Business Booms for Real-Life Fawlty Towers

Reuters ^ | May 20, 2003

[Timesink]

Business Booms for Real-Life Fawlty Towers

Tue May 20, 2003 10:40 AM ET

MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) - A cafe in northern England has turned itself into a copy of TV's disaster-prone Fawlty Towers and the customers love it, the owner said on Tuesday.

Phil Wood, of Wilmslow, Cheshire, said he was abusing staff and arguing with customers, just like hotel owner Basil Fawlty in the classic 1970s BBC sitcom.

In the television series, Fawlty, played by actor John Cleese, lurched from one disaster to the next, haranguing his guests and attacking his Spanish waiter Manuel.

"I like to have a bit of fun with people in true Basil style. If they leave a bit of food I'll head over for an inquest, asking them what's wrong with the sausage," Wood said.

A Fawlty Towers fan for nearly 30 years, he bought the cafe four months ago and called it Fawlty's.

"We do all kinds of daft stuff. This guy came in with a shopping bag today so I went over and searched it to check he hadn't brought in his own sandwiches. He loved it, he absolutely loved it."

Wood plans to cover the cafe in Fawlty Towers memorabilia and screen the series.

"It's got so popular that now people come in expecting me to jump around like some frenetic grasshopper," said 54-year-old Wood.

[Timesink]

[Ready4Freddy]

Sounds like a great place to visit. Hard to believe that there were only 12 episodes ever filmed, eh?

[1066AD]

Good stuff, Cleese and Manuel were priceless!
Cleese got the last laugh IIRC when Fawlty Towers got picked by a UK trade association as an example of how NOT to run a hotel. Cleese went on to become involved in all sorts of corporate training videos etc. Good for him.

[Timesink]

Looks like others have tried, and totally failed, with the general concept:

Doesn't appear particularly Basil-ish, though. (And note they're mixing metaphors: It's called Fawlty's but it has a silhouette of the Silly Walks character.) Just what a bunch of Danish people must think an "English pub" looks like.

[ladyinred]

I just started watching this show on BBC America. Quite funny, but sad they took off one episode of Keeping up Appearances to air it!

[ladyinred]

Only 12, really? I am surprised to see that that it was filmed in the 1970's!

[Clemenza]

My favorite episode is when a group of German tourists come to visit. Basil keeps trying to avoid mentioning WWII, but does so nonetheless.

[Billy_bob_bob]

I have the entire series on laserdisk. Classic stuff.

[Timesink]

I just started watching this show on BBC America. Quite funny, but sad they took off one episode of Keeping up Appearances to air it!

Don't worry, BBC America is the single worst-programmed cable channel in the country. Every program they have - all five of them - will be run over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, until the end of time. All they do is take one show off for a few weeks to replace it with another set of repeats, then switch back, and switch again, ad infinitum.

[Ready4Freddy]

Classic? Laserdiscs are positively antique! Sorry, couldn't resist... :>)

[AgThorn]

I would love to visit this property ... loved the series. Wish I had the laserdisc set, but I only have the VHS since I had it before DVD was available ... great humor! Here's a site for a free Fawlty Towers screen saver, sound bites and all ...

[Billy_bob_bob]

Tell me about it. I've got a complete set of "The Chaplin Mutuals" on laserdisk as well. We're talking about silent movies from the dawn of Hollywood, about as old as movies get, on an obsolete video format. The whole thing makes my head hurt just to think about. It's like some kind of black hole time continium conundrum one encounters in a bad episode of "Star Trek".

[AgThorn]

I meant Laser Disks not DVD ... sorry ... I remember those things, had a friend with a collection of movies on them ... but I still predated his collection with my VHS.

[Maven]

Don't worry, BBC America is the single worst-programmed cable channel in the country. Every program they have - all five of them - will be run over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, until the end of time.

So true! Good thing I have a high tolerance level for "Changing Rooms." LOL!

Did see a new episode of "Murder in Mind" tonight, though, featuring the rather yummy Neil Pearson.

Maven

[lorrainer]

I thought I was an expert, until I took the QUIZ . I only got 5 right, LOL.

FATTY OWLS, FARTY TOWELS, WATERY FOWLS

[I still care]

How can you forget the one with "O'Reilly"?

O'Reilly: ...I tell you, if the Good Lord...
Basil: Is mentioned once more, I shall move you closer to him.

[buccaneer81]

Quality, not quantity. Something American TV types could learn.

[RJCogburn]

Don't mention the War.

[Focault's Pendulum]

He's from Barcelona.

Que?