The hotel from hell returns — and this time, Basil's actually invited.
30 years after Fawlty Towers (1975) ended, Stephen Fry narrates a documentary about the making of this classic sitcom.
Acting
Cleese and Booth calmly discussing their divorce while reminiscing.
Production
The hotel exterior was actually a random building in Torquay.
Director
Lindsay Jex
Stephen Fry
Self – Narrator (voice)
John Cleese
Self / Basil Fawlty
Prunella Scales
Self / Sybil Fawlty
Connie Booth
Self / Polly Sherman
Andrew Sachs
Self / Manuel
Carol Cleveland
Self
Bernard Cribbins
Self
Geoffrey Palmer
Self / Dr Price
David Kelly
Self / Mr O'Reilly
Nicky Henson
Self / Mr Johnson
Elspet Gray
Self / Mrs Abbott
Sabina Franklyn
Quentina
John Howard Davies
Self – Series Director
Barry Cryer
Self
Una Stubbs
Self / Alice
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The documentary reveals John Cleese's ex-wife Connie Booth co-wrote every episode but stopped acting entirely after their split — she became a psychotherapist instead.
The real Gleneagles Hotel that inspired Fawlty Towers burned down in 1991; its owner Donald Sinclair was so notoriously rude that Cleese based Basil entirely on him after the Pythons stayed there in 1970.
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Reactions from the web
The absolute pinnacle of comedy. It will probably never be surpassed.
@spervuurproduksies 28
An unmatched mixture of simple stories, physical comedy, hysterical outbreaks, brilliant dialogues, recurrent gags and timeless jokes and lines. "The Germans" might be the best comedy episode ever - anyone who saw it remembers it.
@martinb.770 119
I watch these 12 episodes over and over again! They never get old!!!
@edwardcairejr.3599 170
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