Fawlty Towers: The Story of Britain's Favourite Sitcom

by Graham McCann

Book Overview

"Fawlty Towers" was only ontelevision screens for 12 half-hour episodes, but it has stayed inviewer's lives ever since. The Major; "Don't mention the war ;" "He's from Barcelona;" Basil the Rateveryone has a favorite line, moment, or character. In the first biography of the show, Graham McCann holds up to the light each of the unpredictable elementsthe demented brilliance of John Cleese, his creative partnership with Connie Booththat added up to an...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0340898119
• ISBN13: 9780340898116
• Release Date: October 2007
• Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 1.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.1" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

The ideal companion to the shows themselves

It's surprising when you realise (as I did) that only 12 episodes of Fawlty Towers were ever made, because thanks to the repeats this quite excellent British sitcom seems to have been around for so long. What Graham McCann's fine book does is take you back to the time when the idea for the show was first sparked (summer 1970, in a real-life Torquay hotel run by a truly rude manager called Donald Sinclair), and then tells the story of how John Cleese and Connie Booth wrote, cast, shot and then tried to top the very funny first series. He includes many fascinating details about the actors, the behind the scenes crises and the critical reviews, and reminds us just how cleverly plotted (and hilarious) each episode actually was. If you love Fawlty, you'll need this book on your shelf.