Piers Morgan brands John Cleese and his daughter’s Fawlty Towers reboot a ‘terrible idea’
The former GB News host didn’t seem at all thrilled that the classic British sitcom was returning as he vented his frustration on Twitter. Sharing a news article revealing that Fawlty Towers was in talks to return with John and his daughter, Camilla Cleese, Piers remarked, “No, no, no. That’s a terrible idea,” as he added hand-over-eye emojis.
More than 40 years after the end of the second and final season, the comic is set to write and star alongside daughter Camilla in a new series of the cult classic.
It will explore how John’s cynical Basil Fawlty navigates the modern world.
Plot details are largely being kept under wraps, but development will move the story forward to explore Basil’s relationship with a girl he just discovered, as the pair tempt fate and team up to manage. a boutique hotel.
The Cleese family joined Reiner’s Castle Rock for development, with Rob Reiner, Michele Reiner, Derrick Rossi and Matthew George executive producing.
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John praised George’s “understanding of the ‘creative process’ and described their first meeting as “one of the best creative sessions I can remember”.
Rob added: “John Cleese is a comedy legend. Just the thought of working with him makes me laugh,” while George described meeting John and Camilla Cleese as “one of the great thrills of my life.”
Although it only lasted two six-part seasons, ending in 1979, Fawlty Towers ranked number one on many of the best British comedy of all time lists.
Written by John and Connie Booth, the show followed hapless hotel manager Fawlty and a hilarious cast of characters that included legendary Spanish waiter Manuel (Andrew Sachs), Cleese’s bossy wife Sybil (Prunella Scales) and their wife chambermaid Polly, played by Booth.
The idea came from John’s stay in a hotel in an English seaside town and the show came to define the “Middle England” genre.
The 83-year-old actor and comedian recently asked his 5.6 million Twitter followers: “Can someone (including BBC staff) tell me why the BBC hasn’t shown Monty Python for a few decades?”
The question ignored the BBC’s celebration of iconic comedy, including airing the first episode of Monty Python’s Flying Circus, to mark its 50th anniversary in 2019.
John Hoare, a TV broadcast executive, responded to John by reminding him of Python night on the BBC.
“I sat in the BBC Two press room on September 7, 2019, prepared an episode of Monty Python for transmission as part of an evening of Python-related programs and then aired it, if it helps,” Hoare said.
John’s tweet also didn’t mention any rights deals made for the Monty Python back catalog.
The show and movies, including Monty Python and the Holy Grail, are all streaming on Netflix in the UK.
That’s TV, a British broadcaster, also struck a deal earlier this year to repeat all four seasons of the comedy, which starred John, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Graham Chapman, Michael Palin and Terry Gilliam.
Monty Python rights belong to Python (Monty) Pictures. Cleese, Palin, Idle and Gilliam are all executive directors of the British company.
The actor and comedian should soon be making a documentary for Channel 4 on the theme of freedom of expression.
Responding to John’s question on the BBC, Rob Schneider said: “They’re not done cutting out the parts that don’t fit their ideology. That’s the whole series!
John repeatedly complained about the BBC not showing Python. In 2020 he said: “The BBC hasn’t shown Monty Python on terrestrial television for 20 years and young people don’t know that.
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