When is Fawlty Towers returning to TV?
IT’S the news that Fawlty Towers fans around the world have always dreamed about.
Now that dream is become a reality, as the hit John Cleese sitcom is returning to TV for a rebooted series.
When is Fawlty Towers returning?
It was revealed on February 7, 2023 that much-loved comedy Fawlty Towers will return for a reboot.
American production company Castle Rock Entertainment, run by director Rob Reiner and producer Matthew George, is backing the new project.
An exact date for the Fawlty Towers reboot is yet to be released, but we do know that that filming will begin in 2024.
The new series, which will see Basil Fawlty running a hotel with his long-lost daughter, is likely to spark a bidding war between streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon, as well as US and UK channels.
What has been said about the return of Fawlty Towers?
In a statement about Fawlty Towers returning, John Cleese said: “When we first met, Matt offered an excellent first idea, and then Matt, my daughter Camilla and I had one of the best creative sessions I can remember.
“By dessert we had an overall concept so good that, a few days later, it won the approval of Rob and Michele Reiner.
“Camilla and I look forward enormously to expanding it into a series.”
Who will be in the cast of Fawlty Towers?
The full cast for the new series of Fawlty Towers is yet to be revealed.
However, we do know that John Cleese will write it again and play Basil Fawlty.
His manic character will be seen grappling with the modern world as he runs a boutique hotel in the reboot.
John’s daughter Camilla will also star in the new series, as well as helping her dad write the script.
The rest of the cast is still to be confirmed.
It’s very unlikely any of the other original stars will return, as Connie Booth, who played chambermaid Polly Sherma, gave up acting in the 90s – she is also John’s ex-wife.
Prunella Scales, who played Basil’s wife Sybil, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2014.
Sadly Andrew Sachs, who played Manuel, died in 2016, aged 86.
When did Fawlty Towers end?
Fawlty Towers was written by John Cleese with his then-wife Connie Booth.
The first episode aired on BBC Two on September 19, 1975.
But after just two series, consisting of a total of 12 episodes, the show ended on October 25, 1979.