Social distancing — The Torbay way! 2 metres = 1 Basil Fawlty!

If our new normal of social distancing still has you confused as to what actually constitutes a ‘safe social distance’, consider this from one, John Cleese, with the ultimate in visual explanations for those thick of mind, courtesy of the Torbay Council. Going forward if I see you too close to one another I shall […]

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How Fawlty Towers almost never opened its doors

This gem comes from Shaun Usher over at Letters of Note, a Manchester site dedicated to the seeking out fascinating letters, postcards, telegrams, faxes, and memos. To the British comedy world, there is none more ‘fascinating’ that this accompanying 1974 memo graphic supplied by Sam Ward. While we knew of this story through several interviews […]

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Fire at Fawlty Towers. Was it O'Reilly, Stubbs…or, Manuel?

Polly, what have you done to my hotel? Almost 20 years ago (March 1991), fire engulfed the Woodburn Grange Country Club, the site for the exterior shots filmed for, perhaps, the greatest British comedy of all-time, Fawlty Towers. Sadly, this led to the ultimate demolition of the property, making way for eight houses despite an approved […]

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Happy 80th, Manuel!

OK, officially, Manuel may only be 35 years of age,  but Andrew Sachs, the actor who brilliantly portrayed the most famous waiter from Barcelona turns 80 today, Wednesday, April 7. Best known for his role as the hapless waiter, Manuel, in, perhaps the greatest British comedy of all-time, Fawlty Towers, Sachs has had, and still enjoys, a […]

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Fawlty Towers Revisited?

In an eerily similar occurrence to the original during rehearsals of Fawlty Towers at the King’s Theatre in Gloucester, seems as though after all these years, Basil Fawlty still hasn’t gotten the hang of hitting Manuel on the head with a frying pan without inflicting real pain. According to the particulars during rehearsal at the […]

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