This series for me typifies the difference between British comedy and American "comedy".
Its comedy bordering on Tragedy, or perhaps Farce. Here Basil gives everything but no matter how hard he tries nothing ever works out right for him. Whenever he thinks things are working out they always end up blowing up on him. Everyone can identify with that. American comedies have a big strong protagonist who always rushes in to save the day and the joke is always on someone else.
"Manuel... you are a waste of space" (knocks Manuel on the head with a spoon)
I knew Andrew Sachs and he once told me that he did complain to Cleese about how much this part of the scene hurt him during rehearsals. Cleese just said you are getting paid good money. Kind of put me off Cleese as Andrew was an extremely pleasant gentleman.
Manuals waiter’s uniform has been donated to the V&A.
Have read some articles about Cleese, and I don’t think he is a very nice person - well up himself - not very good at choosing wives either !!
I met Eric Idle once - lovely man, very happy to chat about the shows / songs etc that he has done - it was at some charity dinner, and he came and sat on my table when one of the other people sat on my table asked for his autograph - sat chatting for about 20 mins, until the organisers came over and asked him to do some photos - I think he would have happily sat with us for ages
"Manuel... you are a waste of space" (knocks Manuel on the head with a spoon)
I knew Andrew Sachs and he once told me that he did complain to Cleese about how much this part of the scene hurt him during rehearsals. Cleese just said you are getting paid good money. Kind of put me off Cleese as Andrew was an extremely pleasant gentleman.
Manuals waiter’s uniform has been donated to the V&A.
Have read some articles about Cleese, and I don’t think he is a very nice person - well up himself - not very good at choosing wives either !!
I met Eric Idle once - lovely man, very happy to chat about the shows / songs etc that he has done - it was at some charity dinner, and he came and sat on my table when one of the other people sat on my table asked for his autograph - sat chatting for about 20 mins, until the organisers came over and asked him to do some photos - I think he would have happily sat with us for ages
Remember the episode he the Major finds out that a psychiatrist is staying at the hotel and he confronts Basil in horror, "yes and he's dressed up as a guest"
We only get salad cream in special occasions, gourmet nights, that sort of thing, but when our chef has a bottle he’s like Robert Curry; he can have the stuff out of the bottle and on your plate in a flash with none on the walls!
What would you like your breakfast tray made out of?
I don't really mind
Are you sure? Fine! Well, you go and and have a really good night's sleep then, I'm hoping to get a couple hours later on myself but I'll be up in good time to serve you your breakfast in bed.
What would you like your breakfast tray made out of?
I don't really mind
Are you sure? Fine! Well, you go and and have a really good night's sleep then, I'm hoping to get a couple hours later on myself but I'll be up in good time to serve you your breakfast in bed.
If you could remember to sleep with your mouth open then you won’t even need to wake up, we can just drop in pieces of lightly buttered kipper when you’re breathing in the right direction
"I've had enough! You've tried it on just once too often! Right! Well, don't say I haven't warned you! I've laid it on the line for you time and time again! Right! Well, this is it! I'm going to give you a damn good thrashing!"
About this Waldorf salad of yours...Been having a bit of a tete-a-tete with chef. We're all right on the apples, absolutely no problem with them at all. Now, on the celery front...Perhaps I should explain, we normally get our celery delivered on a Wednesday, along with our cabbages, onions, walnuts, grapes...But this week, the driver...He was putting... He slipped forward and the van door caught his arm and may have fractured it. We'll know tomorrow if they'll have to operate, and to cut a long story short, we don't have any, no.
This series for me typifies the difference between British comedy and American "comedy".
Its comedy bordering on Tragedy, or perhaps Farce. Here Basil gives everything but no matter how hard he tries nothing ever works out right for him. Whenever he thinks things are working out they always end up blowing up on him. Everyone can identify with that. American comedies have a big strong protagonist who always rushes in to save the day and the joke is always on someone else.
This series for me typifies the difference between British comedy and American "comedy".
Its comedy bordering on Tragedy, or perhaps Farce. Here Basil gives everything but no matter how hard he tries nothing ever works out right for him. Whenever he thinks things are working out they always end up blowing up on him. Everyone can identify with that. American comedies have a big strong protagonist who always rushes in to save the day and the joke is always on someone else.
Fawlty Towers was co-written by an American.
Similarly, one of the best American comedies, Frasier, is more British in its humour
This series for me typifies the difference between British comedy and American "comedy".
Its comedy bordering on Tragedy, or perhaps Farce. Here Basil gives everything but no matter how hard he tries nothing ever works out right for him. Whenever he thinks things are working out they always end up blowing up on him. Everyone can identify with that. American comedies have a big strong protagonist who always rushes in to save the day and the joke is always on someone else.
Fawlty Towers was co-written by an American.
Similarly, one of the best American comedies, Frasier, is more British in its humour
Curb Your Enthusiasm is another that is closer to Fawlty Towers than it is to Friends
Comments
Its comedy bordering on Tragedy, or perhaps Farce. Here Basil gives everything but no matter how hard he tries nothing ever works out right for him. Whenever he thinks things are working out they always end up blowing up on him. Everyone can identify with that. American comedies have a big strong protagonist who always rushes in to save the day and the joke is always on someone else.
I met Eric Idle once - lovely man, very happy to chat about the shows / songs etc that he has done - it was at some charity dinner, and he came and sat on my table when one of the other people sat on my table asked for his autograph - sat chatting for about 20 mins, until the organisers came over and asked him to do some photos - I think he would have happily sat with us for ages
and he confronts Basil in horror, "yes and he's dressed up as a guest"
Yes, yes he should be!
"These eggs look like you laid them"
I beg your pardon?
What would you like your breakfast tray made out of?
I don't really mind
Are you sure? Fine! Well, you go and and have a really good night's sleep then, I'm hoping to get a couple hours later on myself but I'll be up in good time to serve you your breakfast in bed.
Have i mentioned how much i like Fawlty Towers BTW?
This: Basil's wife.
This: smack on the head"
" What is a Waldorf anyway,.. a walnut that's gone off"?
I am from Barcelona"
I also cannot understand how people cannot find the Simpsons (seasons 2-8) funny.