Fawlty Towers is getting a revival series with John Cleese set to write and star
Basil is back
British sitcom Fawlty Towers is getting a revival at Castle Rock Entertainment, with original writer and star John Cleese set to write and star once again alongside his daughter Camilla.
The series first aired in 1975 and ended in 1979 after two seasons, but has remained in syndication on BBC2. Created by Cleese and Connie Britton, the show starred Cleese as Basil Fawlty, a hotelier struggling to keep his hotel and marriage afloat. Though short-lived, the show took home two British Academy Television Awards for Best Scripted Comedy and Best Entertainment Performance.
Per Variety, the revival will "explore how the over-the-top, cynical and misanthropic Basil Fawlty navigates the modern world and will explore the relationship between Basil and a daughter he has just discovered he had, as the two tempt fate and team up to run a boutique hotel."
Rob Reiner, Michele Reiner, Matthew George, and Derrick Rossi are set to executive produce.
"What I like about Matt is that, unlike many producers, he really ‘gets’ the creative process. When we first met, he offered an excellent first idea, and then Matt, my daughter Camilla, and I had one of the best creative sessions I can remember," said Cleese. "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."
The original Fawlty Towers is now streaming on BritBox.
For more, check out our list of the best new TV shows, or, check out our list of the 100 best TV shows of all time.
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Lauren Milici is a Senior Entertainment Writer for GamesRadar+ currently based in the Midwest. She previously reported on breaking news for The Independent's Indy100 and created TV and film listicles for Ranker. Her work has been published in Fandom, Nerdist, Paste Magazine, Vulture, PopSugar, Fangoria, and more.