John Cleesehas never made a secret of his stance on the “woke” world, but he rallied against the assumption that the revival ofFawlty Towerswill be “anti-woke.” The original series ofFawlty Towershas become newsworthy in recent years for the warnings attached to its streaming versions, which warn of racist language and offensive terms. While the 70s sitcom is still regarded as one of the greatest British sitcoms of all time, mainly thanks to the manic performance of Cleese as hotelier Basil Fawlty, it is seen by some as being “of its time” in terms of its attitude.
The announcement of new episodes ofFawlty Towersbeing made almost 50 years after the original series first aired was met with a mixed reaction. Speaking onGB News, Cleese addressed a headline byThe Guardianthat stated his right-leaning views “will turn the revival into an anti-woke nightmare.” Cleese said:
“They obviously know better than I do what’s going to be in it. Maybe they should write an episode for me that they would find acceptable. Might not be very funny, but I’m sure it would really please some of their readers. The idea that it’s all going to be about wokery hadn’t particularly occurred to me.”
Related:Fawlty Towers Returning After 40 Years with John Cleese Reprising His Role as Basil Fawlty
Can Fawlty Towers Stand Up In A Modern Comedy World?
While speaking about theFawlty Towersrevival, Cleese revealed a little more about the setting for the new series. He noted:
“If you put it in the Caribbean, it becomes very multi-racial. People in the hotel business come from everywhere, so you can bring lots of different people together. The characteristic ofFawlty Towerswas the pressure cooker atmosphere created in the hotel.”
While the new location, which leaves behind the south of England Torquay hotel, certainly suggests a range of diverse cast members coming into the story, the original version of Basil Fawlty would have a little trouble navigating his way around them without seeing a wave of complaints about derogatory and racially insensitive language being used. Cleese also noted that he did not want to work with the BBC on the new series as he would “not get the freedom” he is clearly getting from Rob Reiner’s Castle Rock Entertainment.
In recent years, many comedians and comedy shows have come under fire for making offensive and inappropriate jokes, leading to outrage from those who believe that comedy should push boundaries and remain a form of free speech and equally from those who do not stand with jokes being made at the expense of people. In such a volatile comedy landscape, where exactlyFawlty Towerswill land is intriguing to many fans of the original show and those waiting for a chance to tear it down.
There has been no word on exactly whenFawlty Towers’ new episodes will arrive or where they will be aired, but it will likely be sometime in 2024.
