Fawlty Towers - The Complete Collection (Remastered) [DVD] [1975]

Amazon.co.uk Review Basil Fawlty, as created and performed by John Cleese, is the rudest, most boorish, most hilariously obnoxious man on the face of the planet. What a natural for a TV sitcom! His screen wife, Sybil (Prunella Scales), put it best in the episode "The Psychiatrist": "You're either crawling all over them, licking their boots, or spitting poison at them like some Benzedrine puff adder." He mockingly replies, "Just trying to enjoy myself, dear." With his gangly frame and contortionist abilities, Cleese brilliantly punctuates Basil's outrageous faux pas with absurd gymnastics and turns Three Stooges-style pokes and kicks into a slapstick ballet. Scales's Sybil is the genial but obliviously chatty voice of reason and Andrew Sachs mangles the English language as the Spanish bellhop Manuel, whose struggles with simple directions results in comic lunacy reminiscent of Robert Benigni. After a six-episode run in 1975, Cleese and co-writer and co-star Connie Booth (who plays Polly, the maid all too often pulled into Basil's ridiculous plans) reunited the cast in 1979 for another six episodes without missing a punch line. Remember to watch the opening credits of each show to spot the creative misspellings on the hotel sign (our favorite: "Fatty Owls"). --Sean Axmaker, Amazon.com Product Description This Special Edition marks the 30th anniversary of one of the greatest situation comedies British television has ever seen. Every episode of the BAFTA award winning sitcom has been fantastically remastered and for the first time ever John Cleese provides audio commentaries on all 12 episodes of this comedy classic. SPECIAL FEATURES Remastered version Exclusive commentaries by John Cleese 2009 Extended Interviews Includes exclusive interview with Connie Booth Accompanying booklet Interviews with John Cleese, Prunella Scales and Andrew Sachs Series 1 director’s commentary by John Howard Davies Series 2 director’s commentary by Bob Spiers Artist profiles Out takes Torquay Tourist Guide (short documentary film) Cheap Tatty Review Audio Description & Navigation Option Starring John Cleese, Prunella Scales, Andrew Sachs and Connie Booth Series One: Written by John Cleese and Connie Booth. Directed and produced by John Howard Davies. Series Two: Written by John Cleese and Connie Booth. Directed by Bob Spiers. Produced by Douglas.