was one of the “big thrills” of his life, adding, “I’m obsessed with Fawlty Towers and the iconic characters he created.
“I’ve watched the first two seasons so many times I’ve lost count. I dreamed of one day being part of a sequel to the story. Now it has come true.”
While Rob Reiner said: “John Cleese is a comedy legend. Just the thought of working with him makes me laugh.”
It’s not the first time a remake of Fawlty Towers has been attempted, as three previous US versions have all been made – but ultimately failed.
Original: Fawlty Towers originally garnered a slew of fans when it first hit the big screen in 1975, following the ill-fated exploits of strained Torquay hotelier Basil
In 1979 it was revived as Chateau Snavely, followed by Amanda’s in 1983 and Payne in 1999.
After the American remakes failed, John insisted the cast would never attempt another reboot because they were “too old and tired”.
However, now John has changed his mind and decided to start writing new episodes with his daughter Camilla.
His about-face decision is likely to be pragmatic, having spoken frequently about the need to replenish his savings after splitting from his third wife, psychotherapist Alyce Faye Eichelberger, in 2008 after 15 years together.
The divorce cost John, who is reportedly worth £8million, a staggering £12million after paying alimony of £650,000 a year.
Familiar face: John will reprise the role of the incompetent hotelier Basil, who is known for his rude and bossy demeanor when dealing with eccentric guests in absurd situations
He made his final payment to Eichelberger in 2015 but is still suffering from a financial hangover, he revealed last year.
“There are so many books I want to read, but the divorce got me absolutely clean because I never had the money that people who worked in American television had,” he told LBC’s Full Disclosure podcast.
“It cleared me out, so I’m still working and I’m almost 83. And I’m still working and I don’t really have any savings.”
The comedian described himself as “comfortably wealthy” before divorcing Eichelberger, but previously said he thinks she’s wealthier than him now.
“I was fine before I divorced Alyce Faye Eichelberger. I never knew how much I really had – I just felt comfortable,” he told German magazine Spiegel in 2016.
Unsuccessful: It’s not the first time a remake of Fawlty Towers has been attempted, as three previous US versions were all made – but ultimately failed
“But now I’ve been working for seven years to pay off the alimony. She’s a lot better off than me. So you could sit around and be bitter about it. Or you can just think it’s completely ridiculous.’
John toured the UK, Europe, Australia and South Africa with his Alimony Tour in 2011 to raise money for his settlement with Eichelberger.
He also admitted that the divorce bill was one of the main motivations for him to rejoin the Pythons for a series of live shows.
In 2021 he starred in the film Clifford the Big Red Dog with Mr. Bridwell.
His other work includes a 2010 ad campaign with AA, in which he played a man who believed the company couldn’t help him after a series of disasters, including water coming through the ceiling.
Earnings: John’s decision to bring Fawlty Towers back may have been influenced by his split from his third wife Alyce Faye Eichelberger in 2008 as he has spoken of needing to top up his funds
Romances: The star was married to fellow Fawlty Towers star Connie Booth (left) from 1968 to 1978 and to American actress Barbara Trentham (right) from 1981 to 1990
“The AA? For faulty showers?’ he said.
In 2013, John starred in the Israeli crime comedy Hunting Elephant and in the same year appeared as himself in filmmaker Gracie Otto’s 2013 documentary The Last Impresario.
He joined Eric Idle for a tour of North America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand in 2015 and 2016.
He has also written a number of plays including Big Bang! – an adaptation of Georges Feydeau’s French play Monsieu Chasse!.
This year John will star in Roman Polanski’s film The Palace and he has recently signed on to co-host a news program on GB News with journalist Andrew Doyle.
Love: The star remarried Jennifer Wade in 2012, with whom he is pictured during an event at Tiffany & Co in London in 2013
He’ll likely use the show to launch further attacks on the “awakened” culture he blames for stifling creativity.
The star remarried Jennifer Wade in exotic Mustique in 2012, and although she’s 28 years his junior, he still worries about losing touch with what’s relevant as he ages.
He said: “One of the things about getting older is that you lose touch with the contemporary scene. I find it quite amusing that I still manage to make a living even though I have no idea why anyone uses Facebook.”
John was married twice prior to his union with Eichelberger. He was married to Fawlty Towers co-star Connie Booth from 1968 to 1978 and to American actress Barbara Trentham from 1981 to 1990.
Cleese’s recent comments suggest he’s still thinking about money, with the star joking with photographers last year about the cost of a meal he had to celebrate a friend’s 80th birthday.
“The food was good but it’s very expensive,” he said as he got into a cab outside the trendy private members’ bar Oswald’s on London’s Albemarle Street in August.
John will now take another career step as he returns to the success of Fawlty Towers, and another popular character on the original show was Spanish waiter Manuel, played by Andrew Sachs.
Andrew sadly passed away in 2016 at the age of 86 after a secret four-year battle with dementia that left him wheelchair-bound and unable to speak.
He died in a nursing home with his wife Melody, who cared tirelessly for him and said at the time: “For a long time, my heart has been broken every day.”
She said the couple was happy to the end, adding: “I never heard him grumble.”
Tragic: Andrew Sachs, who played Manuel, sadly died in 2016 at the age of 86 after a secret four-year battle with dementia that left him wheelchair-bound and unable to speak
Melody shared how her husband was diagnosed with vascular dementia in 2012. It is the second most common form of the disease after Alzheimer’s.
She said: “It wasn’t all doom and gloom, he worked two more years.
“We were happy, we always laughed, we never had a dull moment. He had dementia for four years and we didn’t really notice it at first until the memory started to fade.
“It didn’t really get that bad until the end. I took care of Andrew, I was there every moment.’
The actor died on November 23, 2016 and his family and close friends gathered for his funeral and burial in north London on November 30 of the same year.
Elsewhere, Sybil Fawlty actress Prunella Scales was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2014, but last November her husband Timothy West insisted she was “still enjoying life” after celebrating her 90th birthday in June.
Stars: Sybil Fawlty actress Prunella Scales (left) was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2014 (Also pictured: John Cleese as Basil, Connie Booth as Polly and Andrew as Manuel)
Former Coronation Street star Timothy, 88, told the Mirror: “She’s enjoying life, which is really important. She likes to do things.
“We just went on a little boat trip around the Greek islands – just enjoying ourselves without cameras.
“We had a party this year – quite a big party. About 150 people came!’
Her son Samuel, 56, previously said of her health: “She still recognizes us and she knows I have two kids so that’s really good.”
Samuel added to the Mirror that she is “in good spirits” despite her deteriorating hearing, which makes conversation difficult.
He continued, “You can never really tell with dementia what kind of personality a person will leave behind, but on the whole she’s quite cheerful. Right now I’m interviewing them both about their lives because I want to write a book.”
Pros: Last November, her husband Timothy West insisted Prunella (pictured June 2017) was “still enjoying life” after celebrating her 90th birthday in June