One of the joys of hitting around 12 years of age was being able to understand television shows that grown-ups were watching. As a child of the Eighties, this means programmes like The Thorn Birds or V, but also re-runs like the incomparable Fawlty Towers.
This chaotic comedy about a frustrated, neurotic hotel owner/manager called Basil Fawlty worked on many levels. For younger viewers, there was the slapstick of the gangly boss and his endeavours to cope with eccentric guests and off-beat staff, not to mention his brilliantly sketched wife, Sybil (always on the phone – ‘Oh, I knooooooow’).
For the older viewers, there was a resonance with the vagaries of life in the workplace or with jaded relationships. It had all the qualities that we now see in Curb Your Enthusiasm and similar shows that cast a wry eye on the mundane day-to-day life for a manic worker trying to make a buck.
The show started in 1975, and they stopped making it after just 12 episodes, which makes it all the more remarkable. Such brevity would be unthinkable now, especially given how successful and funny the show is and was but they did things differently then. If it was a modern situation, we’d be on season six, and the joke would most likely be wearing a little thin by now.
For whatever reason, Fawlty Towers has endured over the decades and while some of the gags or storylines might be a little off-colour for a modern audience, most of the material remains as funny and clever now as it did in 1975.
Arguably, the main reason for this is the cast led by John Cleese in what must be one of the funniest and most memorable characters in the history of television – and indeed comedy.
I interviewed John on The Late Late Show over a decade ago, and he remains one of my all-time favourite guests, so I was exceptionally excited when he joined me in the studio during the week for a lovely, long chat that covered a multitude. At 85 years old, he’s as sharp as a tack and as interested in the world as he ever was.
He’s involved in the recent stage version of Fawlty Towers and it’s clear why he’s very invested. I got to see the show recently and it’s honestly one of the most enjoyable and funny experiences I’ve had in the theatre. Based on three episodes of the original series, the stage show weaves several storylines beautifully and remains authentic to the original in every respect. The set is as was, the cast is remarkably similar to the original actors and the comic timing amplifies the scintillating script that elevates this from Seventies sit-com to timeless classic. The show will be touring later in the year and will visit Dublin along the way, don’t miss the chance to see it.
Meanwhile, back in the studio, John, below, reminded us that when the Monty Python crew tried to get The Life of Brian made as a feature film, nobody wanted to touch it. Obviously, someone somewhere saw the film for the classic it would become (banned as it was in Ireland) but John was lamenting the lack of vision and the need for bravery in comedy.
We finished our chat and arranged to meet for drinks in July but just as he was leaving the studio, his publicist reminded John not too forget his umbrella. Suitably chastised, John made a goofy face and slow walked towards the brolly, acting like a big child, and I thought to myself that this must be part of the key to a long life: Never grow up!
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