{"id":50670,"date":"2024-05-02T16:56:29","date_gmt":"2024-05-02T14:56:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=2035023"},"modified":"2024-05-02T18:15:28","modified_gmt":"2024-05-02T16:15:28","slug":"john-cleese-confirms-he-isnt-updating-fawlty-towers-for-revival","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/john-cleese-confirms-he-isnt-updating-fawlty-towers-for-revival\/","title":{"rendered":"John Cleese confirms he \u201cisn\u2019t updating\u201d Fawlty Towers for revival"},"content":{"rendered":"

“People probably won’t understand it at the beginning.” <\/p>

By Olivia Garrett\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Thursday, 02 May 2024 at 14:56 PM<\/p>

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In February last year, John Cleese shocked TV fans with the news that Fawlty Towers<\/a> was set to be revived, 50 years after the iconic sitcom was first broadcast.<\/p>\n

In a surprise announcement, the Monty Python alum confirmed that he was writing new episodes in collaboration with his daughter, Camilla Cleese.<\/p>\n

At the time, the 84-year-old suggested that the new run would see the return of Basil Fawlty<\/a> as he navigates the modern world and manages a boutique hotel with his daughter \u2013 who he has just realised is his.<\/p>\n

Now, the actor has said that he won\u2019t be changing the show\u2019s humour or style in any way for a modern viewership.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019d never try to update Fawlty Towers,\u201d he told RadioTimes.com<\/a> and other press. \u201cPeople probably won\u2019t understand it at the beginning if they\u2019re young, but they\u2019ll pick it up.\u201d<\/p>\n

This news is hardly surprising and appears to be in line with what Camilla previously said<\/a> about the approaching reboot, telling The Sun<\/a>: \u201cThere will be jokes that will be a little bit edgy but we\u2019re not out to get anyone, we don\u2019t dislike any people.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not the basis of it. People are a little sensitive nowadays, to put it lightly.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AUSTIN,\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
John Cleese.<\/span><\/figcaption> Amanda Stronza\/Getty Images for SXSW<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

In the past, John has made his attitudes towards so-called \u2018cancel culture\u2019 clear, and today \u2013 at a press event for the Fawlty Towers stage play<\/a> \u2013 he speculated that \u201cthere\u2019s been too much change\u201d in the world of TV.<\/p>\n

However, he added that the original series was not always the hit it\u2019s considered today, recalling: \u201cA lot of people didn\u2019t particularly like it when it started.<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember [an article] after the second episode said \u2018Long John short on jokes\u2019, but then suddenly everybody started to love it.\u201d<\/p>

When asked why he and then-wife Connie Booth only wrote 12 episodes for the original series, he said that it was down to the fact it used to take six weeks to write each episode.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe didn\u2019t start writing dialogue for at least two weeks,\u201d he explained. \u201cWe felt after the 12 shows that we had done the best we possibly could, and if we had written another series people would have said that it wasn\u2019t as good.\u201d<\/p>\n

There is no fixed date yet for the Fawlty Towers revival, but the Fawlty Towers stage play is getting ready to open this month \u2013 tickets can be found at Love Theatre<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Read more:<\/strong><\/p>\n