My father and I went on a holiday to Egypt in 1983, and our tour guide was none other than the actor Terence Conoley, who played Mr. Johnson, the poor chap who only ever wanted to order a Gin & Orange, a lemon squash and a Scotch & Water! Being a fan of Fawlty Towers, I recognised him from that episode and one day we had a little chat about it. He told me that he only worked as a tour guide when he was between acting jobs! And no, I didn’t ask him to recite his most famous line! Lol.

Manuel is so earnest and well-meaning, I love him so much. I may have included more from the Major, another fantastic comic creation. Fawlty Towers set the bar incredibly high for British sitcoms. In my opinion, there have never been 12 episodes of anything that has surpassed it. Thanks for the laugh!

At the beginning of every episode the sign that is supposed to say Fawlty Towers always says something else like farty towels, or fatty owls. It's just ageless and almost timeless comedy. Manuel was a perfect foil for Basil and Sybil is the straight man. It's good to see the comedy of over 40 years ago not being cancelled, and being enjoyed by future generations.

One of the greatest shows of all time. I have watched all the episodes several times and still find it hilarious.

If you ever watch 'The Kipper And The Corpse' episode in full, you'll be exhausted by the end. It's a wild episode.

My favourite incident has to be the fire drill. For some reason when he shouts "FIRE!!" into the two old dears faces 🤣🤣

Joel, I live 5 miles from the then hotel " The Gleneagles" that inspired the Fawlty Towers series , sadly knocked down a few years ago and replaced with an apartment block .🇬🇧

The joy of watching Fawlty Towers is seeing the reactions of you in watching it for the first time, when we already know what’s coming. When you re-watch it, you should get your housemates to watch it, and you will enjoy watching their reactions.

Another John Cleese film well worth watching is "Clockwise" where he plays a headmaster who is to give a speech at a conference but first he has to get there, when he misses his train things go downhill fast as he strives to get to the conference on time.

''Don't mention the War. i did once, but I think I got away with it alright.'' Is one of The best comedic lines ever.

I loved the Joan Sanders sketch of the view of Torquay. 😅🙏❤

Our history teacher at school wheeled a TV and a very early VCR player into our classroom and we all watched Fawlty Towers as 16 year olds instead of our history lessons! Not sure the Headmaster knew, but I suspect he would have understood the need for us to be exposed to this epoch defining comedy genius. I have watched every episode many times over the years, sharing the experience with various friends, my wife, our kids (repeatedly!) and now on reaction channels. Pure comedy gold.

Fantastic video I love Fawlty Towers, the car thrashing must be one of the most iconic episodes ever 😅

Hey Joel, one thing you really should try when you come to London is the "Faulty Towers" dining experience (spelled differently as not endorsed or affiliated with the BBC or the show) This is at the president hotel 56 Guilford St, London WC1N 1DP and you get a 3 course meal served as though you are living through an episode of the show with numerous gaffs. I took my aunt for her birthday a few months ago and I won't spoil the surprises if you and Will etc do go but you get to enjoy a meal and lots of belly laughs with things that go wrong. If you loved the show you should deffo book this for when you next come to London

I love Fawlty Towers. I have the boxed set and watch it over and over again. I love that the sign outside is changed on every episode. The phone calls were not from guests but, from Basil, checking up on the workmen. Manuel ..." Is Siberian Hamster ". Basil ..." cuddle THAT and you'll never play the guitar again ". Basil " ruffles through her purse " ? He ruffled through her HANDBAG !

The very end of "The Hotel Inspectors", where Basil is checking in the three guys. And the penny drops. 🤣🤣🤣

I expected a scene with the deaf Mrs. Richards to be high on the list: Mrs. Richards: “When I pay for a view, I expect something more interesting than that.” Basil: “But that is Torquay, madam.” Mrs. Richards: “Well it’s not good enough.” Basil: “Well may I ask what you expected to see out of a Torquay hotel bedroom window? Sydney Opera House perhaps? The Hanging Gardens of Babylon? Herds of wildebeest sweeping majestically across the plain …” Mrs. Richards: “Don’t be silly. I expect to be able to see the sea.” Basil: “You can see the sea! It’s over there between the land and the sky!” Mrs. Richards: “I’d need a telescope to see that.” Basil: “Well might I suggest you move to a hotel closer to the sea. Or preferably in it.”

My favourite is Mrs Richards. “That is Torquay madam” “Is this a piece of your brain?”

John Cleese is now aged 83. Amazing actor.

Definately rewards multiple watching. The scripts were so dense with action they were worth double.

The Kipper and the corpse was the funniest I thought! The whole cast were exceptional.

That was one of my favourite programmes and I used to love the different words they made on the hotel sign each show! Out of Fawlty Towers! One that got me in hysterics was Watery fowls!

Such a great show. Two British sitcoms you need to react to are "Are You Being Served?" and the duo series of "Yes, Minister" and "Yes, Prime Minister."

Where this is set (Torquay) is 40 minutes up the road from where I live Joel x

When the rat is in the biscuit box and Basil says, "Would you care for.......rat?" destroys me every time 😆

Wonderful. Some of the descriptions here were off but thats ok. personnaly I would have put communication problems higher on the list. There is a program on the Hotel which Fawlty Towers was based on out there if you want to watch it. Also there are commentry interviews by John Cleese about the making of the series (he talks about each episode being themed around a different English taboos and obsessions , like dead bodies, sex and social status. Or how he got the idea of the corpse from being told that the poshist and richest hotels frequently had corpses as people who were going to die would check in to die in style).

Mrs Richards should have been at the top for sure :)

Watched Faulty Towers dozens of times and I never get bored of watching it, it the perfect comedy imho.

That compilation should have included Major Gowan chasing the rat with his gun. Also all the complications with Mrs Richards, her money, the vase, and button the horse.

Apparently John Cleese actually stayed in a hotel in Torquay Devon who was similar to this, that’s what gave him the idea.I once worked in a wine bar that served food, my stepfather worked there too and it was so funny because there were the people eating and my step-father fast walking trying to get a rat that had run through the bar, can’t believe people actually worked there, I was just making clothes money as I was in college at the time lol

Oh I fricken love this show

Fawlty Towers is one of the greatest shows of all time. Dated, yes, but always watchable. Another couple of shows you could try are The Vicar of Dibley & Keeping Up Appearances.

The more stressed Basil becomes the funnier it is. Kipper & the corpse is so good. xx

The King of sitcoms, so much is packed in to every episode, not a single second is wasted.

Great series. Though these weren't moments, these were episodes.

Basil's wife Sybil ( Prunella Scales ) and her real husband actor Timothy West starred in a long running tv factual series where they went around the UK and Europe in a canal boat. They have their own boat but it's getting harder to use now as Pru is getting Alzheimers. There's a lot of episodes on You Tube called Great Canal Journeys! Check them out!!

One of THE greatest sitcoms EVER made and there were only 12 each one of which is comedy GOLD!

One of the classics of comedy! 12 episodes………leave them wanting more!

Have you done ‘Dads Army’ ? You’d love it !

Watched them hundreds of times since I was little , always still funny, I think my favourite is the one with the spoons seller and basil thinks he is a hotel inspector

It is a great show. I am always surprised at how few episodes there are. I have long thought that the funniest comedy special would be the Crane Family from the US Frasier series encounters Hyacinth Bucket and her family at Fawlty Towers.

Joel I found this so difficult to watch! I found myself watching your expressions all the time, you truly love and enjoy the show as much as all of us ❤

When ever I see a brass bell on a counter I automatically hear Basil😂😂😂

The problem that I found at school in the UK, at the time that the last clip was broadcast, is that only a couple of years had passed since my father had died suddenly from a heart attack. I received hell from bullies after that happened and this episode made my situation in school far worse. Although I like John Cleese, The Pythons and Fawlty Towers, I could have done without this. My grades dropped and, far worse, It made me suicidal. Some boys even called after my mother in the street and she was English and had served in the ATS and even got a war pension - although she wasn't aware of it until the 90s. She was told that she couldn't get a pension by the MOD.

You should have made your own list of your favourite moments. You have watched the show and it would be interesting to see your top ten.

I agree you that you should watch Fawlty Towers more than once and they are so funny watching several times. The series is written based on a real person who acted just like Basil and had owned a hotel in Torquay. It was when John Cleese and others visited and found the experience funny which have them this idea to write the hilarious series. It was written by John Cleece and Connie Booth, his then wife. Polly in Fawlty Towers is played by Connie Booth and was John Cleese wife at the time.

A few years ago I went to a Fawlty Towers experience in the Sydney Opera House. It was set in one of their restaurants overlooking the water. It was so funny with audience participation I was too afraid to ask for a bread roll because Basil was yelling at the guests and Manuel all night! They resembled the real actors so much it was brilliant!

2 shows that ended too soon are Black Books & Fawlty Towers

Thanks for that, glad you like it too, its hard to believe there weren't that many episodes.

The Moose head & The Major (with a little help from the incomparable Manuel)

The Hotel which was said to be the inspiration for Fawlty Towers ,in Torquay, is about a 10mins drive from where I live. It is the Gleneagles Hotel, although I don't think any episodes were filmed there.

To a US viewer it may appear strange that such a globally popular sitcom as Fawlty Towers ran for only two seasons, each of just six episodes. Likewise, the British original The Office also had two series, and a total of 14 episodes. With the exception of a few very long-running soaps, and a handful of police/crime series, (plus Dr WHO of course), British tv dramas rarely have over eight episodes in a series and even less frequently do they run for more than five series. This results in longer story lines often running for multiple episodes, and a far higher production and writing quality. Stories don't have to be resolved in a 40 minute episode, but often run for up to five hours across multiple episodes, as with a US "mini series".

Reaching for the light switch had me in stitches..

I love that your'e into British comedies and cinema. I don't too many people your age that likes these comedy gems.Great job!

12 episodes of absolute comedy gold.

Fawlty Towers was a brilliant comedy

Aww I still have all of Fawlty Towers on video!! Loved that show! ❤️❤️

There are so many shows you should watch : Rising Damp, keeping up appearances, rab c. nesbitt, father ted, desmond’s, are you being served, last of the summer wine, dad’s army, as time goes by, tales of the unexpected, Blackadder,yes minister, red dwarf, my hero…..I could go on and I want to but I won’t.

A great sitcom is Keeping up Appearances. I know you have a list, but add this one; I think you'll LOL

Okay, we Aussies love Fawlty Towers. We watch it over and over again...

There's hardly any Manuel moments, and they were some of the funniest. Also Mrs Richards and the view out the window was one of my favs.

I loved the anagrams each week on the Fawlty Towers sign

BTW, That tweed jacket that Fawlty wears in the episode with the builders is really cool.

Scary to think that Basil Fawlty was based on a real life hotelier that John Cleese and the Monty python team encountered whilst on film location!

😂 brilliant! I loved this 😂

The fire alarm scene should have been in here 😂

Shetland and Father Brown are two of my favorites.

Thanks Joel, have a good day.

Oh German, I’m sorry, I thought there was something wrong with you… 😂😂😂 Classic. 🤣 ✌️❤️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇬🇧🏳️‍🌈xxx

I remember back in the late 80's, we did The Builders episode of Fawlty Towers as part of drama class in High School.

Had the pleasure of meeting and working with Andrew Sachs (Manuel) in the late 90s - he was a really nice guy :)

I love how the names change... my favourite is Farty Towels

I stayed iñ a large house in Torquay as a kid..........pretty flash, tennis courts etc.,..........used to be owned by Disraeli..........even a poxy gong if required..........though youñg, the folk. were very like John,.........

Brass Eye also, you will witness the brilliance of Chris Morris (4 Lions producer) (Denholm - I.T Crowd) 👍🏼

Oh RIP the great Bernard Cribbins !! As Mr Hutchinson the spoon salesman who was just as obnoxious as Fawlty and the two clashed together,,, Brilliant farce will never be beaten Yet BBC1 controller Bill Cotton rejected it sighting stereotypical characters with not much character development for a sitcom.. Thanks to the then BBC2 controller David Attenborough (yes THEE Sir David Attenborough! ) who had a 30 minute slot available and knowing John from the earlier Python work John and Connie got the go ahead on a tiny BBC budget, working with John Howard Davis they got it all together and Bill Cotton later hung the rejection note up in his office just to remind him he could sometimes be wrong !

The height he gets on his legs doing that walk is wild

I agree joel one off the funniest comedy series. Try and find only fools and horses the number one comedy series on uk tv ,you will love it mate

Forgot that “Bullet Baxter” from Grange Hill was in this.

Amazing still laughing years later

jps i am beginning to think you as British as i , you seem to have an amazing a knowledge of the UK as i have

The scene where Basil hits his car with the tree branch was filmed only yards from where my wife lived at the time near a residential road junction called Northwick Circle in the district of Kenton in the Northwest London suburbs. (Of course it's supposed to be Torquay in Devon.)

When he would get HYSTERICAL, i used to weep with laughter.

Absolutely brilliant, noone can talk to people like that anymore, sad loss of freedom of speech! Sooo emotional! Poor Manuel! 😪 It's not hilarious for him! That's right, Sybil/Polly is in bed sick and in town! The striking chef! The bad car! Poisoned by fish!? Attack, great defense! Don't mention the war! 😆 The "ministry of silly walks", long legs, cool! 😁👍

You HAVE to watch Dads Army or Only Fools and Horses, they’re proper classics like this!

More than one of these moments illustrate a central precept of Cleese's humor. That while it can be funny to see someone behaving foolishly, it's funnier still to watch someone who is watching someone behaving foolishly.

Interesting fact for you. Connie Booth who plays Polly is actually American. She was married to John Cleese.

Superb!

Fawlty Towers was so good. If you haven't seen them, you might also enjoy Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em; The Young Ones; The Vicar Of Dibley; As Time Goes By; On The Buses; Father Dear Father; Are You Being Served; and Mr Bean.

Hello Joel John Cleese is supposed to be making more fawlty Towers episodes , he is now 82 years old, we will have to wait and see 🙂🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Hi saw that someone sent you a hate mail letter. You have never told anyone they had to be a patron but could if they wanted too. Try not to let it get to you I respect your open mind and polite manner All I can say is well done and thank you

Without doubt, Fawlty Towers is the funniest TV comedy series of my life.

Do we need our own copies of the shows to watch along with you on Patreon?

in for a treat...

love from uk

On Spanish T.V. Manuel is Italian 🤣

Only 12 episodes made but faulty towers is more memorable than most comedy rubbish made today, with multiple episodes. That shows proof is in the pudding because British comedy back than wasn’t restricted by cancel culture, and being told what you can say, and can’t. By all means, comedians should never be abusive towards a particular demographic, but people should be allowed to make lighthearted fun about people, without feeling like they’re being labelled as abusive, when they’re not.

Manwel I believe was a Shakespearean actor before fawlty towers

Best comedy ever.

Loved it then love it now🇦🇺

You should wath The Hotel, doc based in Torquay, a real fawlty towers