'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAUACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABdAAEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAcQAAEEAgMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECAwQRAAUGEhMWAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHEQACAgMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAwIRAAQFMf/aAAwDAQACEQMRAD8An4ls99yjaxNw7s3Isb62dp24EdACEtxovslZUq7JqlUASM2Z7yDrlNiuxxjDjtKUkaQXAQtFmhV4m8ZrXS3CyZlWxICz4M//2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The iconic British sitcom Fawlty Towers is getting a reboot after more than four decades. The original show aired between 1975 and 1979 and was ranked first on the British Film Institute's list of the 100 Greatest British Television Programs in 2000.
Fawlty Towers starred John Cleese as Basil Fawlty, Prunella Scales as Sybil Fawlty, Connie Booth as Polly Sherman, and Andrew Sachs as Manuel. It also had several actors in guest and recurring roles.
When the reboot was announced, fans of the original show expressed their displeasure and skepticism on Twitter. One fan pleaded with the producers not to mess with the original show as "it's a perfect time capsule" and "a reboot could ruin the legacy it managed to create."
Fans on Twitter unsure about Fawlty Towers reboot
When Fawlty Towers hit BBC2 in the late 1970s, the political scenario was different than that of today. The original show contained a lot of edgy and offensive jokes that could face heavy backlash if made in the current political scenario.
People have therefore urged the showrunners to abandon the concept of a reboot and maintain the status quo of the show.
Fans believe that the show's quips and comedy will be exceedingly rude and offensive to 21st-century viewers. They even claim that it is one of the shows that the Daily Mail would deem impossible to produce today. John Cleese frequently used the N-word in the show, which might be a serious problem.
One particular fan said that shows where older characters are not able to use phones or social media, have been done several times and it's just not funny anymore.
Fans feel that the original show was racist and xenophobic, to begin with. Pronouns could be the butt of jokes in the rebooted version and fans are just not up for it. as it did in the 1970s. Making such a show today could be a disaster, with thousands of people offended if it includes politically incorrect jokes, as it did in the 1970s.
What is Fawlty Towers about?
Fawlty Towers is set in a fictional hotel of the same name in the seaside town of Torquay on the English Riviera. The show revolves around owner Basil Fawlty, his bossy wife Sybil, the sensible chambermaid Polly who believes in justice, and English-challenged Spanish waiter Manuel. These characters are constantly met with troublesome guests and try to find a way out of the nuisance.
The official synopsis of Fawlty Towers reads:
"Hotel owner Basil Fawlty's incompetence, short fuse, and arrogance form a combination that ensures accidents and trouble are never far away."
The Beatles member John Lennon, who was a fan of the show once said,
"I love Fawlty Towers. I'd like to be in that. [It's] the greatest show I've seen in years... what a masterpiece, a beautiful thing."
The show was created by John Cleese and Connie Booth and was named the greatest-ever British TV sitcom by a panel of comedy experts compiled by the Radio Times. It won the British Academy Television Award for Best Scripted Comedy in 1976 and 1980.
In 1980, Cleese received the British Academy Television Award for Best Entertainment Performance, and, in 2001, Basil Fawlty was ranked second on the list of the 100 Greatest TV Characters in a poll conducted by Channel 4.
